Shloka 13
Bhaiṣajya-Prayoga: Remedies for Grahaṇī, Jvara, Apasmāra, and Kuṣṭha
with Mantra Applications
पुष्पमष्टशतं जप्त्वा हस्ते दत्त्वा नखं स्पृशेत् / चातुर्थिको ज्वरो रुद्र अन्ये चैव ज्वरास्तथा
puṣpamaṣṭaśataṃ japtvā haste dattvā nakhaṃ spṛśet / cāturthiko jvaro rudra anye caiva jvarāstathā
Having recited the mantra eight hundred times over a flower, one should place it in the hand and touch it with the fingernail. Thus the quartan fever is subdued—O Rudra—and likewise other fevers as well.
Lord Vishnu (teaching Garuda/Vinata-putra)
Concept: Mantra and ritual act (japa + nyasa-like touch) as efficacious means to counter suffering and disease.
Vedantic Theme: Shabda-pramana and īśvara-anugraha: sacred sound as a conduit of grace operating within embodied life.
Application: Perform prescribed japa count over a flower, place it in the patient’s hand, and touch with the nail as directed; maintain faith and procedural exactness.
Primary Rasa: shanta
Secondary Rasa: adbhuta
Related Themes: Garuda Purana 1.183 (Ayurveda/roga-prashamana section continuing fever-remedies)
FAQs
This verse presents a ritual-therapeutic method where mantra-recitation (japa) is ritually transferred to an object (a flower) and applied, showing the text’s emphasis on sacred sound and procedure as a remedial upāya.
This specific verse does not discuss the afterlife journey; instead, it focuses on a worldly remedial practice (jvara-śānti) taught within the broader instructional dialogue tradition of the Purana.
As a takeaway, it highlights disciplined repetition, intention, and careful procedure in spiritual practice; any health condition should also be addressed with appropriate medical care while treating such rites as devotional supports.