Shloka 1

Indranīla (Blue Sapphire): Source-Myth, Grades, Tests, Substitutes, and Price

Devanagari script

नामैकसप्ततितमो ऽध्यायः सूत उवाच / तत्रैव सिंहलवधूकरपल्लवाग्रव्यालूनबाललवलीकुसुमप्रवाले / देशे पपात दितिजस्य नितान्तकान्तं प्रोत्फुल्लनीरजसमद्युति नेत्रयुग्मम्

Transliteration

nāmaikasaptatitamo 'dhyāyaḥ sūta uvāca / tatraiva siṃhalavadhūkarapallavāgravyālūnabālalavalīkusumapravāle / deśe papāta ditijasya nitāntakāntaṃ protphullanīrajasamadyuti netrayugmam

Translation

Sūta said: There itself, in a region strewn with tender coral-like shoots and the blossoms of young lavalī plants, there fell to the ground the exceedingly beautiful pair of eyes of the Daitya, shining with a radiance like fully-bloomed blue lotuses.

Word by Word

• नाम: namely
• नाम: Sambandha (Discourse marker/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: नाम (अव्यय)
• Form: नामार्थक अव्यय — Indeclinable (as/namely)

• एक-सप्ततितमः: seventy-first
• एक-सप्ततितमः: Karta (Subject qualifier/कर्तृविशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: एक (प्रातिपदिक) + सप्तति (प्रातिपदिक) + तम (प्रत्यय)
• Form: संख्यासमास/तत्पुरुषप्राय; पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन — Ordinal adjective, Masculine, Nominative, Singular; विशेषण of अध्यायः

• अध्यायः: chapter
• अध्यायः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अध्याय (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन — Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• सूतः: Sūta
• सूतः: Karta (Speaker/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सूत (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन — Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• उवाच: said
• उवाच: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: वच् (धातु)
• Form: लिट्, प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन, परस्मैपद — Perfect, 3rd person, Singular, Parasmaipada

• तत्र: there
• तत्र: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तत्र (अव्यय)
• Form: देशवाचक अव्यय — Adverb (there)

• एव: indeed
• एव: Sambandha (Emphasis/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एव (अव्यय)
• Form: अवधारणार्थक अव्यय — Particle (indeed/just)

• सिंहल-वधू-कर-पल्लव-अग्र-व्यालून-बाल-लवली-कुसुम-प्रवाले: in the coral-like (reddish) tender shoots at the tips of the hands of Sinhalese women, plucked by serpents (?) and with young lavalī blossoms
• सिंहल-वधू-कर-पल्लव-अग्र-व्यालून-बाल-लवली-कुसुम-प्रवाले: Adhikarana (Location qualifier/अधिकरणविशेषण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सिंहल (प्रातिपदिक) + वधू (प्रातिपदिक) + कर (प्रातिपदिक) + पल्लव (प्रातिपदिक) + अग्र (प्रातिपदिक) + व्यालून (प्रातिपदिक/कृदन्त-प्राय) + बाल (प्रातिपदिक) + लवली (प्रातिपदिक) + कुसुम (प्रातिपदिक) + प्रवाल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: बहुपद-तत्पुरुषसमास (विशेषणसमूह); नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी, एकवचन — Multi-member Tatpurusha; Neuter, Locative, Singular; विशेषण of देशे (स्थाने)

• देशे: in a place/region
• देशे: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: देश (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी, एकवचन — Masculine, Locative, Singular

• पपात: fell
• पपात: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: पत् (धातु)
• Form: लिट्/लुङ्-प्राय (परस्मैपद), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन — Aorist/perfect-like narrative past, 3rd person, Singular

• दितिजस्य: of the demon (son of Diti)
• दितिजस्य: Sambandha (Possessor/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: दितिज (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी, एकवचन — Masculine, Genitive, Singular

• नितान्त-कान्तम्: exceedingly beautiful
• नितान्त-कान्तम्: Karma (Object qualifier/कर्मविशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: नितान्त (अव्यय/प्रातिपदिक) + कान्त (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: कर्मधारयसमास; नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन — Karmadharaya; Neuter, Accusative, Singular; विशेषण of नेत्रयुग्मम्

• प्रोत्फुल्ल-नीरज-सम-द्युति: having a radiance like a fully-bloomed lotus
• प्रोत्फुल्ल-नीरज-सम-द्युति: Karma (Object qualifier/कर्मविशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: प्रोत्फुल्ल (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक) + नीरज (प्रातिपदिक) + सम (प्रातिपदिक) + द्युति (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तत्पुरुषसमास (समद्युति); अव्ययीभाव/कर्मधारय-प्राय; (समासपदं) विशेषणरूपेण नेत्रयुग्मस्य — Compound adjective qualifying नेत्रयुग्मम्

• नेत्र-युग्मम्: pair of eyes
• नेत्र-युग्मम्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नेत्र (प्रातिपदिक) + युग्म (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तत्पुरुषसमास; नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन — Tatpurusha; Neuter, Nom/Acc, Singular

Speaker

Sūta

Philosophical Teaching

Concept: Impermanence of embodied beauty and power; even the splendid falls—marvels arise and pass in the world of forms.

Vedantic Theme: Anitya (transience) and the distinction between the seen (dṛśya) and the seer (dṛk); fascination with form as a prompt for detachment.

Application: Use encounters with beauty or loss to cultivate perspective: appreciate without clinging; remember the fragility of embodied conditions.

Verse Rasa

Primary Rasa: adbhuta

Secondary Rasa: karuna

Geographic Context

Type: coastal grove/shoreland

Cross References

Related Themes: Garuda Purana 1.72 (narrative transition into a new chapter; poetic description tied to gem/ocean imagery)

Characters & Entities

• Sūta
• Diti (via 'ditija')
• Daitya (ditija)

FAQs

What is the importance of this opening verse in Garuda Purana Adhyaya 72?

It functions as a chapter-opening narrative line by Sūta, setting a vivid scene through poetic imagery and introducing an episode involving a Daitya (ditija).

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

This specific verse does not describe the soul’s journey or afterlife doctrines; it is a descriptive narrative passage focused on an event and its setting.

Practical application of this wisdom today?

Use it as a reminder that Purāṇic teaching often mixes doctrine with storytelling and aesthetics—encouraging careful reading of context before drawing ethical or ritual conclusions.