Shloka 49

Devanagari script

अग्नेश्चाधः स्वयं प्राणस्तमग्निञ्च धमेच्छनैः / वायुना धम्यमानो ऽग्निः पृथक्किट्टं पृथग्रसम्

Transliteration

agneścādhaḥ svayaṃ prāṇastamagniñca dhamecchanaiḥ / vāyunā dhamyamāno 'gniḥ pṛthakkiṭṭaṃ pṛthagrasam

Translation

Beneath the digestive fire, prāṇa itself steadily fans that fire. When the fire is thus blown by the vital wind, it separates the dross (kitta) apart and the nutritive essence, rasa, apart.

Word by Word

• अग्नेः: of fire
• अग्नेः: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अग्नि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th case), एकवचन; सम्बन्ध (genitive)

• च: and
• च: Samuccaya (Connector/समुच्चय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; समुच्चय (conjunction)

• अधः: below
• अधः: Kriya-visheshaṇa (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अधः (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; दिशावाचक क्रियाविशेषण (below)

• स्वयम्: by itself
• स्वयम्: Kriya-visheshaṇa (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: स्वयम् (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; क्रियाविशेषण (oneself/by itself)

• प्राणः: the vital breath (prāṇa)
• प्राणः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: प्राण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st case), एकवचन; कर्ता

• तम्: that
• तम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd case), एकवचन; सर्वनाम (that/him/it)

• अग्निम्: fire
• अग्निम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अग्नि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd case), एकवचन; कर्म

• च: and
• च: Samuccaya (Connector/समुच्चय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; समुच्चय (conjunction)

• धमेत्: should blow
• धमेत्: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: धम् (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (optative), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• शनैः: gently, slowly
• शनैः: Kriya-visheshaṇa (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: शनैस् (अव्यय/प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्यय; क्रियाविशेषण (slowly, gently)

• वायुना: by wind/air
• वायुना: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वायु (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd case), एकवचन; करण (instrument)

• धम्यमानः: being blown
• धम्यमानः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: धम् (धातु) + यमान (वर्तमानकाले कर्मणि/कर्तरि कृदन्त)
• Form: वर्तमानकृदन्त (present participle), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; कर्मणि प्रयोगे ‘being blown’

• अग्निः: fire
• अग्निः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अग्नि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st case), एकवचन; कर्ता

• पृथक्: separately
• पृथक्: Kriya-visheshaṇa (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: पृथक् (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; क्रियाविशेषण (separately)

• किट्टम्: dross/impurity
• किट्टम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: किट्ट (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd case), एकवचन; कर्म (object)

• पृथक्: separately
• पृथक्: Kriya-visheshaṇa (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: पृथक् (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; क्रियाविशेषण (separately)

• रसम्: essence/juice
• रसम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: रस (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd case), एकवचन; कर्म

Speaker

Lord Vishnu (in instruction to Garuda/Vinata-putra)

Philosophical Teaching

Concept: Prāṇa regulates agni; proper functioning yields विवेक-like separation: kitta (waste) vs rasa (nutritive essence).

Vedantic Theme: Discrimination (viveka) as a universal principle mirrored in physiology—separating the essential from the non-essential.

Application: Support digestion by supporting prāṇa (breath regulation, calm eating); cultivate discernment in life—retain ‘rasa’ (essence) and discard ‘kitta’ (waste).

Verse Rasa

Primary Rasa: adbhuta

Secondary Rasa: shanta

Geographic Context

Type: inner bodily locus (microcosmic altar)

Cross References

Related Themes: Garuda Purana 2.32.48 (ordered placement model); Garuda Purana 2.32.50-51 (mala/kitta and bodily impurities)

Characters & Entities

• Agni
• Prāṇa
• Vāyu

FAQs

What is the importance of prāṇa and agni in the Garuda Purana?

This verse states that prāṇa (vital force) fans the digestive fire (agni), enabling proper transformation—separating nutritive essence (rasa) from waste—showing that life-processes are governed by subtle energies.

How does this verse explain the path of the soul?

By describing prāṇa and vāyu as functional forces that drive inner transformation, the text frames the soul’s journey as involving a subtle-body mechanism; after death, such teachings help explain how the jīva’s subtle constitution and karmic conditioning operate.

Practical application of this wisdom today?

Maintain disciplined living that supports prāṇa and agni—moderate diet, breath regulation, and ethical conduct—since clarity of inner “fire” and proper separation of what nourishes versus what must be discarded is presented as foundational.