Shloka 19

The Examination of Pearls and Padmarāga (Ruby): Origins, Marks, Defects, and Valuation

Devanagari script

दोषोपसृष्टं मणिमप्रबोधाद्विभर्ति यः कश्चन कञ्चिदेव / तं शोकचिन्तामयमृत्युवित्तनाशादयो दोषगणा भजन्ते

Transliteration

doṣopasṛṣṭaṃ maṇimaprabodhādvibharti yaḥ kaścana kañcideva / taṃ śokacintāmayamṛtyuvittanāśādayo doṣagaṇā bhajante

Translation

Whoever, out of ignorance, wears a gemstone tainted by defects—him a host of misfortunes afflicts: grief, anxiety, death-like calamity, loss of wealth, and the like.

Word by Word

• दोष-उपसृष्टम्: afflicted by defects
• दोष-उपसृष्टम्: Karma (Object qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: दोष (प्रातिपदिक) + उपसृष्ट (कृदन्त; √सृज् + उप, PPP)
• Form: तत्पुरुष (दोषैः उपसृष्टम् = afflicted by defects); नपुंसकलिङ्ग; द्वितीया (2nd/द्वितीया), एकवचन; विशेषणम् (of मणिम्)

• मणिम्: a gem
• मणिम्: Karma (Object)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मणि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन

• अप्रबोधात्: due to ignorance/lack of discernment
• अप्रबोधात्: Hetu (Cause)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अ (नञ्) + प्रबोध (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; पञ्चमी (5th/पञ्चमी), एकवचन; हेत्वर्थ (ablative of cause: “from/owing to”)

• विभर्ति: wears/bears
• विभर्ति: Kriya (Predicate)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √भृ (धातु) + वि (उपसर्ग)
• Form: लट्-लकार; परस्मैपद; प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन

• यः: who
• यः: Karta (Relative subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सर्वनाम; पुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा, एकवचन

• कश्चन: someone/anyone
• कश्चन: Karta (Apposition to यः)
• Type: Noun
• Root: क (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक) + चन (निपात)
• Form: सर्वनाम; पुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा, एकवचन; अनिश्चितार्थ (indefinite pronoun)

• कञ्चित्: some (gem)
• कञ्चित्: Karma (Secondary object)
• Type: Noun
• Root: क (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक) + चित् (निपात)
• Form: सर्वनाम; पुंलिङ्ग; द्वितीया, एकवचन; अनिश्चितार्थ (indefinite)

• एव: just/indeed
• एव: Nipāta
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एव (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; अवधारणार्थक निपात (emphasis)

• तम्: him
• तम्: Karma (Object)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सर्वनाम; पुंलिङ्ग; द्वितीया, एकवचन

• शोक-चिन्ता-मय-मृत्यु-वित्त-नाश-आदयः: grief, worry, death, loss of wealth, etc.
• शोक-चिन्ता-मय-मृत्यु-वित्त-नाश-आदयः: Karta (Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शोक (प्रातिपदिक) + चिन्ता (प्रातिपदिक) + मय (प्रातिपदिक) + मृत्यु (प्रातिपदिक) + वित्त (प्रातिपदिक) + नाश (प्रातिपदिक) + आदि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: समाहार/इतरेतर-द्वन्द्व-प्राय (enumerative compound with ‘आदि’); पुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा, बहुवचन; कर्तृपदम् (subject)

• दोष-गणाः: groups of faults/evils
• दोष-गणाः: Karta (Subject apposition)
• Type: Noun
• Root: दोष (प्रातिपदिक) + गण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तत्पुरुष (दोषानां गणाः); पुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा, बहुवचन; (समाहारार्थे)

• भजन्ते: befall/attach to
• भजन्ते: Kriya (Predicate)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √भज् (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार; आत्मनेपद; प्रथमपुरुष, बहुवचन

Speaker

Lord Vishnu

Philosophical Teaching

Concept: Avidyā (improper knowledge) in choosing/using objects leads to adverse outcomes; doṣa-bearing instruments attract duḥkha.

Vedantic Theme: Avidyā as the root of suffering; necessity of right knowledge (samyag-jñāna) and discernment in action.

Application: Do not wear or prescribe gemstones without expert examination; verify authenticity/quality to avoid financial and psychological harm.

Verse Rasa

Primary Rasa: bhayanaka

Secondary Rasa: karuna

Cross References

Related Themes: Garuda Purana 1.70.18 (defective gems); Garuda Purana 1.70.20 (discern spurious look-alikes)

FAQs

What is the importance of gemstone purity (maṇi-śuddhi) in the Garuda Purana?

This verse teaches that wearing a defective gemstone due to ignorance can invite a chain of adverse results—grief, anxiety, dangerous calamities, and loss of wealth—so discernment and proper selection are essential.

How does this verse explain the cause of suffering in practical life?

It frames suffering as arising from wrong choices made without awareness (aprabodha), where a ‘defective’ object becomes a trigger for accumulating misfortunes (doṣagaṇa).

Practical application of this wisdom today?

Avoid adopting spiritual/astrological remedies blindly; verify authenticity and suitability (through competent guidance and testing) before wearing gemstones or talismans.