Shloka 8

Aśva–Gaja Āyurveda: Marks, Defects, Wounds, Doṣa-Therapy, and Protective Rites

Devanagari script

चिरपाकं वातजन्तु श्लेष्मजं क्षिप्रपाककम्? / कण्ठदाहात्मकं पित्ताच्छोणितान्मन्दवेदनम्

Transliteration

cirapākaṃ vātajantu śleṣmajaṃ kṣiprapākakam? / kaṇṭhadāhātmakaṃ pittācchoṇitānmandavedanam

Translation

A boil arising from vāta ripens slowly; one born of śleṣman (kapha) ripens quickly. That due to pitta is marked by burning in the throat, while that arising from blood (śoṇita) brings only mild pain.

Word by Word

• cira-pākam: slow-maturing (slow suppuration)
• cira-pākam: Visheshana (Qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: cira + pāka (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; विशेषण (slow to suppurate)

• vāta-jantu: vāta-caused type
• vāta-jantu: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: vāta + jantu (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; समासः—षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष (vāta-janitaḥ)

• śleṣma-jam: kapha-born
• śleṣma-jam: Visheshana (Qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: śleṣman + ja (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; विशेषण

• kṣipra-pākakam: quick-maturing
• kṣipra-pākakam: Visheshana (Qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: kṣipra + pākaka (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; विशेषण

• kaṇṭha-dāha-ātmakam: having throat-burning as its nature
• kaṇṭha-dāha-ātmakam: Visheshana (Qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: kaṇṭha + dāha + ātmaka (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; विशेषण; समासः (kaṇṭhe dāhaḥ yasya)

• pittāt: from pitta
• pittāt: Apadana (Source/अपादान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: pitta (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, पञ्चमी (5th/ablative), एकवचन

• śoṇitāt: from blood
• śoṇitāt: Apadana (Source/अपादान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: śoṇita (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, पञ्चमी (5th/ablative), एकवचन

• manda-vedanam: with mild pain
• manda-vedanam: Visheshana (Qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: manda + vedana (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; विशेषण

Speaker

Lord Vishnu (teaching Garuda/Vinatā-putra)

Medical Ayurveda

Dosha: Mixed

Philosophical Teaching

Concept: Knowledge through lakṣaṇa (signs): infer internal causes from observable symptom-patterns.

Vedantic Theme: Viveka (discriminative discernment) applied to embodied life

Application: Use ripening speed and symptom quality (burning, pain level) to identify vāta/kapha/pitta/śoṇita involvement and choose appropriate therapy.

Verse Rasa

Primary Rasa: shanta

Cross References

Related Themes: Garuda Purana 1.201: doṣa-wise wound/boil characteristics and subsequent cleansing/healing formulations

Characters & Entities

• Vata
• Kapha (Śleṣman)
• Pitta
• Śoṇita (blood)

FAQs

What is the importance of doṣa-based diagnosis in the Garuda Purana?

This verse shows that ailments are identified by characteristic signs—rate of suppuration and sensations like burning or pain—linked to vāta, kapha, pitta, and blood, enabling more precise understanding of disease nature.

How does this verse explain the path of the soul?

It does not describe the after-death journey here; instead, it presents practical embodied knowledge (śarīra-dharma) by detailing bodily disorder signs, reflecting the Purana’s wider aim of guiding life and conduct alongside spiritual topics.

Practical application of this wisdom today?

Use symptom-patterns (slow vs. fast suppuration, burning sensations, degree of pain) as early indicators to seek timely care and to understand how classical Ayurveda correlates signs with vāta/kapha/pitta imbalance.