Shloka 14

Devanagari script

कफेन रुद्धः पवनो भित्त्वातं बहुधा कफम् / रक्तं वा वृद्धरक्तस्य त्वक्छिरास्नायुमांसगम्

Transliteration

kaphena ruddhaḥ pavano bhittvātaṃ bahudhā kapham / raktaṃ vā vṛddharaktasya tvakchirāsnāyumāṃsagam

Translation

When the vital wind (vāyu) is obstructed by kapha, it breaks through and disperses that kapha in many ways; or else, in one whose blood is aggravated, it disturbs the blood that courses through the skin, vessels, sinews, and flesh.

Word by Word

• कफेन: by kapha (phlegm)
• कफेन: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कफ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd), एकवचन

• रुद्धः: obstructed
• रुद्धः: Visheshana (Adjectival qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: रुद्ध (कृदन्त; √रुध् धातु)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; भूतकृदन्त (क्त)

• पवनः: wind (vāta)
• पवनः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पवन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन

• भित्त्वा: having pierced
• भित्त्वा: Purvakala-kriya (Prior action/पूर्वकालक्रिया)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: भित्त्वा (अव्यय; √भिद् धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त-अव्यय (absolutive/gerund) ‘having split/pierced’

• आतम्: (uncertain reading) affected/covered
• आतम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: आत (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन; पाठभेद/दुर्बोध—अत्र ‘आतम्’ सम्भवतः ‘आतं/आवृतम्/आतुरम्’ इत्यर्थे (textual/lexical uncertainty)

• बहुधा: in many ways
• बहुधा: Kriya-visheshana (Adverbial modifier/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: बहुधा (अव्यय)
• Form: प्रकारवाचक-अव्यय (adverb: in many ways)

• कफम्: kapha
• कफम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कफ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन

• रक्तम्: blood
• रक्तम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: रक्त (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन

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

• वृद्ध: increased
• वृद्ध: Samasa-member (Compound component/समासाङ्ग)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: वृद्ध (कृदन्त/प्रातिपदिक; √वृध् धातु)
• Form: समासाङ्ग (पूर्वपद); ‘वृद्ध-रक्तस्य’ इत्यत्र ‘increased’

• रक्तस्य: of (one) with increased blood
• रक्तस्य: Sambandha (Genitive relation/षष्ठी)
• Type: Noun
• Root: रक्त (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th), एकवचन; ‘वृद्ध-रक्तस्य’ = वृद्धं रक्तं यस्य/यत्र (तत्पुरुष)

• त्वक्: skin
• त्वक्: Samasa-member (Compound component/समासाङ्ग)
• Type: Noun
• Root: त्वच् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग; समासाङ्ग (पूर्वपद)

• शिरा: vein
• शिरा: Samasa-member (Compound component/समासाङ्ग)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शिरा (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग; समासाङ्ग (मध्यपद)

• स्नायु: tendon/nerve
• स्नायु: Samasa-member (Compound component/समासाङ्ग)
• Type: Noun
• Root: स्नायु (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; समासाङ्ग (मध्यपद)

• मांस: flesh
• मांस: Samasa-member (Compound component/समासाङ्ग)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मांस (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग; समासाङ्ग (मध्यपद)

• गम्: going into/affecting skin, veins, tendons, and flesh
• गम्: Visheshana (Adjectival qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: ग (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन; ‘त्वक्-शिरा-स्नायु-मांस-गम्’ = त्वचि शिरासु स्नायुषु मांसषु च गतम् (तत्पुरुष; बहुसम्बन्ध)

Speaker

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

Medical Ayurveda

Dosha: Kapha

Philosophical Teaching

Concept: Samprāpti: kapha obstructs vāyu; vāyu breaks through and disperses kapha, or aggravated rakta vitiates tissues (skin, vessels, sinews, flesh).

Vedantic Theme: Guṇa/doṣa interplay as a model of causality; cultivate viveka about bodily processes.

Application: Identify whether kapha-āvaraṇa of vāyu or rakta-duṣṭi predominates; tailor therapy accordingly (kapha-reducing, vāta-anulomana, rakta-prasādana) under qualified guidance.

Verse Rasa

Primary Rasa: adbhuta

Secondary Rasa: shanta

Cross References

Related Themes: Garuda Purana 1.163 (doṣa-āvaraṇa and rakta involvement in vīsarpa samprāpti)

Characters & Entities

• Vāyu (Pavana)
• Kapha
• Rakta (blood)

FAQs

What is the importance of vāyu being obstructed by kapha in the Garuda Purana?

The verse outlines a classic Ayurvedic mechanism: kapha blocks vāyu, and vāyu then forcefully ‘breaks through,’ producing multiple manifestations—an explanatory model for complex, spreading conditions.

How does this verse explain the path of the soul?

It does not address the after-death route; it explains bodily causation (doṣa interaction and blood involvement), showing that the Garuda Purana also teaches embodied dharma through health knowledge.

Practical application of this wisdom today?

It highlights that symptoms can arise from combined imbalances (vāta-kapha or rakta involvement), encouraging holistic assessment rather than treating a single symptom in isolation.