Shloka 23

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

Devanagari script

सहृष्टरोमा पिष्टेन पिष्टबद्बहुलं सितम् / शुक्राभं शुक्रमिश्रं वा शुक्रमेही प्रमेहति

Transliteration

sahṛṣṭaromā piṣṭena piṣṭabadbahulaṃ sitam / śukrābhaṃ śukramiśraṃ vā śukramehī pramehati

Translation

With the hairs standing on end, the sufferer of piṣṭa-meha passes urine that is thick and very white like flour-paste—either semen-like in appearance or mixed with semen; thus the śukra-mehī is said to be afflicted with prameha.

Word by Word

• sa-hṛṣṭa-romā: one with bristling hair (thrilled)
• sa-hṛṣṭa-romā: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: sa (उपसर्ग/अव्यय) + hṛṣṭa (कृदन्त; √hṛṣ) + roman (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; बहुव्रीहिः — "whose hairs are bristling"

• piṣṭena: with flour/paste
• piṣṭena: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: piṣṭa (कृदन्त; √piṣ)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया, एकवचन; करण/सहकारि-अर्थे — "with flour/paste"

• piṣṭa-vat: like flour; flour-like
• piṣṭa-vat: Kriya-visheshana (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: piṣṭa (कृदन्त) + vat (तद्धित प्रत्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; उपमा-वाचक (adverbial -vat: "like")

• bahulam: abundant; thick
• bahulam: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: bahula (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन; विशेषण (to implied mūtram)

• sitam: white
• sitam: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: sita (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन; विशेषण

• śukra-ābham: semen-like in appearance
• śukra-ābham: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: śukra (प्रातिपदिक) + ābha (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन; विशेषण — "having the appearance of semen"

• śukra-miśram: mixed with semen
• śukra-miśram: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: śukra (प्रातिपदिक) + miśra (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन; विशेषण — "mixed with semen"

• vā: or
• vā: Sambandha (Alternative/विकल्प)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: vā (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; विकल्पार्थक (disjunctive particle)

• śukra-mehī: a śukra-meha patient
• śukra-mehī: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: śukra (प्रातिपदिक) + mehin (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; कर्तरि — "one having śukra-meha"

• pramehati: passes urine (in prameha)
• pramehati: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: pra-√mih (धातु)
• Form: लट् (Present), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपदम्; उपसर्गः pra-

Speaker

Lord Vishnu (teaching Garuda/Vinata-putra)

Medical Ayurveda

Dosha: Kapha

Philosophical Teaching

Concept: Śukra-meha is identified by thick white urine like flour-paste, semen-like or mixed with semen, with associated bodily signs (e.g., horripilation).

Vedantic Theme: Dukha as a prompt for viveka; bodily fluids and their disorders underscore impermanence and the need for right living.

Application: Recognize śukra-meha by semen-like admixture/appearance and thick whiteness; seek treatment promptly, conserve vitality, and correct causative habits.

Verse Rasa

Primary Rasa: bibhatsa

Secondary Rasa: karuna

Cross References

Related Themes: Garuda Purana 1.159 (śukra-meha lakshana within prameha taxonomy)

Characters & Entities

• Garuda

FAQs

What is the importance of prameha in the Garuda Purana?

This verse treats prameha as a clearly diagnosable disorder, listing observable signs (thick, white, semen-like urine) to distinguish a specific subtype (śukra-meha), showing the text’s practical diagnostic intent.

How does this verse explain the path of the soul?

Indirectly: by emphasizing bodily disorder and impurity as part of embodied suffering, it supports the Garuda Purana’s broader teaching that actions and imbalances lead to tangible consequences during life, which later inform post-death accountability.

Practical application of this wisdom today?

Treat the description as a warning sign—seek timely medical care for abnormal, thick/whitish urine and adopt disciplined habits (diet, restraint, cleanliness) aligned with dharmic living to reduce preventable suffering.