Shloka 1

मुक्ता-उत्पत्ति-भेदाः, मूल्य-मान-निर्णयः, शोधन-परीक्षा-लक्षणानि

Pearl Sources, Valuation, Refinement, and Identification

Devanagari script

नामाष्टषष्टितमो ऽध्यायः सूत उवाच / द्विपेन्द्रजीमूतवराहशङ्खमत्स्याहिशुक्त्युद्भववेणुजानि / मुक्ताफलानि प्रथितानि लोके तेषां च शुक्त्युद्भवमेव भूरि

Transliteration

nāmāṣṭaṣaṣṭitamo 'dhyāyaḥ sūta uvāca / dvipendrajīmūtavarāhaśaṅkhamatsyāhiśuktyudbhavaveṇujāni / muktāphalāni prathitāni loke teṣāṃ ca śuktyudbhavameva bhūri

Translation

Sūta sprach: Perlen (muktāphala) sind in der Welt berühmt als aus dem Herrscher-Elefanten, aus der Wolke, aus dem Eber, aus der heiligen Muschel (śaṅkha), aus dem Fisch, aus der Schlange, aus der Austernschale und aus dem Bambus hervorgegangen; doch unter ihnen sind die aus der Austernschale geborenen am zahlreichsten.

Word by Word

• नाम: name (titled)
• नाम: Visheshana (Appositional/विशेषण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नामन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; शीर्षक-रूपेण (as heading)

• अष्टषष्टितमः: sixty-eighth
• अष्टषष्टितमः: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अष्ट + षष्टि + तम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; द्विगु-समास (68th)

• अध्यायः: chapter
• अध्यायः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अध्याय (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन

• सूतः: Sūta
• सूतः: Karta (Speaker/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सूत (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन

• उवाच: said
• उवाच: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √वच् (धातु)
• Form: लिट् (परोक्षभूत/Perfect), परस्मैपद, प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन

• द्विपेन्द्रजीमूतवराहशङ्खमत्स्याहिशुक्त्युद्भववेणुजानि: (pearls) of kinds: elephant-, cloud-, boar-, conch-, fish-, serpent-, oyster-born, bamboo-born
• द्विपेन्द्रजीमूतवराहशङ्खमत्स्याहिशुक्त्युद्भववेणुजानि: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: द्विपेन्द्र + जीमूत + वराह + शङ्ख + मत्स्य + अहि + शुक्ति-उद्भव + वेणु-जानि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1st/2nd), बहुवचन; द्वन्द्व-समासः (समाहार-द्वन्द्व) — 'elephant, cloud, boar, conch, fish, serpent, oyster-born, bamboo-born (pearls)' इत्यादि-जातिभेदाः

• मुक्ताफलानि: pearls
• मुक्ताफलानि: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मुक्ता + फल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), बहुवचन; तत्पुरुषः—'मुक्तायाः फलानि' (pearls)

• प्रथितानि: well-known
• प्रथितानि: Karta (Subject-qualifier/कर्तृविशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: प्र + √था (धातु) + क्त (कृदन्त)
• Form: भूतकर्मणि क्त-प्रत्ययान्त; नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), बहुवचन; 'प्रसिद्धानि'

• लोके: in the world
• लोके: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: लोक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th), एकवचन

• तेषाम्: of them
• तेषाम्: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठी (6th), बहुवचन; सर्वनाम

• च: and
• च: Samuccaya (Connector/समुच्चय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चय-अव्यय (conjunction)

• शुक्त्युद्भवम्: oyster-born
• शुक्त्युद्भवम्: Karta (Predicate-noun/विधेय)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: शुक्ति + उद्भव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1st/2nd), एकवचन; तत्पुरुषः—'शुक्तेः उद्भवम्'

• एव: indeed/only
• एव: Avadharana (Emphasis/अवधारण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एव (अव्यय)
• Form: निश्चय/अवधारण-अव्यय (emphatic particle)

• भूरि: abundant/many
• भूरि: Visheshana (Quantifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: भूरि (अव्यय/प्रातिपदिक-नपुंसक)
• Form: परिमाणवाचक-अव्यय (quantifier adverb)

Speaker

Sūta

Philosophical Teaching

Concept: Classification and source-theory of pearls; knowledge (vidyā) of origins supports discernment in use and valuation.

Vedantic Theme: Vyavaharika-jñāna (pragmatic knowledge) as a limb of dharma—right understanding guides right action in the world.

Application: When evaluating precious materials, attend to provenance and typicality; prefer reliable, abundant sources for common use and reserve rare sources for special contexts.

Verse Rasa

Primary Rasa: adbhuta

Secondary Rasa: shanta

Geographic Context

Type: natural sources (marine, animal, atmospheric)

Cross References

Related Themes: Garuda Purana 1.69 (Muktā/ratna-nirṇaya section: origins and qualities of pearls)

Characters & Entities

• Sūta

FAQs

What is the importance of pearl-origins in the Garuda Purana?

This verse frames a traditional Purāṇic classification of pearls (muktāphala) by their reputed sources, grounding later discussions on identifying and valuing pearls.

How does this verse explain the path of the soul?

It does not address the soul’s journey; it is a descriptive verse on worldly categories of pearls and their origins.

Practical application of this wisdom today?

Use it as a cultural-archival reference for traditional Indian gem classification—especially the emphasis that oyster-born pearls are the most commonly encountered.