Shloka 18

Devanagari script

रक्तमङ्गे निहन्त्याशु शाखासन्धिषु मारुतः / निवेश्यान्योन्यमावार्य वेदनाभिर्हरत्यसून्

Transliteration

raktamaṅge nihantyāśu śākhāsandhiṣu mārutaḥ / niveśyānyonyamāvārya vedanābhirharatyasūn

Translation

When Vāta (the Wind) lodges in the joints of the limbs, it swiftly strikes the blood within the body; settling there and obstructing the channels in mutual opposition, it carries away the life-breaths through intense pain.

Word by Word

• raktaम्: blood
• raktaम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: rakta (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1st/2nd case), एकवचन; कर्म/विषयार्थे (blood)

• aṅge: in the body/limb
• aṅge: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: aṅga (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th case), एकवचन; अधिकरण (locative)

• nihanti: strikes/destroys
• nihanti: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: han (धातु)
• Form: लट् (Present), परस्मैपद, प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; √han = to strike/kill

• āśu: quickly
• āśu: Kriya-visheshana (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: āśu (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; क्रियाविशेषण (adverb)

• śākhā-sandhiṣu: in the joints of the branches (branch-joints)
• śākhā-sandhiṣu: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: śākhā (प्रातिपदिक) + sandhi (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तत्पुरुषसमास; पुंलिङ्ग (sandhi), सप्तमी (7th), बहुवचन; अधिकरण

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

• niveśya: having entered/settled
• niveśya: Purvakala-kriya (Prior action/पूर्वकालक्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: ni-viś (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त (absolutive/gerund); अव्ययभाव; ‘having entered/settled’

• anyonyam: each other/mutually
• anyonyam: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: anyonya (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्ययीभाववत् प्रयोग; द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन; परस्परम् (mutually)

• āvārya: having blocked/obstructed
• āvārya: Purvakala-kriya (Prior action/पूर्वकालक्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: ā-vṛ (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त (absolutive/gerund); ‘having obstructed/blocked’

• vedanābhiḥ: by pains/torments
• vedanābhiḥ: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: vedanā (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd), बहुवचन; करण (instrument)

• harati: takes away
• harati: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: hṛ (धातु)
• Form: लट् (Present), परस्मैपद, प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; √hṛ = to take away

• asūn: vital breaths/lives
• asūn: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: asu (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), बहुवचन; कर्म

Speaker

Lord Vishnu (in dialogue with Garuda)

Medical Ayurveda

Dosha: Vata

Philosophical Teaching

Concept: Prāṇa is sustained by unobstructed vāta movement; pain and obstruction can ‘carry away’ life, so one must protect bodily balance.

Vedantic Theme: Śarīra as upādhi: prāṇa’s disturbance affects embodied experience; care of the instrument supports pursuit of puruṣārthas.

Application: Avoid vāta-aggravating habits; attend early to joint pain and circulation/flow issues; adopt stabilizing routines (regular meals, warmth, rest).

Verse Rasa

Primary Rasa: karuna

Secondary Rasa: bhayanaka

Geographic Context

Type: anatomical locus

Cross References

Related Themes: Garuda Purana 1.167 (vāta/prāṇa pathology sequence); Garuda Purana medical/āyurveda-style nidāna-lakṣaṇa passages nearby

Characters & Entities

• Vata (Maruta)
• Rakta (Blood)

FAQs

What is the importance of Vāta (māruta) in this Garuda Purana verse?

It presents Vāta as a powerful causative factor in joint-related afflictions, capable of obstructing bodily channels and producing severe, life-draining pain.

How does this verse describe the mechanism of suffering?

It uses the idea of mutual obstruction (anyonyam āvārya) after Vāta enters the joints, leading to intense pain (vedanā) and depletion of vital breaths (asūn).

Practical application of this wisdom today?

It highlights that severe, spreading joint pain with systemic weakness is serious and should not be ignored, aligning with the classical warning about obstructive, Vāta-driven conditions.