Shloka 4

Viṣa-hara Yogas: Puṣya-Nakṣatra Remedies for Serpents, Stings, and Compounded Poisons

Devanagari script

पुष्ये लज्जालुकामूले हस्तबद्धे तु पन्नगान् / गृह्णीयाल्लेपतो वापि नात्र कार्या विचारणा

Transliteration

puṣye lajjālukāmūle hastabaddhe tu pannagān / gṛhṇīyāllepato vāpi nātra kāryā vicāraṇā

Translation

Quand vient le nakṣatra Puṣya, qu’on saisisse les serpents au moyen de la racine de la lajjālukā, soit la main liée (protégée), soit même par un onguent ou une pâte ; ici, point n’est besoin de plus de réflexion.

Word by Word

• पुष्ये: in Puṣya (time)
• पुष्ये: Kala-adhikarana (Time/कालाधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पुष्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी, एकवचन; नक्षत्र-नाम

• लज्जालुका-मूले: in/with the root of lajjālukā (sensitive plant)
• लज्जालुका-मूले: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: लज्जालुका (प्रातिपदिक) + मूल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/Locative), एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष (लज्जालुकायाः मूलम्)

• हस्त-बद्धे: when bound on the hand
• हस्त-बद्धे: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: हस्त (प्रातिपदिक) + बद्ध (कृदन्त; √बन्ध्)
• Form: पुं/नपुंसक, सप्तमी (7th/Locative), एकवचन; तत्पुरुष (हस्ते बद्धः)

• तु: indeed/but
• तु: Sambandha (Particle/निपात)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तु (अव्यय)
• Form: अवधारण/विरोध-अव्यय (particle: but/indeed)

• पन्नगान्: snakes
• पन्नगान्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पन्नग (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), बहुवचन

• गृह्णीयात्: should seize/catch
• गृह्णीयात्: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: ग्रह् (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (Optative), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• लेपतः: by (its) application/paste
• लेपतः: Hetu (Cause/हेतु)
• Type: Noun
• Root: लेप (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, पञ्चमी (5th/Ablative), एकवचन; हेत्वर्थे (by means of/from application)

• वा: or
• वा: Sambandha (Alternative/विकल्प)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: वा (अव्यय)
• Form: विकल्प-अव्यय (disjunctive particle)

• अपि: also/even
• अपि: Sambandha (Particle/निपात)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अपि (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चय/अपेक्षा-अव्यय (particle: also/even)

• न: not
• न: Pratishedha (Negation/निषेध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: न (अव्यय)
• Form: निषेध-अव्यय

• अत्र: here/in this matter
• अत्र: Desha-adhikarana (Place/देशाधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अत्र (अव्यय)
• Form: देशवाचक-अव्यय (adverb)

• कार्या: to be done/necessary
• कार्या: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: कार्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; विधेय-विशेषण (predicate adjective)

• विचारणा: consideration/deliberation
• विचारणा: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: विचारणा (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

Speaker

Lord Vishnu (in instruction to Garuda)

Philosophical Teaching

Concept: Śāstra-authorized techniques can grant control over dangerous beings; decisiveness in protective action.

Vedantic Theme: Pragmatic application of vidyā within saṃsāra; mastery through prescribed means rather than panic.

Application: On Puṣya, use lajjālukā root with protective binding of the hand or apply a paste to seize/handle serpents safely (as the text claims).

Verse Rasa

Primary Rasa: vira

Secondary Rasa: adbhuta

Geographic Context

Type: field/house-perimeter where plants grow

Cross References

Related Themes: Garuda Purana 1.191: escalating anti-sarpa measures; emphasis on Puṣya

Characters & Entities

• Vishnu
• Garuda
• Puṣya Nakshatra
• Serpents (Nāgas)

FAQs

What is the importance of Puṣya nakshatra in this Garuda Purana verse?

The verse treats Puṣya as an auspicious/efficacious time-marker, indicating that certain actions (here, dealing with serpents using protection or a paste) are considered especially effective when Puṣya is prevailing.

How does this verse fit the Garuda–Vishnu dialogue style of the Garuda Purana?

It reads as a prescriptive instruction (vidhi) given by Vishnu to Garuda, typical of Achara-focused sections where specific timings, methods, and prohibitions are stated succinctly.

Practical application of this wisdom today?

As a general takeaway, it emphasizes acting with proper protection and method rather than recklessness; in modern terms, handle dangers (like snakes) with safety measures and expert technique, and treat astrological/ritual prescriptions as tradition-specific guidance.