Shloka 21

Devanagari script

हरिद्राकुष्ठलवणं मेषशृङ्गिबलाद्वयम् / कच्छुरा सल्लकी पाठा पुनर्नवा शतावरी

Transliteration

haridrākuṣṭhalavaṇaṃ meṣaśṛṅgibalādvayam / kacchurā sallakī pāṭhā punarnavā śatāvarī

Translation

Turmeric (haridrā), costus (kuṣṭha), and salt; meṣaśṛṅgī and the two balā herbs; kācchurā, sallakī, pāṭhā, punarnavā, and śatāvarī—these are the ingredients being enumerated.

Word by Word

• हरिद्रा: turmeric
• हरिद्रा: Qualifier
• Type: Noun
• Root: हरिद्रा (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; (समासपूर्वपद)

• कुष्ठ: costus (kuṣṭha)
• कुष्ठ: Qualifier
• Type: Noun
• Root: कुष्ठ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; (समासपूर्वपद)

• लवणम्: (a group of) turmeric, costus, and salt
• लवणम्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: लवण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; समाहार-द्वन्द्व (हरिद्रा-कुष्ठ-लवणम् = the set of turmeric, costus, salt)

• मेषशृङ्गी: meṣaśṛṅgī (a medicinal plant)
• मेषशृङ्गी: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मेषशृङ्गी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष (मेषस्य शृङ्गी)

• बला: balā (Sida cordifolia)
• बला: Qualifier
• Type: Noun
• Root: बला (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; (समासपूर्वपद)

• द्वयम्: a pair; two kinds
• द्वयम्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: द्वय (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; द्विगु-समास (बला-द्वयम् = two varieties of balā)

• कच्छुरा: kacchurā (Mucuna)
• कच्छुरा: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कच्छुरा (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन

• सल्लकी: sallakī (Boswellia)
• सल्लकी: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सल्लकी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन

• पाठा: pāṭhā (Cissampelos)
• पाठा: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पाठा (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन

• पुनर्नवा: punarnavā (Boerhavia)
• पुनर्नवा: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पुनर्नवा (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन

• शतावरी: śatāvarī (Asparagus)
• शतावरी: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शतावरी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन

Speaker

Lord Vishnu (in dialogue with Garuda/Vinata-putra)

Philosophical Teaching

Concept: Knowledge of dravya (substances) and their proper selection is part of loka-hita (welfare).

Vedantic Theme: Sevā of the body as an instrument (śarīra-sādhana) for dharma and higher pursuits.

Application: Identify and source the listed ingredients correctly (haridrā, kuṣṭha, lavaṇa, meṣaśṛṅgī, balā-dvaya, kācchurā, sallakī, pāṭhā, punarnavā, śatāvarī) before formulation.

Verse Rasa

Primary Rasa: shanta

Secondary Rasa: adbhuta

Cross References

Related Themes: Garuda Purana 1.173 (dravya-varga listings and formulations)

Characters & Entities

• Vishnu
• Garuda

FAQs

What is the importance of listing herbs in Garuda Purana?

This verse functions as a technical enumeration of medicinal substances, showing that the Garuda Purana also preserves practical dharmic knowledge such as traditional healing and ingredient groupings.

How does this verse relate to Garuda–Vishnu dialogue themes?

Within Vishnu’s instruction to Garuda, the text sometimes shifts from afterlife doctrine to applied guidance; here the focus is on naming specific herbs used in formulations rather than describing the soul’s journey.

Practical application of this wisdom today?

Use it as a textual reference list for identifying classical herb names; for actual use, follow qualified Ayurvedic guidance rather than self-prescribing.