Shloka 36

Devanagari script

रूक्षः सवेदनः कृष्णः सो ऽसाध्यः स्याच्छिरोग्रहः / तनुं गृहीत्वा वायुश्च स्नायुस्तथैव च

Transliteration

rūkṣaḥ savedanaḥ kṛṣṇaḥ so 'sādhyaḥ syācchirograhaḥ / tanuṃ gṛhītvā vāyuśca snāyustathaiva ca

Translation

Cuando la afección de la cabeza (chirograha) es seca, dolorosa y de aspecto oscuro, se dice que es incurable. Pues entonces el vāyu (humor del viento), al apoderarse del cuerpo, también se aferra a los tendones y nervios (snāyu).

Word by Word

• रूक्षः: dry/rough
• रूक्षः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: रूक्ष (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; विशेषण (Masculine, Nominative singular; adjective)

• सवेदनः: painful; with sensation
• सवेदनः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: स-वेदन (प्रातिपदिक; वेदन ‘pain/sensation’ + स- उपसर्गार्थ ‘with’)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; विशेषण (Masculine, Nominative singular; adjective)

• कृष्णः: black/dark
• कृष्णः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: कृष्ण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; विशेषण (Masculine, Nominative singular; adjective)

• सः: he/that (disease)
• सः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; सर्वनाम (Masculine, Nominative singular; pronoun)

• असाध्यः: incurable
• असाध्यः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अ-साध्य (प्रातिपदिक; √साध् (धातु) ‘to accomplish’ + यत् प्रत्यय; negated)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; विशेषण (Masculine, Nominative singular; adjective)

• स्यात्: would be
• स्यात्: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √अस् (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (Optative), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपद (Optative, 3rd person singular)

• शिरोग्रहः: head-affliction; seizure of the head
• शिरोग्रहः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शिरस् + ग्रह (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष (head-seizure) (Masculine, Nominative singular)

• तनुम्: the body
• तनुम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तनु (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन (Feminine, Accusative singular)

• गृहीत्वा: having seized
• गृहीत्वा: Kriya-viseshana (Adverbial to verb/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: √ग्रह् (धातु) + क्त्वा (अव्यय-कृदन्त)
• Form: क्त्वान्त-अव्यय (Gerund/absolutive): ‘having seized/taken’

• वायुः: vāta; wind (humor)
• वायुः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वायु (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन (Masculine, Nominative singular)

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

• स्नायुः: tendon/ligament
• स्नायुः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: स्नायु (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन (Masculine, Nominative singular)

• तथा: thus; likewise
• तथा: Kriya-viseshana (Adverbial)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तथा (अव्यय)
• Form: प्रकारवाचक-अव्यय (adverb: ‘thus/so’)

• एव: indeed; just
• एव: Sambandha (Emphasis)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एव (अव्यय)
• Form: अवधारण-अव्यय (particle of emphasis)

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

Speaker

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

Medical Ayurveda

Dosha: Vata

Philosophical Teaching

Concept: Diagnostic signs indicate prognosis; vāyu’s dominance and snāyu-involvement mark incurability.

Vedantic Theme: Deha as prakṛti-field subject to guṇa/doṣa change; impermanence of embodied condition.

Application: Recognize red-flag symptoms (rukṣa, svedana/vedanā, kṛṣṇa-varṇa, snāyu-graha) and shift from curative attempts to palliation, support, and prevention.

Verse Rasa

Primary Rasa: karuna

Secondary Rasa: bhayanaka

Cross References

Related Themes: Garuda Purana 1.166 (Ayurveda/roga-nidāna context)

Characters & Entities

• Vayu

FAQs

What is the importance of chirograha in Garuda Purana?

This verse treats chirograha as a vāta-driven head disorder and gives classical prognostic signs—dryness, pain, and dark coloration—marking it as difficult or incurable when deeper tissues are involved.

How does this verse explain the path of the soul?

It does not describe the soul’s journey here; instead, it preserves Garuda Purana’s practical dharma of bodily care by classifying disease signs, which supports righteous living and preparedness for life’s transitions.

Practical application of this wisdom today?

Treat persistent, severe head pain with systemic dryness and dark discoloration as a serious warning sign; seek qualified medical care early and avoid vāta-aggravating habits (irregular sleep, fasting, dehydration).