Shloka 3

Hikkā-nidāna: Causes, Types, and the Grave Yamalā/Veginī Hiccup

Devanagari script

रूक्षतीक्ष्णखराशान्तैरन्नपानैः प्रपीडितः / करोति हिक्रां श्वसनः मन्दशब्दां क्षुधानुगाम्

Transliteration

rūkṣatīkṣṇakharāśāntairannapānaiḥ prapīḍitaḥ / karoti hikrāṃ śvasanaḥ mandaśabdāṃ kṣudhānugām

Translation

Tormented by foods and drinks that are dry, sharp, coarse, and unsoothing, he breathes with difficulty and brings forth hikkā—faint in sound and following upon hunger.

Word by Word

• रूक्षतीक्ष्णखराशान्तैः: by (things that are) dry, sharp, rough, and unwholesome
• रूक्षतीक्ष्णखराशान्तैः: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: रूक्ष (प्रातिपदिक) + तीक्ष्ण (प्रातिपदिक) + खर (प्रातिपदिक) + अशान्त (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुं/नपुंसक, तृतीया, बहुवचन; समासः—द्वन्द्व (रूक्ष-तीक्ष्ण-खर-अशान्तैः)

• अन्नपानैः: by foods and drinks
• अन्नपानैः: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अन्न (प्रातिपदिक) + पान (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया, बहुवचन; समासः—द्वन्द्व (food and drink)

• प्रपीडितः: afflicted/pressed
• प्रपीडितः: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: प्र + पीड् (धातु) → प्रपीडित (कृदन्त)
• Form: भूतकर्मणि कृदन्त (past passive participle), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• करोति: produces/causes
• करोति: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: कृ (धातु)
• Form: लट् (Present/लट्), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन, परस्मैपद

• हिक्राम्: hiccup
• हिक्राम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: हिक्रा (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन

• श्वसनः: breathing/wind (vāyu)
• श्वसनः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: श्वसन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• मन्दशब्दाम्: having a low/soft sound
• मन्दशब्दाम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: मन्द (प्रातिपदिक) + शब्द (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन; समासः—कर्मधारय (मन्दः शब्दः यस्याः सा)

• क्षुधानुगाम्: accompanied by hunger
• क्षुधानुगाम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: क्षुधा (प्रातिपदिक) + अनुग (गम् धातु-आधारित प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन; समासः—तत्पुरुष (क्षुधाम् अनुगच्छति)

Speaker

Lord Vishnu (speaking to Garuda/Vinata-putra)

Medical Ayurveda

Dosha: Vata

Philosophical Teaching

Concept: Improper intake (annapāna) yields immediate embodied consequences—vāta disturbance leading to hikkā and breathing difficulty.

Vedantic Theme: Karma as cause-effect at the bodily level; the body as a field where choices ripen into experience (bhoga).

Application: Avoid excessively dry, sharp, coarse, and incompatible foods/drinks; address hunger appropriately and maintain soothing diet to prevent vāta-provoked hiccup and dyspnea.

Verse Rasa

Primary Rasa: karuna

Secondary Rasa: bibhatsa

Cross References

Related Themes: Garuda Purana: dietary do’s/don’ts in āyurveda portions; Garuda Purana: vāta-prakopa from rukṣa/tīkṣṇa āhāra

FAQs

What is the importance of hunger-related suffering in the Garuda Purana?

This verse highlights that karmic affliction manifests as intense hunger and bodily distress (hiccups, strained breathing), illustrating how unwholesome choices can translate into post-death suffering.

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

It depicts a condition of the departed being (preta-like state) experiencing discomfort and deprivation, implying that the journey after death includes experiential results of karma, not merely a change of location.

Practical application of this wisdom today?

Cultivate sattvic, non-harmful habits—especially around food and self-control—and support ancestral rites/charity with compassion, as the Purana frames such disciplines as reducing suffering and promoting well-being.