Shloka 1

Kāsa-bheda: The Fivefold Classification of Cough and Its Clinical Signs

Devanagari script

नामाष्टचत्वारिंशदुत्तरशततमो ऽध्यायः धन्वन्तरिरुवाच / आशुकारी यतः कासः स एवातः प्रवक्ष्यते / पञ्च कासाः स्मृता वातपित्तश्लेष्मक्षतक्षयैः

Transliteration

nāmāṣṭacatvāriṃśaduttaraśatatamo 'dhyāyaḥ dhanvantariruvāca / āśukārī yataḥ kāsaḥ sa evātaḥ pravakṣyate / pañca kāsāḥ smṛtā vātapittaśleṣmakṣatakṣayaiḥ

Translation

Chapter one-hundred and forty-nine begins. Dhanvantari said: Since cough arises swiftly and can quickly become severe, it is now being explained. Cough is remembered as being of five kinds—arising from vāta, pitta, śleṣman (kapha), injury (kṣata), and consumption (kṣaya).

Word by Word

• नाम: (entitled) name
• नाम: Sambandha (Heading/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नामन्/नाम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्गे, प्रथमा/द्वितीया-विभक्ति (1st/2nd), एकवचन; शीर्षक-प्रयोगे अव्ययीभाववत्

• अष्टचत्वारिंशदुत्तरशततमः: one-hundred-forty-eighth
• अष्टचत्वारिंशदुत्तरशततमः: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अष्ट + चत्वारिंशत् + उत्तर + शत + तम (प्रातिपदिक-समूह)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (1st/प्रथमा), एकवचन; संख्यावाचक-तत्पुरुष/समाहार (148th)

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

• धन्वन्तरिः: Dhanvantari
• धन्वन्तरिः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: धन्वन्तरि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (1st/प्रथमा), एकवचन; व्यक्तिनाम

• उवाच: said/spoke
• उवाच: Kriya (Verb/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: वच् (धातु)
• Form: लिट्-लकार (Perfect), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• आशुकारी: quick-acting/rapid
• आशुकारी: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: आशु + कारिन् (कृ धातु + णिनि/इन्-प्रत्यय; प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (1st/प्रथमा), एकवचन; कर्मधारय/तत्पुरुषार्थे (आशुं करोति इति)

• यतः: because/since
• यतः: Hetu (Cause/हेतु)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: यतः (अव्यय)
• Form: हेतुवाचक अव्यय (causal adverb: 'because/since')

• कासः: cough
• कासः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कास (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (1st/प्रथमा), एकवचन

• सः: that (one)
• सः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (1st/प्रथमा), एकवचन; सर्वनाम

• एव: indeed/only
• एव: Sambandha (Emphasis/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एव (अव्यय)
• Form: अवधारणार्थक निपात (emphatic particle)

• अतः: therefore
• अतः: Hetu/Apadana (Reason/Source)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अतः (अव्यय)
• Form: तस्मात्-अर्थे अव्यय (inferential/ablatival adverb: 'therefore/from this')

• प्रवक्ष्यते: will be explained/told
• प्रवक्ष्यते: Kriya (Verb/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: वच् (धातु)
• Form: लृट्-लकार (Simple Future), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन; आत्मनेपद, कर्मणि प्रयोग (passive)

• पञ्च: five
• पञ्च: Visheshana (Numeral qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: पञ्चन् (संख्या-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: संख्यावाचक (numeral), अव्ययवत्/विशेषणरूपे; (पुंलिङ्ग-प्रथमा बहुवचनार्थे)

• कासाः: coughs (types)
• कासाः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कास (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (1st/प्रथमा), बहुवचन

• स्मृताः: are remembered/are stated
• स्मृताः: Vidhaya (Predicate/विधेय)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: स्मृत (स्मृ धातु, क्त-प्रत्यय; प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (1st/प्रथमा), बहुवचन; क्त-प्रत्ययान्त (PPP)

• वातपित्तश्लेष्मक्षतक्षयैः: by (due to) vāta, pitta, śleṣman, injury, and wasting
• वातपित्तश्लेष्मक्षतक्षयैः: Karana/Hetu (Instrument/Cause/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वात + पित्त + श्लेष्मन् + क्षत + क्षय (प्रातिपदिकानि)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे, तृतीया-विभक्ति (3rd/तृतीया), बहुवचन; इतरेतर-द्वन्द्व (वातश्च पित्तं च श्लेष्मा च क्षतं च क्षयश्च)

Speaker

Dhanvantari

Medical Ayurveda

Dosha: Mixed

Philosophical Teaching

Concept: Right knowledge begins with classification: kāsa is swift-acting and is of five etiological kinds—vāta, pitta, śleṣman, kṣata, kṣaya.

Vedantic Theme: Pramāṇa-guided discernment (viveka) in the empirical domain; ordering experience reduces confusion and supports right action.

Application: When evaluating cough, first determine the dominant cause (doṣaja vs injury vs consumption) to guide appropriate treatment and prognosis.

Verse Rasa

Primary Rasa: shanta

Secondary Rasa: adbhuta

Cross References

Related Themes: Garuda Purana 1.149 (kāsa-nidāna and lakṣaṇa sequence); Garuda Purana 1.148 (preceding śodhana/doṣa discussion)

Characters & Entities

• Dhanvantari
• Vata
• Pitta
• Shleshman (Kapha)

FAQs

What is the importance of cough classification (kāsa-bheda) in the Garuda Purana?

This verse introduces a diagnostic framework: cough is divided into five etiological types—vāta, pitta, kapha (śleṣman), injury (kṣata), and wasting/consumption (kṣaya)—so treatment can be matched to the cause.

How does this verse explain the path of the soul?

It does not discuss the soul’s journey here; this section shifts to Dhanvantari’s Ayurvedic instruction, focusing on bodily disease classification rather than afterlife doctrine.

Practical application of this wisdom today?

Use the principle of cause-based diagnosis: persistent cough should be assessed by underlying pattern (dry/windy, hot/inflammatory, phlegmatic, injury-related, or wasting) and evaluated promptly because it can become severe quickly.