Shloka 21

Ratna-parīkṣā: Vajra (Diamond/Thunderbolt) — Origin, Types, Testing, Defects, Weights, and Royal Auspiciousness

Devanagari script

हरितसितपीतपिङ्गश्यामास्ताम्राः स्वभावतो रुचिराः / हरिवरुणशक्रहुतवहपितृपतिमरुतां स्वका वर्णाः

Transliteration

haritasitapītapiṅgaśyāmāstāmrāḥ svabhāvato rucirāḥ / harivaruṇaśakrahutavahapitṛpatimarutāṃ svakā varṇāḥ

Translation

Green, white, yellow, tawny, dark, and coppery hues are naturally beautiful. These are the respective inherent colors of Hari (Viṣṇu), Varuṇa, Śakra (Indra), Hutavaha (Agni), Pitṛpati (Yama), and the Maruts.

Word by Word

• हरित: green
• हरित: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: हरित (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे, प्रथमा (1st), बहुवचन; समासपूर्वपदम् (Masculine, Nominative plural; prior member)

• सित: white
• सित: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सित (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे, प्रथमा (1st), बहुवचन; समासपूर्वपदम् (Masculine, Nominative plural; prior member)

• पीत: yellow
• पीत: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: पीत (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे, प्रथमा (1st), बहुवचन; समासपूर्वपदम् (Masculine, Nominative plural; prior member)

• पिङ्ग: tawny/brownish
• पिङ्ग: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: पिङ्ग (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे, प्रथमा (1st), बहुवचन; समासपूर्वपदम् (Masculine, Nominative plural; prior member)

• श्यामाः: dark
• श्यामाः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: श्याम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे, प्रथमा (1st), बहुवचन; हरित-सित-पीत-पिङ्ग-श्याम (समाहार-द्वन्द्व/वर्णसमुच्चय) (Masculine, Nominative plural)

• ताम्राः: coppery
• ताम्राः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: ताम्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे, प्रथमा (1st), बहुवचन; विशेषणम् (Masculine, Nominative plural)

• स्वभावतः: by nature
• स्वभावतः: Sambandha (Manner/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: स्वभाव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तसिल्-प्रत्ययान्त-अव्ययम्; ‘स्वभावतः’ = स्वभावेन (ablatival adverb: by nature)

• रुचिराः: beautiful
• रुचिराः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: रुचिर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे, प्रथमा (1st), बहुवचन; विशेषणम् (Masculine, Nominative plural)

• हरि: of Hari (Viṣṇu)
• हरि: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: हरि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे, षष्ठी (6th), बहुवचन; समासपूर्वपदम् (Genitive plural; prior member)

• वरुण: of Varuṇa
• वरुण: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वरुण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे, षष्ठी (6th), बहुवचन; समासपूर्वपदम् (Genitive plural; prior member)

• शक्र: of Śakra (Indra)
• शक्र: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शक्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे, षष्ठी (6th), बहुवचन; समासपूर्वपदम् (Genitive plural; prior member)

• हुतवह: of Hutavaha (Agni)
• हुतवह: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: हुतवह (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे, षष्ठी (6th), बहुवचन; समासपूर्वपदम् (Genitive plural; prior member)

• पितृपति: of Pitṛpati (Yama)
• पितृपति: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पितृ (प्रातिपदिक) + पति (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे, षष्ठी (6th), बहुवचन; पितृ-पति (षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष) = यम (Genitive plural; in compound chain)

• मरुताम्: of the Maruts
• मरुताम्: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मरुत् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे, षष्ठी (6th), बहुवचन; हरि-वरुण-शक्र-हुतवह-पितृपति-मरुत् (समाहार-द्वन्द्व/देवसमुच्चय) (Genitive plural)

• स्वकाः: their own
• स्वकाः: Viśeṣaṇa (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: स्वक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे, प्रथमा (1st), बहुवचन; विशेषणम् (Masculine, Nominative plural; ‘their own’)

• वर्णाः: colors
• वर्णाः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वर्ण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे, प्रथमा (1st), बहुवचन (Masculine, Nominative plural)

Speaker

Lord Vishnu (speaking to Garuda/Vinatā-putra)

Philosophical Teaching

Concept: Deva-sambandha through varṇa: contemplating divine attributes via their ‘svaka varṇa’ fosters remembrance and correct association.

Vedantic Theme: Īśvara-vibhūti and upāsanā: approaching the divine through symbolic attributes; saguna contemplation as a support.

Application: Use color as a mnemonic for deity-invocation: green for Hari, white for Varuṇa, yellow for Śakra, tawny for Agni, dark for Yama, copper for Maruts—especially when selecting/using a vajra or in visualization.

Verse Rasa

Primary Rasa: adbhuta

Secondary Rasa: shanta

Cross References

Related Themes: Garuda Purana 1.68.20 (classification by color)

Characters & Entities

• Hari (Vishnu)
• Varuna
• Shakra (Indra)
• Agni (Hutavaha)
• Yama (Pitṛpati)
• Maruts

FAQs

What is the importance of deity-colors mentioned in the Garuda Purana?

This verse assigns ‘inherent’ hues to major deities, using color as a symbolic marker to identify divine functions and cosmic roles (protection, waters, rulership, fire/ritual, justice/death, winds).

How does this verse relate to the Garuda Purana’s broader themes?

By naming Pitṛpati (Yama) alongside other devas, it situates the lord of death within the same ordered cosmos—supporting the text’s wider concern with dharma, judgment, and the moral structure governing life and afterlife.

Practical application of this wisdom today?

Use it as a contemplative aid in japa or pūjā—remembering that each divine force has a distinct role—encouraging ethical living (dharma) and reverence for ritual order (especially Agni and Yama-related disciplines).