Shloka 20

Devanagari script

स्निध्नो ऽसितो मेचकाभो मलिनः शोथवान्गुरुः / गम्भीरपाकः प्रायोष्मस्पृष्टः क्लिन्नोंऽवदीर्यते

Transliteration

snidhno 'sito mecakābho malinaḥ śothavānguruḥ / gambhīrapākaḥ prāyoṣmaspṛṣṭaḥ klinnoṃ'vadīryate

Translation

It is glossy, dark—having a cloud-blue hue—foul and swollen, heavy in nature; it suppurates deeply, and when touched by heat it usually becomes sodden and splits open.

Word by Word

• स्निध्नः: unctuous, oily
• स्निध्नः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: स्निध्न (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st case), एकवचन; विशेषण (Masculine, Nominative singular; adjective)

• असितः: black, dark
• असितः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: असित (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; विशेषण (Masculine, Nominative singular; adjective)

• मेचकाभः: indigo-hued
• मेचकाभः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: मेचक + आभ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः/उपमान-निर्देशः (Masculine, Nominative singular; tatpurusha: 'having the hue of mecaka/indigo')

• मलिनः: dirty, soiled
• मलिनः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: मलिन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; विशेषण (Masculine, Nominative singular; adjective)

• शोथवान्: having swelling
• शोथवान्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: शोथवत् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; मतुप्-प्रत्ययान्त (Masculine, Nominative singular; possessive adjective with -वत्)

• गुरुः: heavy
• गुरुः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: गुरु (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; विशेषण (Masculine, Nominative singular; adjective)

• गम्भीरपाकः: with deep suppuration
• गम्भीरपाकः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: गम्भीर + पाक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; कर्मधारयः (Masculine, Nominative singular; karmadharaya: 'deep-seated suppuration')

• प्रायः: mostly, generally
• प्रायः: Visheshana (Adverbial modifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: प्रायस् (अव्यय-प्रयोग)
• Form: अव्यय; अव्यय-विशेषण (indeclinable adverb)

• उष्मस्पृष्टः: touched by heat
• उष्मस्पृष्टः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: उष्म + स्पृष्ट (√स्पृश् धातु; क्त-प्रत्यय)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; क्त-प्रत्ययान्त भूतकर्मणि कृदन्त; तत्पुरुषः (Masculine, Nominative singular; past passive participle 'touched by heat')

• क्लिन्नः: wet, oozing
• क्लिन्नः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: क्लिन्न (√क्लिद् धातु; क्त-प्रत्यय)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; क्त-प्रत्ययान्त (Masculine, Nominative singular; PPP 'moistened/oozing')

• अवदीर्यते: splits, bursts open
• अवदीर्यते: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: अव + √दॄ (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार, आत्मनेपद, प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन (Present indicative, middle voice, 3rd person singular)

Speaker

Lord Vishnu (speaking to Garuda/Vinata-putra)

Philosophical Teaching

Concept: Lakṣaṇa-jñāna (diagnostic description) of a severe spreading lesion; knowledge as a means to right action.

Vedantic Theme: Prakṛti-vikāra: bodily states are mutable modifications, not the Self.

Application: Use symptom-pattern recognition (color, swelling, suppuration, response to heat) to identify severity early and seek appropriate treatment; avoid aggravating heat/contact.

Verse Rasa

Primary Rasa: bibhatsa

Secondary Rasa: bhayanaka

Cross References

Related Themes: Garuda Purana 1.163 (Ayurveda/roga-lakṣaṇa section): vīsarpa and related lesions; subsequent verses on doṣa involvement and prognosis

Characters & Entities

• Vishnu
• Garuda

FAQs

What is the importance of describing color and texture (mecaka, snigdha) in Garuda Purana?

Such markers make the teaching concrete: specific sensory signs (color, swelling, heaviness) portray how suffering manifests in the body due to accumulated causes.

How does this verse explain the path of the soul?

The text frames embodied pain as part of karmic fruition; this reinforces the Purana’s wider narrative that one’s post-death journey is also conditioned by prior deeds.

Practical application of this wisdom today?

Treat bodily decline as a call to responsibility—ethical conduct, moderation, and attentive care—rather than denial; reduce actions that lead to harm and impurity.