Shloka 1

Kāsa-bheda: The Fivefold Classification of Cough and Its Clinical Signs

Devanagari script

नामाष्टचत्वारिंशदुत्तरशततमो ऽध्यायः धन्वन्तरिरुवाच / आशुकारी यतः कासः स एवातः प्रवक्ष्यते / पञ्च कासाः स्मृता वातपित्तश्लेष्मक्षतक्षयैः

Transliteration

nāmāṣṭacatvāriṃśaduttaraśatatamo 'dhyāyaḥ dhanvantariruvāca / āśukārī yataḥ kāsaḥ sa evātaḥ pravakṣyate / pañca kāsāḥ smṛtā vātapittaśleṣmakṣatakṣayaiḥ

Translation

第百四十九章が始まる。ダンヴァンタリは言った。「咳は速やかに起こり、たちまち重くなり得るゆえ、今これを説く。咳は五種と記される—ヴァータ、ピッタ、シュレーシュマン（カパ）、損傷（クシャタ）、消耗（クシャヤ）より生ずる。」

Word by Word

• नाम: (entitled) name
• नाम: Sambandha (Heading/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नामन्/नाम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्गे, प्रथमा/द्वितीया-विभक्ति (1st/2nd), एकवचन; शीर्षक-प्रयोगे अव्ययीभाववत्

• अष्टचत्वारिंशदुत्तरशततमः: one-hundred-forty-eighth
• अष्टचत्वारिंशदुत्तरशततमः: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अष्ट + चत्वारिंशत् + उत्तर + शत + तम (प्रातिपदिक-समूह)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (1st/प्रथमा), एकवचन; संख्यावाचक-तत्पुरुष/समाहार (148th)

• अध्यायः: chapter
• अध्यायः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अध्याय (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (1st/प्रथमा), एकवचन

• धन्वन्तरिः: Dhanvantari
• धन्वन्तरिः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: धन्वन्तरि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (1st/प्रथमा), एकवचन; व्यक्तिनाम

• उवाच: said/spoke
• उवाच: Kriya (Verb/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: वच् (धातु)
• Form: लिट्-लकार (Perfect), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• आशुकारी: quick-acting/rapid
• आशुकारी: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: आशु + कारिन् (कृ धातु + णिनि/इन्-प्रत्यय; प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (1st/प्रथमा), एकवचन; कर्मधारय/तत्पुरुषार्थे (आशुं करोति इति)

• यतः: because/since
• यतः: Hetu (Cause/हेतु)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: यतः (अव्यय)
• Form: हेतुवाचक अव्यय (causal adverb: 'because/since')

• कासः: cough
• कासः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कास (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (1st/प्रथमा), एकवचन

• सः: that (one)
• सः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (1st/प्रथमा), एकवचन; सर्वनाम

• एव: indeed/only
• एव: Sambandha (Emphasis/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एव (अव्यय)
• Form: अवधारणार्थक निपात (emphatic particle)

• अतः: therefore
• अतः: Hetu/Apadana (Reason/Source)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अतः (अव्यय)
• Form: तस्मात्-अर्थे अव्यय (inferential/ablatival adverb: 'therefore/from this')

• प्रवक्ष्यते: will be explained/told
• प्रवक्ष्यते: Kriya (Verb/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: वच् (धातु)
• Form: लृट्-लकार (Simple Future), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन; आत्मनेपद, कर्मणि प्रयोग (passive)

• पञ्च: five
• पञ्च: Visheshana (Numeral qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: पञ्चन् (संख्या-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: संख्यावाचक (numeral), अव्ययवत्/विशेषणरूपे; (पुंलिङ्ग-प्रथमा बहुवचनार्थे)

• कासाः: coughs (types)
• कासाः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कास (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (1st/प्रथमा), बहुवचन

• स्मृताः: are remembered/are stated
• स्मृताः: Vidhaya (Predicate/विधेय)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: स्मृत (स्मृ धातु, क्त-प्रत्यय; प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (1st/प्रथमा), बहुवचन; क्त-प्रत्ययान्त (PPP)

• वातपित्तश्लेष्मक्षतक्षयैः: by (due to) vāta, pitta, śleṣman, injury, and wasting
• वातपित्तश्लेष्मक्षतक्षयैः: Karana/Hetu (Instrument/Cause/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वात + पित्त + श्लेष्मन् + क्षत + क्षय (प्रातिपदिकानि)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे, तृतीया-विभक्ति (3rd/तृतीया), बहुवचन; इतरेतर-द्वन्द्व (वातश्च पित्तं च श्लेष्मा च क्षतं च क्षयश्च)

Speaker

Dhanvantari

Medical Ayurveda

Dosha: Mixed

Philosophical Teaching

Concept: Right knowledge begins with classification: kāsa is swift-acting and is of five etiological kinds—vāta, pitta, śleṣman, kṣata, kṣaya.

Vedantic Theme: Pramāṇa-guided discernment (viveka) in the empirical domain; ordering experience reduces confusion and supports right action.

Application: When evaluating cough, first determine the dominant cause (doṣaja vs injury vs consumption) to guide appropriate treatment and prognosis.

Verse Rasa

Primary Rasa: shanta

Secondary Rasa: adbhuta

Cross References

Related Themes: Garuda Purana 1.149 (kāsa-nidāna and lakṣaṇa sequence); Garuda Purana 1.148 (preceding śodhana/doṣa discussion)

Characters & Entities

• Dhanvantari
• Vata
• Pitta
• Shleshman (Kapha)

FAQs

What is the importance of cough classification (kāsa-bheda) in the Garuda Purana?

This verse introduces a diagnostic framework: cough is divided into five etiological types—vāta, pitta, kapha (śleṣman), injury (kṣata), and wasting/consumption (kṣaya)—so treatment can be matched to the cause.

How does this verse explain the path of the soul?

It does not discuss the soul’s journey here; this section shifts to Dhanvantari’s Ayurvedic instruction, focusing on bodily disease classification rather than afterlife doctrine.

Practical application of this wisdom today?

Use the principle of cause-based diagnosis: persistent cough should be assessed by underlying pattern (dry/windy, hot/inflammatory, phlegmatic, injury-related, or wasting) and evaluated promptly because it can become severe quickly.