Shloka 1

Rudrākṣa-maṇi Lakṣaṇas: Origin in the Narmadā and Auspicious Color-Signs

Devanagari script

सप्तसप्ततितमो ऽध्यायः सूत उवाच / हुतभुग्रूपमादाय दानवस्य यथेप्सितम् / नर्मदायां निचिक्षेप किञ्चिद्धीनादिभूमिषु

Transliteration

saptasaptatitamo 'dhyāyaḥ sūta uvāca / hutabhugrūpamādāya dānavasya yathepsitam / narmadāyāṃ nicikṣepa kiñciddhīnādibhūmiṣu

Translation

Sūta said: Taking on the form of fire and acting as the Dānava desired, he cast it into the Narmadā, in certain low-lying and similar tracts of land.

Word by Word

• सप्तसप्ततितमः: seventy-seventh
• सप्तसप्ततितमः: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सप्त-सप्तति-तम (प्रातिपदिक; सप्त=7, सप्तति=70, तम=ordinal suffix)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; संख्यावाचक-समासयुक्तः क्रमवाचक-विशेषणम् (ordinal adjective)

• अध्यायः: chapter
• अध्यायः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अध्याय (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन

• सूतः: Sūta
• सूतः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सूत (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन

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

• हुतभुक्: fire (Agni)
• हुतभुक्: Samasa-member (Compound member/समासाङ्ग)
• Type: Noun
• Root: हुत-भुज् (प्रातिपदिक; भुज् धातु-निष्पन्न)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषसमासः; प्रातिपदिकम् ‘हुतभुक्’ = अग्निः (fire)

• रूपम्: form
• रूपम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: रूप (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन

• आदाय: having taken
• आदाय: Purvakala-kriya (Prior action/पूर्वकालक्रिया)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: आ-दा (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त (absolutive/gerund) अव्यय; ‘आदाय’ = ‘गृहीत्वा/लेत्वा’

• दानवस्य: of the Dānava (demon)
• दानवस्य: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: दानव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th/Genitive), एकवचन

• यथा: as, according to
• यथा: Kriya-visheshana (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: यथा (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; प्रकार/उपमानार्थक (as/according to)

• ईप्सितम्: desired, wished-for
• ईप्सितम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: ईप्सित (प्रातिपदिक; √आप्/ईप्स् भावे क्त)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन; क्त-प्रत्ययान्त विशेषणम् (desired)

• नर्मदायाम्: in the Narmadā (river)
• नर्मदायाम्: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नर्मदा (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/Locative), एकवचन

• निचिक्षेप: threw down, cast
• निचिक्षेप: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: नि-क्षिप् (धातु)
• Form: लिट् (Perfect), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन; परस्मैपदम्

• किञ्चित्: a little, somewhat
• किञ्चित्: Kriya-visheshana (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: किञ्चित् (सर्वनाम/अव्ययप्राय)
• Form: अव्यय; परिमाण/अल्पार्थक (a little/somewhat)

• धीन: poor, wretched
• धीन: Samasa-member (Compound member/समासाङ्ग)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: धीन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग/नपुंसकलिङ्ग (समासे), प्रातिपदिकम्; ‘धीन’ = दीन (poor) इत्यर्थे; ‘आदि’ सह समासाङ्ग

• आदि: and others, etc.
• आदि: Samasa-member (Compound member/समासाङ्ग)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: आदि (अव्यय/प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्यय; ‘etc.’ अर्थे (and so on)

• भूमिषु: in lands/regions
• भूमिषु: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: भूमि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/Locative), बहुवचन

Speaker

Sūta

Philosophical Teaching

Concept: Intentional acts (even by asuric agents) seed material consequences in specific places; substances arise through prior agency and conditions.

Vedantic Theme: Adhiṣṭhāna (locus) and nimitta (instrumental cause) shaping manifest effects within prakṛti; the world’s appearances follow causal order despite moral ambiguity.

Application: Read sacred geography and material lore as cause-linked: provenance matters (where/how a substance is deposited) when assessing ritual/medicinal/amuletic use.

Verse Rasa

Primary Rasa: adbhuta

Secondary Rasa: raudra

Geographic Context

Type: river

Cross References

Related Themes: Garuda Purana 1.78.2-3 (resultant gem description); Garuda Purana 1.79.1-2 (parallel origin narrative for another substance)

Characters & Entities

• Sūta
• Agni (Hutabhuk)
• Dānava
• Narmadā

FAQs

What is the importance of the Narmadā reference in this Garuda Purana verse?

This verse places the episode in the sacred geography of the Narmadā, using the river as the setting where the act of casting/placing occurs, a common Purāṇic way to sacralize events through tīrtha-locations.

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

This specific verse is narrative rather than directly describing the soul’s post-death journey; it introduces an episode (Sūta’s narration) involving a fiery form and an action at the Narmadā, which may frame later moral or ritual instruction in the chapter.

Practical application of this wisdom today?

Treat sacred places and rituals with intention and purity: the verse reflects how Purāṇas tie actions to dhārmic settings, reminding practitioners to align deeds with right purpose and reverence.