Shloka 18

Prameha-Nidāna-Lakṣaṇa-Bheda: Etiology, Signs, Varieties, and Complications of Meha

Devanagari script

साध्यासाध्यप्रतीत्याद्याः मेहास्तेनैव तद्भवाः / समे समकृता दोषे परमत्वात्तथापि च

Transliteration

sādhyāsādhyapratītyādyāḥ mehāstenaiva tadbhavāḥ / same samakṛtā doṣe paramatvāttathāpi ca

Translation

Urinary disorders (meha), known as curable, incurable, and the like, arise from that very cause. Even when the doṣas are equal and seem evenly balanced, the condition still differs, for one factor becomes predominant.

Word by Word

• साध्य-असाध्य-प्रतीति-आद्याः: (types) such as curable, incurable, by recognition, etc.
• साध्य-असाध्य-प्रतीति-आद्याः: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: साध्य (कृदन्त; यत्) + असाध्य (कृदन्त; यत्) + प्रतीति (प्रातिपदिक) + आदि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, बहुवचन; समाहार/इतरेतर-द्वन्द्व-प्राय (Nominative plural; 'such as curable/ incurable/ by recognition etc.')

• मेहाः: urinary disorders (mehas)
• मेहाः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मेह (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, बहुवचन (Masculine, Nominative, Plural)

• तेन: by that/therefore
• तेन: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग/पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन (Instrumental singular: 'by that/therefore')

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

• तद्-भवाः: arising from that
• तद्-भवाः: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक) + भव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, बहुवचन; तत्पुरुष विशेषण (Nominative plural; 'arising from that')

• समे: when (it is) balanced
• समे: Adhikarana (Condition/अधिकरण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग/नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति, एकवचन; विशेषण (Locative singular: 'when balanced')

• सम-कृताः: made balanced
• सम-कृताः: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सम (प्रातिपदिक) + कृ (धातु) → कृत (कृदन्त; क्त)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, बहुवचन; क्त-प्रत्ययान्त विशेषण (Nominative plural; 'made equal/balanced')

• दोषे: in the doṣa
• दोषे: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: दोष (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति, एकवचन (Masculine, Locative, Singular)

• परमत्वात्: due to predominance
• परमत्वात्: Hetu (Cause/हेतु)
• Type: Noun
• Root: परम (प्रातिपदिक) + त्व (तद्धित)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, पञ्चमी-विभक्ति, एकवचन; भाववाचक (Ablative singular; 'because of supremacy/excess')

• तथा: thus/so
• तथा: Kriya-viseshana (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तथा (अव्यय)
• Form: प्रकारवाचक अव्यय (adverb: 'thus/so')

• अपि: also/even
• अपि: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अपि (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चय/अपेक्षार्थक अव्यय (particle: 'also/even')

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयबोधक अव्यय (conjunction)

Speaker

Lord Vishnu (in instruction to Garuda/Vinata-putra)

Philosophical Teaching

Concept: Even when doṣas seem equal, disease differs due to predominance (paramatva) of a factor; careful discrimination is essential.

Vedantic Theme: Apparent sameness can conceal decisive differences—an epistemic lesson aligning with viveka (discriminative knowledge).

Application: Do not assume ‘balanced labs/symptoms’ mean identical disease; assess which factor predominates (doṣa, dhātu, srotas, agni) to decide prognosis and treatment intensity.

Verse Rasa

Primary Rasa: shanta

Secondary Rasa: adbhuta

Cross References

Related Themes: Garuda Purana 1.159 (prognosis and classification of meha; doṣa predominance logic continues into 1.159.19)

Characters & Entities

• Vishnu
• Garuda

FAQs

What is the importance of classifying diseases as sādhya and asādhya in the Garuda Purana?

This verse emphasizes that disorders like meha must be assessed by prognosis (curable vs incurable) and by the underlying causative dominance, guiding appropriate treatment and expectations.

How does this verse explain why two similar cases can have different outcomes?

Even if the doṣas seem equally disturbed, a subtle predominance of one factor (paramatva) changes the nature and course of the disease, leading to different prognoses.

Practical application of this wisdom today?

Do not rely only on surface similarity of symptoms; seek a deeper assessment of root causes and dominant imbalances before choosing remedies or lifestyle changes.