Shloka 17

मुक्ता-उत्पत्ति-भेदाः, मूल्य-मान-निर्णयः, शोधन-परीक्षा-लक्षणानि

Pearl Sources, Valuation, Refinement, and Identification

Devanagari script

दिवा यथा दीर्प्तिङ्करं तथैव तमो ऽवगाढास्वपि तन्निशासु / विचित्ररत्नद्युतिचारुतोया चतुः समुद्राभरणोपपन्ना

Transliteration

divā yathā dīrptiṅkaraṃ tathaiva tamo 'vagāḍhāsvapi tanniśāsu / vicitraratnadyuticārutoyā catuḥ samudrābharaṇopapannā

Translation

As the radiant sun shines by day, so too it shines even in nights plunged in darkness; for this world is adorned with the four oceans, whose lovely waters gleam with the luster of many-colored jewels.

Word by Word

• दिवा: by day
• दिवा: Kala (Time/काल)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: दिवा (अव्यय)
• Form: कालवाचक-अव्यय (temporal adverb)

• यथा: as/just as
• यथा: Sambandha (Comparison marker)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: यथा (अव्यय)
• Form: उपमा/सम्बन्धबोधक-अव्यय (comparative particle)

• दीप्ति-करम्: maker of light (sun)
• दीप्ति-करम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: दीप्ति (प्रातिपदिक) + कर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (Accusative/2nd), एकवचन (singular)

• तथा: so/thus
• तथा: Sambandha (Correlation marker)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तथा (अव्यय)
• Form: तुल्यताबोधक-अव्यय (correlative adverb)

• एव: indeed/just
• एव: Avadharana (Emphasis)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एव (अव्यय)
• Form: अवधारण (emphatic particle)

• तमः: darkness
• तमः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तमस् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (Nominative/1st), एकवचन (singular)

• अवगाढासु: in the deeply darkened (nights)
• अवगाढासु: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अव-गाह् (धातु) → अवगाढ (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: भूतकृदन्त (PPP), स्त्रीलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (Locative/7th), बहुवचन; विशेषणम् (for निशासु)

• अपि: also/even
• अपि: Samuccaya (Addition)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अपि (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चय/अपि-कार (also/even)

• तत्: that
• तत्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; विशेषणम् (deictic)

• निशासु: in the nights
• निशासु: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: निशा (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (Locative/7th), बहुवचन (plural)

• विचित्र-रत्न-द्युति-चारु-तोया: having beautiful waters with the radiance of varied gems
• विचित्र-रत्न-द्युति-चारु-तोया: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: विचित्र (प्रातिपदिक) + रत्न (प्रातिपदिक) + द्युति (प्रातिपदिक) + चारु (प्रातिपदिक) + तोय (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: बहुपद-तत्पुरुष (descriptive), स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (Nominative/1st), एकवचन; विशेषणम्

• चतुः: four
• चतुः: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: चतुर् (संख्याप्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्ययवत्-प्रयोग/संख्यावाचक, (here) विशेषणम्; रूपम् ‘चतुः’ (for चतुरः)

• समुद्र-आभरण-उपपन्ना: endowed with the ornament of oceans
• समुद्र-आभरण-उपपन्ना: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: समुद्र (प्रातिपदिक) + आभरण (प्रातिपदिक) + उपपन्न (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: भूतकृदन्त (PPP of उप-√पद्/उपपद् ‘to be endowed’), स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (Nom/1st), एकवचन; विशेषणम्

Speaker

Lord Vishnu (speaking to Garuda/Vinata-putra)

Philosophical Teaching

Concept: True radiance is not contingent on external conditions (day/night); reality’s deeper luminosity persists through darkness.

Vedantic Theme: Consciousness as constant witness through waking/night; the ‘light of awareness’ remains when external lights fail.

Application: Cultivate steadiness in adversity; practice nightly remembrance/meditation—maintain inner clarity even in ‘dark’ phases of life.

Verse Rasa

Primary Rasa: adbhuta

Secondary Rasa: shanta

Geographic Context

Type: cosmographic earth

Cross References

Related Themes: Garuda Purana: cosmographic descriptions of earth and oceans (general parallel)

Characters & Entities

• Surya (Sun)
• Samudras (Four Oceans)

FAQs

What is the importance of the four oceans in the Garuda Purana?

This verse presents the four oceans as Earth’s adornment—beautiful, jewel-like waters—highlighting sacred geography and the ordered structure of the cosmos.

How does this verse explain light even in darkness?

It compares the sun’s daytime radiance to its continued presence through dark nights, emphasizing an underlying cosmic luminosity/order beyond immediate perception.

Practical application of this wisdom today?

Maintain steadiness in ethical living: like the sun’s constancy, one should uphold dharma even during “dark” phases of life.