Shloka 8
Atīsāra (Diarrhoea) and Grahaṇī-doṣa: Causes, Prodromal Signs, Doṣa-wise Symptoms, and Major-Disease Status
सशुष्कभ्रष्टपायुश्च हृष्टरोमा विनिश्वसन् / पित्तेन पीतमशितं हारिद्रं शाद्वलप्रभम्
saśuṣkabhraṣṭapāyuśca hṛṣṭaromā viniśvasan / pittena pītamaśitaṃ hāridraṃ śādvalaprabham
With the anus dried and displaced, his hairs standing on end, and breathing in distressed gasps, he has what he eats turned yellow by bile—taking on a turmeric-like hue with a greenish sheen.
Lord Vishnu (narrating to Garuda/Vinata-putra)
Dosha: Pitta
Concept: Pitta aggravation can discolor consumed food/drink to yellow (haridrā-like), with distress signs such as dried/displaced anus, horripilation, and labored breathing.
Vedantic Theme: Embodiment is governed by doṣas; imbalance produces fear and suffering—prompting both care and detachment.
Application: Treat as acute pitta involvement: cooling, hydrating, and pitta-pacifying measures; monitor respiratory distress and systemic signs as severity markers.
Primary Rasa: bhayanaka
Secondary Rasa: bibhatsa
Related Themes: Garuda Purana 1.157.7 (burning/cutting and pichchhila features)
FAQs
This verse uses vivid physiological imagery (dryness, disordered breathing, bile-induced discoloration) to communicate the intensity of post-death suffering tied to sinful karma, strengthening the text’s ethical warning and ritual urgency.
It presents the preta’s experiential suffering in Yama’s domain as karmic consequence—showing that the subtle being undergoes distressing conditions that mirror inner impurity, here symbolized by bile and bodily dysfunction.
Treat it as a reminder to avoid harmful actions that generate painful consequences and to uphold dharma; for families, it reinforces the traditional emphasis on śrāddha and related rites as acts of responsibility and compassion toward the departed.