Shloka 4

मुक्ता-उत्पत्ति-भेदाः, मूल्य-मान-निर्णयः, शोधन-परीक्षा-लक्षणानि

Pearl Sources, Valuation, Refinement, and Identification

Devanagari script

या मौक्तिकानामिह जातये ऽष्टौ प्रकीर्तिता रत्नविनिश्चयज्ञैः / कम्बूद्भवं तेष्वधमं प्रदिष्टमुत्पद्यते यच्च गजेन्द्रकुम्भात्

Transliteration

yā mauktikānāmiha jātaye 'ṣṭau prakīrtitā ratnaviniścayajñaiḥ / kambūdbhavaṃ teṣvadhamaṃ pradiṣṭamutpadyate yacca gajendrakumbhāt

Translation

Les experts en discernement des gemmes enseignent qu’en ce monde on dénombre huit sortes de perles. Parmi elles, la plus basse est dite être celle qui naît de la conque (śaṅkha), ainsi que celle produite dans les bosses frontales (tempes) de l’éléphant seigneur.

Word by Word

• या: which (classification)
• या: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; सम्बन्ध-प्रत्यय (relative pronoun)

• मौक्तिकानाम्: of pearls
• मौक्तिकानाम्: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मौक्तिक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th), बहुवचन

• इह: here
• इह: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: इह (अव्यय)
• Form: देशवाचक-अव्यय (here)

• जातये: for (their) kinds/categories
• जातये: Sampradana (Purpose/Recipient/सम्प्रदान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: जाति (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, चतुर्थी (4th), एकवचन; प्रयोजन/सम्प्रदान—'for the kinds/classification'

• अष्टौ: eight
• अष्टौ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अष्टन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: (सर्वलिङ्ग), प्रथमा (1st), बहुवचन; संख्यावाचक

• प्रकीर्तिता: are proclaimed
• प्रकीर्तिता: Karta (Predicate/विधेय)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: प्र + √कीर्त्/√कीर् (धातु) + क्त (कृदन्त)
• Form: भूतकर्मणि क्त; स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; 'proclaimed' (agreeing with implied 'जातिः/व्यवस्था')

• रत्नविनिश्चयज्ञैः: by experts in gem-determination
• रत्नविनिश्चयज्ञैः: Karana (Agent-instrument in passive/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: रत्न + विनिश्चय + ज्ञ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd), बहुवचन; तत्पुरुषः—'रत्नविनिश्चये ज्ञाः'

• कम्बूद्भवम्: the conch-born (pearl)
• कम्बूद्भवम्: Karta (Subject/predicate item/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कम्बू + उद्भव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1st/2nd), एकवचन; तत्पुरुषः—'कम्बोः उद्भवम्' (conch-born)

• तेषु: among them
• तेषु: Adhikarana (Among/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सप्तमी (7th), बहुवचन

• अधमम्: the lowest
• अधमम्: Karta (Predicate-adjective/विधेय)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अधम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1st/2nd), एकवचन; 'lowest'

• प्रदिष्टम्: is declared
• प्रदिष्टम्: Karta (Predicate/विधेय)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: प्र + √दिश् (धातु) + क्त (कृदन्त)
• Form: भूतकर्मणि क्त; नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1st/2nd), एकवचन; 'declared/assigned'

• उत्पद्यते: arises/is produced
• उत्पद्यते: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: उत् + √पद्/√पद् (धातु) (उत्पद्यते from √पद् with ut-; standard: ut+√pad 'to arise')
• Form: लट् (वर्तमान), आत्मनेपद, प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन

• यत्: which
• यत्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1st/2nd), एकवचन; सम्बन्ध-प्रत्यय

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

• गजेन्द्रकुम्भात्: from the elephant’s temples (frontal globes)
• गजेन्द्रकुम्भात्: Apadana (Source/अपादान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: गजेन्द्र + कुम्भ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, पञ्चमी (5th), एकवचन; तत्पुरुषः—'गजेन्द्रस्य कुम्भः' (elephant’s frontal globes/temples)

Speaker

Lord Vishnu (speaking to Garuda/Vinata-putra)

Philosophical Teaching

Concept: Taxonomy and hierarchy: eight pearl kinds are known; conch-born and elephant-temple (kumbha) born are deemed lowest.

Vedantic Theme: Discriminative knowledge (viveka) within worldly arts; gradation (tāratamya) is part of empirical assessment.

Application: Establish grading standards; communicate quality tiers transparently; match material grade to purpose (everyday vs. ceremonial vs. royal).

Verse Rasa

Primary Rasa: shanta

Secondary Rasa: adbhuta

Geographic Context

Type: marine source and terrestrial animal source

Cross References

Related Themes: Garuda Purana 1.69 (eightfold pearl classification; quality ranking)

Characters & Entities

• Lord Vishnu
• Garuda
• ratna-viniścaya-jñāḥ (gem-experts)
• kambu (conch)
• gajendra (great elephant)

FAQs

What is the importance of pearl classification in the Garuda Purana?

This verse shows the Purana’s ratna-śāstra strand: pearls are categorized by origin, and their relative quality is assessed for traditional valuation and auspicious use.

How does this verse explain the path of the soul?

It does not describe the soul’s journey; it belongs to a material-knowledge section (ratna/gem evaluation) rather than the preta/afterlife narrative.

Practical application of this wisdom today?

Use it as a traditional reference for understanding how classical texts ranked pearls by provenance, and apply discernment when claims are made about rarity, origin, or ritual suitability.