Shloka 21

Devanagari script

स्तने समत्थे दुःखं वा बाह्यविद्रधिलक्षणम् / नारीणां सूक्ष्मरक्तत्वात्कन्यायान्तु न जायते

Transliteration

stane samatthe duḥkhaṃ vā bāhyavidradhilakṣaṇam / nārīṇāṃ sūkṣmaraktatvātkanyāyāntu na jāyate

Translation

Pain in the breast together with swelling is a sign of an external abscess; yet because women’s blood is more subtle, it does not arise in a maiden.

Word by Word

• स्तने: in the breast
• स्तने: Adhikarana (Locative/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: स्तन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/Locative), एकवचन

• समत्थे: capable/competent (i.e., developed)
• समत्थे: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: समत्थ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/Locative), एकवचन; विशेषण (स्तने)

• दुःखम्: pain
• दुःखम्: Karma/Predicative (Object/प्रत्ययार्थ)
• Type: Noun
• Root: दुःख (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1st/2nd), एकवचन

• वा: or
• वा: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: वा (अव्यय)
• Form: विकल्पार्थक निपात (particle of alternative)

• बाह्य: external
• बाह्य: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: बाह्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; विशेषण (लक्षणम्)

• विद्रधि: of an abscess
• विद्रधि: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: विद्रधि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th/Genitive), एकवचन; समासपूर्वपद

• लक्षणम्: symptom/mark
• लक्षणम्: Karma/Predicative (Object/प्रत्ययार्थ)
• Type: Noun
• Root: लक्षण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (विद्रधि-लक्षणम्)

• नारीणाम्: of women
• नारीणाम्: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नारी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th/Genitive), बहुवचन

• सूक्ष्म: subtle/fine
• सूक्ष्म: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सूक्ष्म (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/Instrumental), एकवचन; समासपूर्वपद

• रक्तत्वात्: because of (their) subtle blood-nature
• रक्तत्वात्: Hetu (Cause/हेतु)
• Type: Noun
• Root: रक्तत्व (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, पञ्चमी (5th/Ablative), एकवचन; कर्मधारयः (सूक्ष्म-रक्तत्वम्) + पञ्चमी

• कन्यायाः: of a maiden
• कन्यायाः: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कन्या (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th/Genitive), एकवचन

• तु: however
• तु: Sambandha (Discourse particle/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तु (अव्यय)
• Form: विरोध/विशेषार्थक निपात (adversative/emphatic particle)

• न: not
• न: Sambandha (Negation/निषेध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: न (अव्यय)
• Form: निषेधार्थक निपात (negation particle)

• जायते: arises/is produced
• जायते: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: जन् (धातु)
• Form: लट् (Present), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd), एकवचन; आत्मनेपद

Speaker

Lord Vishnu (narrating to Garuda/Vinata-putra)

Philosophical Teaching

Concept: Lakṣaṇa-jñāna (recognizing signs) and differential occurrence based on bodily constitution (subtle blood in women/maidens).

Vedantic Theme: Prakṛti-bheda (difference of embodied constitutions) within vyāvahārika (empirical) knowledge.

Application: Use symptom-patterns (pain + swelling) to suspect external abscess; consider age/sex/physiology in diagnosis and prognosis.

Verse Rasa

Primary Rasa: bibhatsa

Secondary Rasa: karuna

Cross References

Related Themes: Garuda Purana 1.160 (Ayurveda/roga-lakṣaṇa section): adjacent verses on vāta/pitta/kapha disorders and swellings

Characters & Entities

• Garuda
• Women

FAQs

What is the importance of symptom-based descriptions in the Garuda Purana?

The verse uses recognizable signs (pain and swelling) to make the teaching tangible, reinforcing the Purana’s ethical message through embodied consequences.

How does this verse explain the path of the soul?

It supports the Preta Kanda’s karmic framework: experiences of the body are portrayed as karma-shaped, preparing the listener for the text’s broader afterlife accountability theme.

Practical application of this wisdom today?

Take suffering as a call to self-correction and compassion—choose dharmic conduct, seek timely care, and avoid actions that harm others.