Shloka 34

The Explanation of Various Gifts (Dāna) and the Soul’s Entry into Another Body

Devanagari script

शरीरे ये समासीना सम्भवेत् सर्वधातवः / षाट्कौशिको ह्ययं कायो माता पित्रोश्च धातवः

Transliteration

śarīre ye samāsīnā sambhavet sarvadhātavaḥ / ṣāṭkauśiko hyayaṃ kāyo mātā pitrośca dhātavaḥ

Translation

Alle im Körper befindlichen Bestandteile entstehen darin als Gewebe und Elemente. Wahrlich, dieser Leib ist aus sechs Hüllen gebildet, und seine Stoffe stammen aus den Substanzen von Mutter und Vater.

Word by Word

• शरीरे: in the body
• शरीरे: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शरीर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• ये: which/who
• ये: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, बहुवचन (relative pronoun)

• समासीनाः: seated/settled
• समासीनाः: Karta (Adjectival to subject/कर्ता-विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: समासीन (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक; सम् + आ + √सद् (धातु) क्त)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, बहुवचन; विशेषण of धातवः/ये

• सम्भवेत्: may arise/come to be
• सम्भवेत्: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: सम् + √भू (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (Optative), परस्मैपद, प्रथम-पुरुष, एकवचन

• सर्वधातवः: all constituents (dhātus)
• सर्वधातवः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सर्व + धातु (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, बहुवचन

• षाट्कौशिकः: consisting of six sheaths
• षाट्कौशिकः: Karta (Adjectival to subject/कर्ता-विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: षाट् + कौशिक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; विशेषण of कायः

• हि: indeed
• हि: Sambandha (Particle/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: हि (अव्यय)
• Form: निपात (indeed)

• अयम्: this
• अयम्: Karta (Apposition/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: इदम् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• कायः: body
• कायः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: काय (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• माता: mother
• माता: Karta (Predicate nominative/कर्ता-समानााधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मातृ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• पित्रोः: of (the) parents (mother and father)
• पित्रोः: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पितृ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी-विभक्ति (Genitive), द्विवचन (Dual)

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Conjunction/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चय-बोधक अव्यय (and)

• धातवः: constituents/elements
• धातवः: Karta (Predicate nominative/कर्ता-समानााधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: धातु (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, बहुवचन

Speaker

Lord Vishnu (speaking to Garuda/Vinata-putra)

Philosophical Teaching

Concept: The body’s dhātus/constituents arise and reside within; the body is described as ‘ṣāṭkauśika’ (six-layered/sheath-structured) and derived from mother and father’s substances.

Vedantic Theme: Body as anātman, a composite of elements and sheaths; discrimination (viveka) between self and bodily constituents; prakṛti-based formation.

Application: Contemplate the body as a constructed aggregate to reduce ego-identification; cultivate gratitude toward parents while maintaining non-attachment to bodily pride.

Verse Rasa

Primary Rasa: shanta

Secondary Rasa: adbhuta

Cross References

Related Themes: Garuda Purana: sections on embodiment, subtle/gross body, and constituents used to explain rebirth mechanics

Characters & Entities

• Mother
• Father

FAQs

What is the importance of understanding the body's dhātus in the Garuda Purana?

This verse stresses that the body is a composite of perishable constituents arising within embodiment and sourced from parental substances, reinforcing detachment and the need to focus on rites and conduct that benefit the soul beyond the body.

How does this verse explain the path of the soul after death?

By emphasizing the body’s material, sheath-like nature and its parental derivation, the verse frames the body as temporary—supporting the Garuda Purana’s broader teaching that post-death journey concerns the subtle being and karmic outcomes, not the physical tissues.

Practical application of this wisdom today?

Cultivate humility and detachment from bodily identity, care for parents (as sources of one’s embodiment), and prioritize dharma, charity, and śrāddha-related duties with the understanding that the body is transient while karmic results continue.