Shloka 1

Indranīla (Blue Sapphire): Source-Myth, Grades, Tests, Substitutes, and Price

Devanagari script

नामैकसप्ततितमो ऽध्यायः सूत उवाच / तत्रैव सिंहलवधूकरपल्लवाग्रव्यालूनबाललवलीकुसुमप्रवाले / देशे पपात दितिजस्य नितान्तकान्तं प्रोत्फुल्लनीरजसमद्युति नेत्रयुग्मम्

Transliteration

nāmaikasaptatitamo 'dhyāyaḥ sūta uvāca / tatraiva siṃhalavadhūkarapallavāgravyālūnabālalavalīkusumapravāle / deśe papāta ditijasya nitāntakāntaṃ protphullanīrajasamadyuti netrayugmam

Translation

સૂત બોલ્યા—ત્યાં જ, સિંહલવધૂના કરપલ્લવ સમ কোমળ પ્રવાળ અને નવ લવલીના પુષ્પોથી શોભિત પ્રદેશમાં, દિતિજના અત્યંત મનોહર નેત્રયુગલ—પૂર્ણ વિકસિત નીલકમળ સમ તેજવાળું—ભૂમિ પર પડી ગયું।

Word by Word

• नाम: namely
• नाम: Sambandha (Discourse marker/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: नाम (अव्यय)
• Form: नामार्थक अव्यय — Indeclinable (as/namely)

• एक-सप्ततितमः: seventy-first
• एक-सप्ततितमः: Karta (Subject qualifier/कर्तृविशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: एक (प्रातिपदिक) + सप्तति (प्रातिपदिक) + तम (प्रत्यय)
• Form: संख्यासमास/तत्पुरुषप्राय; पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन — Ordinal adjective, Masculine, Nominative, Singular; विशेषण of अध्यायः

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

• सूतः: Sūta
• सूतः: Karta (Speaker/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सूत (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन — Masculine, Nominative, Singular

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

• तत्र: there
• तत्र: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तत्र (अव्यय)
• Form: देशवाचक अव्यय — Adverb (there)

• एव: indeed
• एव: Sambandha (Emphasis/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एव (अव्यय)
• Form: अवधारणार्थक अव्यय — Particle (indeed/just)

• सिंहल-वधू-कर-पल्लव-अग्र-व्यालून-बाल-लवली-कुसुम-प्रवाले: in the coral-like (reddish) tender shoots at the tips of the hands of Sinhalese women, plucked by serpents (?) and with young lavalī blossoms
• सिंहल-वधू-कर-पल्लव-अग्र-व्यालून-बाल-लवली-कुसुम-प्रवाले: Adhikarana (Location qualifier/अधिकरणविशेषण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सिंहल (प्रातिपदिक) + वधू (प्रातिपदिक) + कर (प्रातिपदिक) + पल्लव (प्रातिपदिक) + अग्र (प्रातिपदिक) + व्यालून (प्रातिपदिक/कृदन्त-प्राय) + बाल (प्रातिपदिक) + लवली (प्रातिपदिक) + कुसुम (प्रातिपदिक) + प्रवाल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: बहुपद-तत्पुरुषसमास (विशेषणसमूह); नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी, एकवचन — Multi-member Tatpurusha; Neuter, Locative, Singular; विशेषण of देशे (स्थाने)

• देशे: in a place/region
• देशे: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: देश (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी, एकवचन — Masculine, Locative, Singular

• पपात: fell
• पपात: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: पत् (धातु)
• Form: लिट्/लुङ्-प्राय (परस्मैपद), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन — Aorist/perfect-like narrative past, 3rd person, Singular

• दितिजस्य: of the demon (son of Diti)
• दितिजस्य: Sambandha (Possessor/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: दितिज (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी, एकवचन — Masculine, Genitive, Singular

• नितान्त-कान्तम्: exceedingly beautiful
• नितान्त-कान्तम्: Karma (Object qualifier/कर्मविशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: नितान्त (अव्यय/प्रातिपदिक) + कान्त (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: कर्मधारयसमास; नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन — Karmadharaya; Neuter, Accusative, Singular; विशेषण of नेत्रयुग्मम्

• प्रोत्फुल्ल-नीरज-सम-द्युति: having a radiance like a fully-bloomed lotus
• प्रोत्फुल्ल-नीरज-सम-द्युति: Karma (Object qualifier/कर्मविशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: प्रोत्फुल्ल (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक) + नीरज (प्रातिपदिक) + सम (प्रातिपदिक) + द्युति (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तत्पुरुषसमास (समद्युति); अव्ययीभाव/कर्मधारय-प्राय; (समासपदं) विशेषणरूपेण नेत्रयुग्मस्य — Compound adjective qualifying नेत्रयुग्मम्

• नेत्र-युग्मम्: pair of eyes
• नेत्र-युग्मम्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नेत्र (प्रातिपदिक) + युग्म (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तत्पुरुषसमास; नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन — Tatpurusha; Neuter, Nom/Acc, Singular

Speaker

Sūta

Philosophical Teaching

Concept: Impermanence of embodied beauty and power; even the splendid falls—marvels arise and pass in the world of forms.

Vedantic Theme: Anitya (transience) and the distinction between the seen (dṛśya) and the seer (dṛk); fascination with form as a prompt for detachment.

Application: Use encounters with beauty or loss to cultivate perspective: appreciate without clinging; remember the fragility of embodied conditions.

Verse Rasa

Primary Rasa: adbhuta

Secondary Rasa: karuna

Geographic Context

Type: coastal grove/shoreland

Cross References

Related Themes: Garuda Purana 1.72 (narrative transition into a new chapter; poetic description tied to gem/ocean imagery)

Characters & Entities

• Sūta
• Diti (via 'ditija')
• Daitya (ditija)

FAQs

What is the importance of this opening verse in Garuda Purana Adhyaya 72?

It functions as a chapter-opening narrative line by Sūta, setting a vivid scene through poetic imagery and introducing an episode involving a Daitya (ditija).

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

This specific verse does not describe the soul’s journey or afterlife doctrines; it is a descriptive narrative passage focused on an event and its setting.

Practical application of this wisdom today?

Use it as a reminder that Purāṇic teaching often mixes doctrine with storytelling and aesthetics—encouraging careful reading of context before drawing ethical or ritual conclusions.