Shloka 1

Prāṇeśvara Garuḍa-Mantra: Timing (Velā), Nāga-Grahas, Nyāsa, Haṃsa-Rite, and Viṣa-Cikitsā

Devanagari script

नामाष्टादशो ऽध्यायः सूत उवाच / प्राणेश्वरं गारुडं च शिवोक्तं प्रवदाम्यहम् / स्थानान्यादौ प्रवक्ष्यामि नागदष्टो न जीवति

Transliteration

nāmāṣṭādaśo 'dhyāyaḥ sūta uvāca / prāṇeśvaraṃ gāruḍaṃ ca śivoktaṃ pravadāmyaham / sthānānyādau pravakṣyāmi nāgadaṣṭo na jīvati

Translation

Sūta said: “Now I shall expound the Prāṇeśvara (Lord of life) Garuḍa-mantra as spoken by Śiva. First I will declare the proper places for its recitation and application; one bitten by a serpent does not survive without it.”

Word by Word

• नाम: name (title)
• नाम: Vishaya (Topic/विषय)
• Type: Noun
• Root: nāman (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन (अव्ययवत् प्रयोगः/heading sense)

• अष्टादशः: eighteenth
• अष्टादशः: Visheshana (Qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: aṣṭādaśa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; द्विगु-समास (अष्ट + दश)

• अध्यायः: chapter
• अध्यायः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: adhyāya (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन

• सूतः: Sūta
• सूतः: Karta (Speaker/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: sūta (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन

• उवाच: said
• उवाच: Kriya (Predicate/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: vac (धातु)
• Form: लिट् (Perfect), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd), एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• प्राणेश्वरम्: Prāṇeśvara (lord of life-breath)
• प्राणेश्वरम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: prāṇa + īśvara (प्रातिपदिक + प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष (प्राणानाम् ईश्वरः)

• गारुडम्: Garuda-related
• गारुडम्: Karma (Object-qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: gāruḍa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग/पुंलिङ्ग (पाठानुसारं), द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन; विशेषणम् (मन्त्र/विद्या)

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Connector)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ca (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (समुच्चय)

• शिवोक्तम्: spoken by Śiva
• शिवोक्तम्: Karma (Object-qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: śiva + ukta (कृदन्त)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन; भूतकर्मणि कृदन्त (क्त), षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष (शिवेन उक्तम्)

• प्रवदामि: I declare, I expound
• प्रवदामि: Kriya (Predicate/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: pra + vad (धातु)
• Form: लट् (Present), उत्तमपुरुष (1st), एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• अहम्: I
• अहम्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: aham (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सर्वनाम, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन

• स्थानानि: places, locations
• स्थानानि: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: sthāna (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), बहुवचन

• आदौ: at first, in the beginning
• आदौ: Kriya-visheshaṇa (Adverbial modifier)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ādi (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्यय (काल/क्रमवाचक adverb)

• प्रवक्ष्यामि: I will explain
• प्रवक्ष्यामि: Kriya (Predicate/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: pra + vac (धातु)
• Form: लृट् (Simple Future), उत्तमपुरुष (1st), एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• नागदष्टः: one bitten by a snake
• नागदष्टः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: nāga + daṣṭa (कृदन्त)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; क्त-प्रत्ययान्त (भूतकर्मणि), षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष (नागेन दष्टः)

• न: not
• न: Pratishedha (Negation)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: na (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (निषेध/negation particle)

• जीवति: lives, survives
• जीवति: Kriya (Predicate/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: jīv (धातु)
• Form: लट् (Present), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd), एकवचन; परस्मैपद

Speaker

Sūta

Philosophical Teaching

Concept: Mantra as a protective upāya that counteracts immediate peril; efficacy depends on proper place and procedure.

Vedantic Theme: Daiva-upāya within vyavahāra: invoking divine śakti (Garuḍa/Īśvara) to mitigate prārabdha-like crisis while sustaining dharma.

Application: In emergencies (snakebite), recite/teach the Garuḍa-mantra as transmitted, observing prescribed locations and ritual constraints; seek timely aid while performing protective recitation.

Verse Rasa

Primary Rasa: bhayanaka

Secondary Rasa: vira

Geographic Context

Type: ritual/recitation site (to be specified in the chapter)

Cross References

Related Themes: Garuda Purana: Garuḍa’s role as nāga-śamana and protector in related mantra/vidhi passages (contextual parallel)

Characters & Entities

• Sūta
• Garuḍa
• Śiva
• Nāga (serpent)

FAQs

What is the importance of the Prāṇeśvara Garuḍa teaching in the Garuḍa Purāṇa?

This verse introduces a Śiva-taught Garuḍa-based protective teaching intended to preserve life, highlighting Garuḍa’s role as a remover of serpent-related danger.

How does this verse explain the path of the soul?

It does not directly describe the soul’s post-death journey; instead, it frames a life-protecting (prāṇa-rakṣā) instruction—implying that preventing untimely death is itself a dharmic concern before afterlife teachings apply.

Practical application of this wisdom today?

Treat it as a textual witness to mantra-based protective traditions; in practice, prioritize immediate medical care for snakebite, while those who follow tradition may also recite Garuḍa-related prayers as a devotional support.