Shloka 5

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

Pearl Sources, Valuation, Refinement, and Identification

Devanagari script

स्वयोनिमद्यच्छवितुल्यवर्णं शाङ्खं बृहल्लोलफलप्रमाणम् / उत्पद्यते वारणकुम्भमध्यादापीतवर्णं प्रभया विहीनम्

Transliteration

svayonimadyacchavitulyavarṇaṃ śāṅkhaṃ bṛhallolaphalapramāṇam / utpadyate vāraṇakumbhamadhyādāpītavarṇaṃ prabhayā vihīnam

Translation

From its own source (the womb) there arises a conch-shaped mass, large—about the measure of a hanging fruit—emerging from the middle of the elephant-like pot (the womb). It is pale-yellow in hue and bereft of radiance.

Word by Word

• स्वयोनिमत्: having its own origin
• स्वयोनिमत्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: स्व (प्रातिपदिक) + योनि (प्रातिपदिक) + मत् (तद्धित प्रत्यय)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग/नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; तद्धितान्त (मतुप्) विशेषण — “having its own source/womb”

• मद्यत्: maddened
• मद्यत्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: मद् (धातु) + यत् (शतृ/वर्तमान कृदन्त)
• Form: वर्तमानकाले शतृ-प्रत्ययान्त कृदन्त; पुं/नपुं, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन — “being intoxicated/maddened”

• छवि-तुल्य-वर्णम्: having color equal to its sheen
• छवि-तुल्य-वर्णम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: छवि (प्रातिपदिक) + तुल्य (प्रातिपदिक) + वर्ण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष/कर्मधारयार्थ — “color equal to (its) luster”

• शाङ्खम्: conch(-born) (pearl)
• शाङ्खम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: शाङ्ख (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन — “pertaining to conch; conch-born”

• बृहत्-लोल-फल-प्रमाणम्: of the size of a large lola-fruit
• बृहत्-लोल-फल-प्रमाणम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: बृहत् (प्रातिपदिक) + लोल (प्रातिपदिक) + फल (प्रातिपदिक) + प्रमाण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन; बहुपद-तत्पुरुष — “of the measure/size of a big lola-fruit”

• उत्पद्यते: arises
• उत्पद्यते: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: उत् + पद् (धातु)
• Form: लट् (वर्तमान), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; आत्मनेपद — “is produced/arises”

• वारण-कुम्भ-मध्यात्: from the middle of the elephant’s temple
• वारण-कुम्भ-मध्यात्: Apadana (Source/अपादान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वारण (प्रातिपदिक) + कुम्भ (प्रातिपदिक) + मध्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, पञ्चमी (अपादान), एकवचन; तत्पुरुष — “from the middle of an elephant’s temple (forehead-bulge)”

• आपीत-वर्णम्: pale-colored
• आपीत-वर्णम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: आ + पी (धातु) + क्त (कृदन्त) + वर्ण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन; क्त-प्रत्ययान्त (भूतकर्मणि) + तत्पुरुष — “having a pale-yellowish color”

• प्रभया: with luster
• प्रभया: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: प्रभा (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, तृतीया (करण), एकवचन — “by/with luster”

• विहीनम्: devoid (of luster)
• विहीनम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: वि + ही (धातु) + क्त (कृदन्त)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन; क्त-प्रत्ययान्त — “devoid (of)”

Speaker

Lord Vishnu (speaking to Garuda/Vinata-putra)

Philosophical Teaching

Concept: Empirical description of origination (utpatti) and qualities (varṇa, prabhā) as a way of knowing the world’s produced forms.

Vedantic Theme: Prakṛti-vikāra: observable attributes arise from causes/conditions; names and forms are contingent.

Application: Use discernment in evaluating substances by origin and visible qualities (color, radiance, size) before valuing or using them.

Verse Rasa

Primary Rasa: adbhuta

Secondary Rasa: shanta

Geographic Context

Type: womb/source (yoni) imagery

Cross References

Related Themes: Garuda Purana 1.69 (ratna/mauktika-utpatti context)

FAQs

What is the importance of womb-description passages in the Garuda Purana?

This verse uses vivid metaphors to describe early embodied formation, reinforcing the Purana’s teaching that birth is part of the karma-driven cycle the soul repeatedly enters.

How does this verse explain the path of the soul?

By describing the arising of an initial, non-luminous form within the womb, it situates the soul’s journey as moving from subtle existence into a constrained physical embodiment shaped by prior actions.

Practical application of this wisdom today?

It encourages humility and ethical living by emphasizing how fragile and conditioned embodied life is, motivating dharma and mindful conduct to reduce suffering across rebirths.