Shloka 22

Marakata (Emerald): Mythic Origin, Anti-Poison Virtue, Qualities, Defects, and Proper Wearing

Devanagari script

कस्यचिदनेकरूपैर्मरकतमनुगच्छतो ऽपि गुणवर्णैः / भल्लातकस्यस्वनात्तु वैषम्यमुपैति वर्णस्य

Transliteration

kasyacidanekarūpairmarakatamanugacchato 'pi guṇavarṇaiḥ / bhallātakasyasvanāttu vaiṣamyamupaiti varṇasya

Translation

ແມ່ນແຕ່ສິ່ງໃດໜຶ່ງຈະຕາມຮອຍມະຣະກະຕະ (ເພັດມະຣະກົດ) ໃນຮູບແບບຫຼາຍຢ່າງ ມີຄຸນນະພາບແລະສີຄ້າຍກັນກໍຕາມ ແຕ່ໂດຍສະພາບແທ້ຂອງຕົນ ບັລລາຕະກະ (ໝາກໝາຍ) ກໍກາຍເປັນສີອື່ນ ເຮັດໃຫ້ສີບໍ່ເທົ່າກັນ.

Word by Word

• कस्यचित्: of some (one)
• कस्यचित्: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कस्यचित् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सर्वनाम, पुंलिङ्ग/नपुंसकलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th/षष्ठी), एकवचन (Singular)

• अनेकरूपैः: with many forms
• अनेकरूपैः: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अनेक-रूप (प्रातिपदिक; अनेक + रूप)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/तृतीया), बहुवचन (Plural); विशेषण

• मरकतम्: emerald
• मरकतम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मरकत (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/द्वितीया), एकवचन (Singular)

• अनुगच्छतः: of (one) following
• अनुगच्छतः: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Verb
• Root: अनु-गम् (धातु)
• Form: वर्तमानकाले शतृ-प्रत्ययान्त कृदन्त (Present active participle), पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th/षष्ठी), एकवचन; ‘अनुगच्छत्’

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

• गुणवर्णैः: by/with the qualities and colors
• गुणवर्णैः: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: गुण-वर्ण (प्रातिपदिक; गुण + वर्ण)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/तृतीया), बहुवचन (Plural)

• भल्लातकस्य: of the marking-nut tree (bhallātaka)
• भल्लातकस्य: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: भल्लातक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th/षष्ठी), एकवचन (Singular)

• स्वनात्: from the sound
• स्वनात्: Apadana (Ablative/अपादान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: स्वन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, पञ्चमी (5th/पञ्चमी), एकवचन (Singular)

• तु: but
• तु: Sambandha (Particle/निपात)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तु (अव्यय)
• Form: निपात (adversative particle)

• वैषम्यम्: unevenness/irregularity
• वैषम्यम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वैषम्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1st/2nd), एकवचन (Singular)

• उपैति: attains/comes to
• उपैति: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: उप-इ (धातु)
• Form: लट् (Present/लट्), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन (Singular), परस्मैपद

• वर्णस्य: of color
• वर्णस्य: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वर्ण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th/षष्ठी), एकवचन (Singular)

Speaker

Lord Viṣṇu (in instruction to Garuḍa / Vinatā-putra)

Philosophical Teaching

Concept: Svabhava (innate nature) prevails over superficial imitation; true qualities cannot be fully borrowed by proximity or mimicry.

Vedantic Theme: Prakriti-svabhava and guna-bheda; discernment between seeming sameness and essential difference (viveka).

Application: Judge character and outcomes by consistent conduct and inner disposition, not by external resemblance, association, or borrowed ‘color’ (status/appearance).

Verse Rasa

Primary Rasa: shanta

Secondary Rasa: adbhuta

Cross References

Related Themes: Garuda Purana (didactic sections on svabhava/gunas and moral discernment around 1.71)

FAQs

What is the importance of svabhāva (innate nature) in the Garuda Purana?

This verse stresses that outer resemblance to goodness (guṇa and varṇa) may not endure unless one’s inner disposition is transformed; svabhāva ultimately shapes the result.

How does this verse explain the path of the soul?

By analogy, it implies that karmic tendencies and inner nature continue to influence one’s trajectory; merely copying righteous behavior without inner purification leads to inconsistent outcomes.

Practical application of this wisdom today?

Cultivate inner character alongside external discipline—combine ethical practice with self-examination and purification, so virtue becomes stable rather than performative.