Shloka 36

Āyuḥ-kṣaya by Vikarma; Impermanence of the Body; Aśauca and Child Śrāddha Procedures; Dāna as Remedy

Devanagari script

श्रीविष्णुरुवाच / यदि गर्भो विपद्यते स्त्रवते वापि योषितः / यावन्मासं स्थितो गर्भस्तावद्दिनमशौचकम्

Transliteration

śrīviṣṇuruvāca / yadi garbho vipadyate stravate vāpi yoṣitaḥ / yāvanmāsaṃ sthito garbhastāvaddinamaśaucakam

Translation

Śrī Viṣṇu sprach: Wenn eine Schwangerschaft zugrunde geht oder eine Frau eine Fehlgeburt mit Ausfluss erleidet, dann währt die Zeit des aśauca (ritueller Unreinheit) so viele Tage, wie der Embryo Monate im Mutterleib verweilte.

Word by Word

• श्रीविष्णुः: Lord Viṣṇu
• श्रीविष्णुः: Karta (Speaker/Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: श्री (प्रातिपदिक) + विष्णु (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: कर्मधारय-समास (श्रीमान् विष्णुः), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• उवाच: said
• उवाच: Kriya (Main verb)
• Type: Verb
• Root: वच् (धातु)
• Form: लिट्-लकार (perfect), परस्मैपद, प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन

• यदि: if
• यदि: Sambandha (Condition)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: यदि (अव्यय)
• Form: शर्तार्थक-अव्यय (conditional conjunction)

• गर्भः: fetus; pregnancy
• गर्भः: Karta (Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: गर्भ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• विपद्यते: perishes; miscarries
• विपद्यते: Kriya (Verb)
• Type: Verb
• Root: वि + पद् (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार (present), आत्मनेपद, प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन

• स्त्रवते: flows; bleeds
• स्त्रवते: Kriya (Verb)
• Type: Verb
• Root: स्रु (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार (present), आत्मनेपद, प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन

• वा: or
• वा: Sambandha (Disjunction)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: वा (अव्यय)
• Form: विकल्पार्थक-अव्यय (or)

• अपि: also
• अपि: Sambandha (Particle)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अपि (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चय/अप्यर्थक-अव्यय (also/even)

• योषितः: a woman
• योषितः: Karta (Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: योषित् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन (feminine nominative singular)

• यावत्: as much as; up to (the extent)
• यावत्: Visheshana (Qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: यावत् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: परिमाणवाचक-विशेषण, नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन; 'मासम्' इति विशेष्य

• मासम्: month
• मासम्: Karma (Measure/Extent)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मास (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन (accusative of measure)

• स्थितः: remained; stayed
• स्थितः: Karta (Predicate complement)
• Type: Verb
• Root: स्था (धातु) + क्त (कृत्-प्रत्यय)
• Form: क्त-कृदन्त (past participle), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; 'स्थितः' = remained/continued

• गर्भः: the fetus
• गर्भः: Karta (Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: गर्भ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• तावत्: so much; for that long
• तावत्: Visheshana (Qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: तावत् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: परिमाणवाचक-विशेषण, नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन; 'दिनम्' इति विशेष्य

• दिनम्: day (for that many days)
• दिनम्: Karma (Duration)
• Type: Noun
• Root: दिन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन (accusative of duration)

• अशौचकम्: impurity period (aśauca)
• अशौचकम्: Karta (Predicate/State)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अशौचक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन (nominative singular)

Speaker

Lord Vishnu

Philosophical Teaching

Concept: Aśauca duration after miscarriage corresponds proportionally to gestational development (months → days).

Vedantic Theme: Dharma as harmonizer of human suffering with cosmic order; niyama regulates transitions of life and death.

Application: Observe appropriate aśauca after pregnancy loss; suspend/adjust ritual activities per rule, then resume with purification.

Verse Rasa

Primary Rasa: karuna

Secondary Rasa: shanta

Geographic Context

Type: household

Cross References

Related Themes: Garuda Purana 2.24 (surrounding verses on aśauca, child-death rites, and eligibility for saṃskāras)

Characters & Entities

• Vishnu

FAQs

What is the importance of aśauca (ritual impurity) in the Garuda Purana?

This verse frames aśauca as a dharmic time-bound observance; it specifies how long impurity is observed after pregnancy loss, linking the duration to the gestational time.

How does this verse explain the path of the soul?

Indirectly: by defining purity rules around death-like events (loss of embryo), it situates ritual discipline as part of dharma that supports orderly rites connected to transitions of life and death.

Practical application of this wisdom today?

Treat sensitive life-events with care and structured observance: follow one’s tradition’s guidance on mourning/purity periods, maintain cleanliness and restraint, and seek qualified counsel for community-specific practice.