Shloka 6

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

Devanagari script

मृत्पाषाणशिलारन्ध्रकर्करात्राससंयुताः / अभ्रिकापटलच्छायावर्णदोषैश्च दूषिताः

Transliteration

mṛtpāṣāṇaśilārandhrakarkarātrāsasaṃyutāḥ / abhrikāpaṭalacchāyāvarṇadoṣaiśca dūṣitāḥ

Translation

They are mingled with earth, stone, and rocky crevices, marked by roughness and dread; and they are further tainted by the shadow of cloud-like layers and by defects of color and appearance.

Word by Word

• मृत्: clay/earth
• मृत्: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मृत् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्गे तृतीया (3rd/करण), बहुवचन — instrumental plural (in compound sense)

• पाषाण: stone
• पाषाण: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पाषाण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे तृतीया (3rd/करण), बहुवचन — instrumental plural (in compound sense)

• शिला: rock/slab
• शिला: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शिला (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्गे तृतीया (3rd/करण), बहुवचन — instrumental plural (in compound sense)

• रन्ध्र: hole/cavity
• रन्ध्र: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: रन्ध्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्गे तृतीया (3rd/करण), बहुवचन — instrumental plural (in compound sense)

• कर्कर: gritty/rough
• कर्कर: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: कर्कर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे तृतीया (3rd/करण), बहुवचन — instrumental plural (in compound sense)

• त्रास: fear/defect (flaw)
• त्रास: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: त्रास (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे तृतीया (3rd/करण), बहुवचन — instrumental plural (in compound sense)

• संयुताः: combined/associated with
• संयुताः: Karta (Subject-qualifier/कर्ता-विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सम् + युज् (धातु) → संयुत (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: भूतकृदन्त (क्त), पुंलिङ्गे प्रथमा (1st/कर्ता), बहुवचन — past participle, nominative plural

• अभ्रिका: mica
• अभ्रिका: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अभ्रिका (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्गे तृतीया (3rd/करण), बहुवचन — instrumental plural (in compound sense)

• पटल: layer/film
• पटल: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पटल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्गे तृतीया (3rd/करण), बहुवचन — instrumental plural (in compound sense)

• च्छाया: shadow/tinge
• च्छाया: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: छाया (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्गे तृतीया (3rd/करण), बहुवचन — instrumental plural (in compound sense)

• वर्ण: color
• वर्ण: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वर्ण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे तृतीया (3rd/करण), बहुवचन — instrumental plural (in compound sense)

• दोषैः: by defects/flaws
• दोषैः: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: दोष (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे तृतीया (3rd/करण), बहुवचन — instrumental plural

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Connector)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (समुच्चयबोधक) — conjunction

• दूषिताः: tainted/defiled
• दूषिताः: Karta (Subject-qualifier/कर्ता-विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: दूष् (धातु) → दूषित (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: भूतकृदन्त (क्त), पुंलिङ्गे प्रथमा (1st/कर्ता), बहुवचन — past participle, nominative plural

Speaker

Lord Vishnu (speaking to Garuda/Vinata-putra)

Philosophical Teaching

Concept: Doṣa-darśana (seeing faults) as necessary for right choice; purity standards matter.

Vedantic Theme: Mixture (saṅkara) in prakṛti; sattva obscured by tamas (cloud-shadow imagery).

Application: In evaluation—materials, information, or character—identify ‘rāga/doṣa’ (stains/defects) before endorsement; refine through testing.

Verse Rasa

Primary Rasa: bibhatsa

Secondary Rasa: bhayanaka

Geographic Context

Type: rocky deposit/crevice strata

Cross References

Related Themes: Garuda Purana 1.72 (ratna-doṣa/śuddhi context)

FAQs

What is the importance of describing terrifying landscapes in the Garuda Purana?

This verse uses vivid physical imagery—rough, stone-filled, fear-inducing terrain and gloomy veils—to convey how karmic results are experienced as tangible suffering in post-death realms.

How does this verse explain the path of the soul after death?

In the Vishnu–Garuda dialogue, such descriptions frame the soul’s post-death journey as encountering environments shaped by karma, where fear and discomfort become part of the experiential consequences.

Practical application of this wisdom today?

Treat actions and intentions as shaping future experience: cultivate dharma, restraint, and compassion to avoid creating causes for fear-based, painful outcomes.