Shloka 23

Dṛṣṭānta on Siddhi: Pitṛ-Procedure, Non-Delusion, and Vyākaraṇa Classifications

Devanagari script

परश्चान्तरमप्येतद्यत्त्यत्किमदसस्त्विदम् / युष्मदस्मत्तत्प्रथमचरमाल्पतयार्धकाः

Transliteration

paraścāntaramapyetadyattyatkimadasastvidam / yuṣmadasmattatprathamacaramālpatayārdhakāḥ

Translation

Further, there is also this distinction: “that”, “this”, “what”, and “which”. Likewise, the pronouns “you” and “I”, and the forms denoting the first and the last—these classes of words are treated as “half” because of their limited range of inflection/usage.

Word by Word

• paraḥ: other, further
• paraḥ: Viśeṣaṇa (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: para (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; विशेषण

• ca: and
• ca: Sambandha (Conjunction)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ca (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयार्थक-अव्यय

• antaram: interval; difference; interior
• antaram: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: antara (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन

• api: also, even
• api: Sambandha (Particle/निपात)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: api (अव्यय)
• Form: निपात, समुच्चय/अपि-भाव (also/even)

• etat: this
• etat: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: etad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; सर्वनाम

• yat: which/that
• yat: Sambandha (Relative pronoun)
• Type: Noun
• Root: yad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; यत्-प्रत्ययार्थक सर्वनाम

• tyat: that (yonder)
• tyat: Sambandha (Demonstrative)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tyad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; दूरवाचक सर्वनाम

• kim: what?
• kim: Sambandha (Interrogative)
• Type: Noun
• Root: kim (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; प्रश्नवाचक सर्वनाम

• adasaḥ: of that (remote)
• adasaḥ: Sambandha (Genitive/षष्ठी)
• Type: Noun
• Root: adas (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th/Genitive), एकवचन; सर्वनाम

• tu: but, indeed
• tu: Sambandha (Particle/निपात)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: tu (अव्यय)
• Form: निपात, विरोध/विशेषार्थ

• idam: this (near)
• idam: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: idam (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; सर्वनाम

• yuṣmad: you (pronoun base)
• yuṣmad: Sambandha (Stem listing)
• Type: Noun
• Root: yuṣmad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक (2nd person pronoun base), अव्ययवत् प्रातिपदिक-निर्देश (stem mention)

• asmat: I/we (pronoun base)
• asmat: Sambandha (Stem listing)
• Type: Noun
• Root: asmat (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक (1st person pronoun base), प्रातिपदिक-निर्देश

• tat: that (pronoun base)
• tat: Sambandha (Stem listing)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक (3rd person demonstrative base), प्रातिपदिक-निर्देश

• prathama: first
• prathama: Sambandha (Stem listing)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: prathama (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: प्रातिपदिक-निर्देश; क्रमवाचक (ordinal)

• carama: last
• carama: Sambandha (Stem listing)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: carama (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: प्रातिपदिक-निर्देश; क्रमवाचक

• ālpatayā: by smallness; due to paucity
• ālpatayā: Hetu (Cause/हेतु)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ālpatā (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/Instrumental), एकवचन

• ardhakāḥ: halves; half-measures
• ardhakāḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ardhaka (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), बहुवचन

Speaker

Lord Vishnu (teaching Garuda)

Philosophical Teaching

Concept: Linguistic discrimination (śabda-viveka): distinguishing pronouns/demonstratives (‘tat/idam/yat/kim’) and person markers (‘yuṣmad/asmad’), noting restricted paradigms (‘ardhaka’).

Vedantic Theme: Preparatory discipline: clarity in language supports clarity in thought; śāstra-study as a limb of jñāna-sādhana (though not itself mokṣa).

Application: In study/teaching, separate referents precisely (‘this/that/which/what’), and recognize exceptions/limited forms; apply careful reference-tracking in debate, translation, and interpretation.

Verse Rasa

Primary Rasa: shanta

Secondary Rasa: adbhuta

Cross References

Related Themes: Garuda Purana’s encyclopedic/śāstra-like passages that incorporate grammatical categories; surrounding verses list special nominal/verb forms.

Characters & Entities

• Vishnu
• Garuda

FAQs

What is the importance of pronoun-classes like idam, tat, kim, yat in the Garuda Purana?

This verse highlights precise categories of reference—near, far, interrogative, and relative—useful for interpreting doctrinal and ritual instructions without ambiguity.

How does this verse explain the path of the soul in the Garuda Purana narrative?

Indirectly: it is a philological/grammatical clarification within the teaching dialogue, supporting accurate understanding of later afterlife and ritual passages rather than describing the soul’s journey itself.

Practical application of this wisdom today?

Use careful, context-sensitive reading of key pronouns (‘this/that/which/what’) when studying Garuda Purana death-ritual sections, so instructions for śrāddha, piṇḍa-dāna, and ethical duties are not misapplied.