Shloka 68

Jvara-Nidāna-Lakṣaṇa: Causes, Doṣic Types, Āma/Nirāma Stages, and Prognosis of Fever

Devanagari script

भूमौ स्थितं जलैः सिक्तं कालं नैव प्रतीक्षते / अङ्कुराय यथा बीजं दोषबीजं भवेत्तथा

Transliteration

bhūmau sthitaṃ jalaiḥ siktaṃ kālaṃ naiva pratīkṣate / aṅkurāya yathā bījaṃ doṣabījaṃ bhavettathā

Translation

Just as a seed lying in the earth, once watered, does not wait upon time before sprouting, so too the “seed of fault” (a sinful tendency) becomes ready to bear its results.

Word by Word

• भूमौ: in the ground
• भूमौ: Adhikarana (Location)
• Type: Noun
• Root: भूमि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति (Locative/7th), एकवचन; अधिकरण

• स्थितम्: placed; situated
• स्थितम्: Karta/Karma qualifier
• Type: Adjective
• Root: स्था (धातु) + क्त (कृदन्त)
• Form: भूतकृदन्त (past participle), नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; विशेषणम् (बीजस्य)

• जलैः: with waters
• जलैः: Karana (Instrument)
• Type: Noun
• Root: जल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति (Instrumental/3rd), बहुवचन; करण

• सिक्तम्: watered; sprinkled
• सिक्तम्: Karta/Karma qualifier
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सिच् (धातु) + क्त (कृदन्त)
• Form: भूतकृदन्त, नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; विशेषणम् (बीजस्य)

• कालम्: time
• कालम्: Karma (Object)
• Type: Noun
• Root: काल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative/2nd), एकवचन

• न: not
• न: Pratishedha (Negation)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: न (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; निषेध (negation particle)

• एव: indeed; at all
• एव: Kriya-visheshana (Emphasis)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एव (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; अवधारण (emphasis)

• प्रतीक्षते: waits for; expects
• प्रतीक्षते: Kriya (Action)
• Type: Verb
• Root: प्रति + ईक्ष् (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार (Present), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; आत्मनेपद

• अङ्कुराय: for sprouting; for a shoot
• अङ्कुराय: Sampradana (Recipient/Purpose)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अङ्कुर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, चतुर्थी-विभक्ति (Dative/4th), एकवचन; सम्प्रदान (purpose/for)

• यथा: as; just as
• यथा: Upamana marker (Comparison)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: यथा (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; उपमा/तुलना-बोधक (comparative)

• बीजम्: a seed
• बीजम्: Karta (Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: बीज (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative/1st), एकवचन

• दोषबीजम्: the seed of doṣa; doṣa-seed
• दोषबीजम्: Karta (Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: दोष + बीज (प्रातिपदिक; समास)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष (दोषस्य बीजम्)

• भवेत्: would become; becomes
• भवेत्: Kriya (Action)
• Type: Verb
• Root: भू (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (Optative), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• तथा: so; likewise
• तथा: Kriya-visheshana (Correlative)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तथा (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; तदनुरूप (correlative ‘so’)

Speaker

Lord Vishnu (speaking to Garuda/Vinatā-putra)

Medical Ayurveda

Dosha: Vata/Pitta/Kapha

Philosophical Teaching

Concept: Karmic/doṣic ‘seeds’ fructify swiftly when the enabling conditions (water/occasion) arrive.

Vedantic Theme: Prārabdha-like activation: latent potential becomes manifest upon upādhi/conditions; saṃskāra as bīja.

Application: Avoid ‘watering’ harmful tendencies—do not supply triggers (company, habits, diet) that activate latent faults.

Verse Rasa

Primary Rasa: adbhuta

Secondary Rasa: bhayanaka

Geographic Context

Type: natural setting

Cross References

Related Themes: Garuda Purana 1.147.67 (delayed ripening); Garuda Purana 1.147.69 (poison analogy for relapse)

FAQs

What is the importance of the 'seed of sin' (doṣa-bīja) in the Garuda Purana?

This verse frames sin as a latent seed that can rapidly produce results when the enabling conditions arise, emphasizing vigilance in conduct and timely atonement.

How does this verse explain karmic results in the Garuda Purana?

It uses the seed-and-water analogy to show that karma does not always require a long delay—once conditions mature, consequences can manifest swiftly.

Practical application of this wisdom today?

Avoid feeding harmful habits and environments that ‘water’ wrongdoing; cultivate restraint and corrective actions early so negative tendencies do not quickly ripen into suffering.