Shloka 15

Devanagari script

निजशुक्रं गृही त्वा तु वामहस्तेन यः पुमान् / कामिनीचरणं वामं लिंपेत्स स्यात्स्त्रियाः प्रियः

Transliteration

nijaśukraṃ gṛhī tvā tu vāmahastena yaḥ pumān / kāminīcaraṇaṃ vāmaṃ liṃpetsa syātstriyāḥ priyaḥ

Translation

A man who takes his own semen in his left hand and anoints with it the left foot of a beloved woman becomes dear to women.

Word by Word

• nijaśukraṃ: one's own semen
• nijaśukraṃ: Karma (Object)
• Type: Noun
• Root: nija + śukra (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन; निज-शुक्र (कर्मधारय)

• gṛhītvā: having taken
• gṛhītvā: Kriya (Gerundial action)
• Type: Verb
• Root: grah (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त अव्यय (absolutive/gerund)

• tu: but/indeed
• tu: Avyaya (Particle)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: tu (अव्यय)
• Form: निपात (particle; contrast/emphasis)

• vāmahastena: with the left hand
• vāmahastena: Karana (Instrument)
• Type: Noun
• Root: vāma + hasta (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/Instrumental), एकवचन; वाम-हस्त (कर्मधारय)

• yaḥ: who
• yaḥ: Karta (Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: yad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; सम्बन्धसूचक (relative pronoun)

• pumān: a man
• pumān: Karta (Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: puman (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन

• kāminīcaraṇaṃ: the woman's foot
• kāminīcaraṇaṃ: Karma (Object)
• Type: Noun
• Root: kāminī + caraṇa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन; कामिन्याः चरणम् (षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष)

• vāmaṃ: left
• vāmaṃ: Visheshana (Qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: vāma (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन; विशेषण (agrees with caraṇaṃ)

• liṃpet: should smear/anoint
• liṃpet: Kriya (Action)
• Type: Verb
• Root: lip (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (Optative), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• saḥ: he
• saḥ: Karta (Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन

• syāt: would become
• syāt: Kriya (Copula)
• Type: Verb
• Root: as (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (Optative), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• striyāḥ: of the woman
• striyāḥ: Sambandha (Genitive relation)
• Type: Noun
• Root: strī (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th/Genitive), एकवचन

• priyaḥ: dear/beloved
• priyaḥ: Visheshya (Predicate complement)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: priya (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; विधेयविशेषण (predicate adjective)

Speaker

Lord Vishnu (speaking to Garuda/Vinata-putra)

Philosophical Teaching

Concept: Claimed sympathetic potency of śukra as a binding substance in erotic rites; illustrates how texts encode desire as technique.

Vedantic Theme: Attachment to body and its fluids as a marker of dehābhimāna (body-identification) that obstructs śānta orientation.

Application: Critical-ethical reading: bodily-fluid rites raise hygiene and consent concerns; prioritize health, consent, and dignity.

Verse Rasa

Primary Rasa: bibhatsa

Secondary Rasa: shringara

Geographic Context

Type: private chamber (implied)

Cross References

Related Themes: Garuda Purana 1.185.16 (further anointing prescriptions for vashīkaraṇa)

Characters & Entities

• Women (striyaḥ)
• Man (pumān)

FAQs

What is the importance of desire-driven ritual remedies in the Garuda Purana?

This verse presents a specific desire-oriented rite claiming social/sexual favor; it illustrates that the text also records pragmatic (and sometimes controversial) ritual prescriptions alongside broader dharmic teachings.

How does this verse explain the path of the soul?

It does not directly describe the soul’s post-death journey; instead, it focuses on a worldly, kama-motivated act—relevant indirectly because the Garuda Purana often contrasts desire-driven conduct with dharma and karmic consequences elsewhere.

Practical application of this wisdom today?

Read it as a historical ritual claim rather than a recommended practice; the ethical takeaway is to prioritize consent, purity of conduct, and dharma over manipulative desire-based rites.