Shloka 3

Hikkā-nidāna: Causes, Types, and the Grave Yamalā/Veginī Hiccup

Devanagari script

रूक्षतीक्ष्णखराशान्तैरन्नपानैः प्रपीडितः / करोति हिक्रां श्वसनः मन्दशब्दां क्षुधानुगाम्

Transliteration

rūkṣatīkṣṇakharāśāntairannapānaiḥ prapīḍitaḥ / karoti hikrāṃ śvasanaḥ mandaśabdāṃ kṣudhānugām

Translation

രൂക്ഷവും തീക്ഷ്ണവും ഖരവും ആശാന്തികരവുമായ അന്നപാനങ്ങളാൽ പീഡിതനായവൻ കഷ്ടത്തോടെ ശ്വസിച്ച് ഹിക്കാ ഉണ്ടാക്കുന്നു— മന്ദശബ്ദമുള്ളതും ക്ഷുധയെ അനുഗമിക്കുന്നതും.

Word by Word

• रूक्षतीक्ष्णखराशान्तैः: by (things that are) dry, sharp, rough, and unwholesome
• रूक्षतीक्ष्णखराशान्तैः: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: रूक्ष (प्रातिपदिक) + तीक्ष्ण (प्रातिपदिक) + खर (प्रातिपदिक) + अशान्त (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुं/नपुंसक, तृतीया, बहुवचन; समासः—द्वन्द्व (रूक्ष-तीक्ष्ण-खर-अशान्तैः)

• अन्नपानैः: by foods and drinks
• अन्नपानैः: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अन्न (प्रातिपदिक) + पान (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया, बहुवचन; समासः—द्वन्द्व (food and drink)

• प्रपीडितः: afflicted/pressed
• प्रपीडितः: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: प्र + पीड् (धातु) → प्रपीडित (कृदन्त)
• Form: भूतकर्मणि कृदन्त (past passive participle), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• करोति: produces/causes
• करोति: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: कृ (धातु)
• Form: लट् (Present/लट्), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन, परस्मैपद

• हिक्राम्: hiccup
• हिक्राम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: हिक्रा (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन

• श्वसनः: breathing/wind (vāyu)
• श्वसनः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: श्वसन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• मन्दशब्दाम्: having a low/soft sound
• मन्दशब्दाम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: मन्द (प्रातिपदिक) + शब्द (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन; समासः—कर्मधारय (मन्दः शब्दः यस्याः सा)

• क्षुधानुगाम्: accompanied by hunger
• क्षुधानुगाम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: क्षुधा (प्रातिपदिक) + अनुग (गम् धातु-आधारित प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन; समासः—तत्पुरुष (क्षुधाम् अनुगच्छति)

Speaker

Lord Vishnu (speaking to Garuda/Vinata-putra)

Medical Ayurveda

Dosha: Vata

Philosophical Teaching

Concept: Improper intake (annapāna) yields immediate embodied consequences—vāta disturbance leading to hikkā and breathing difficulty.

Vedantic Theme: Karma as cause-effect at the bodily level; the body as a field where choices ripen into experience (bhoga).

Application: Avoid excessively dry, sharp, coarse, and incompatible foods/drinks; address hunger appropriately and maintain soothing diet to prevent vāta-provoked hiccup and dyspnea.

Verse Rasa

Primary Rasa: karuna

Secondary Rasa: bibhatsa

Cross References

Related Themes: Garuda Purana: dietary do’s/don’ts in āyurveda portions; Garuda Purana: vāta-prakopa from rukṣa/tīkṣṇa āhāra

FAQs

What is the importance of hunger-related suffering in the Garuda Purana?

This verse highlights that karmic affliction manifests as intense hunger and bodily distress (hiccups, strained breathing), illustrating how unwholesome choices can translate into post-death suffering.

How does this verse explain the path of the soul after death?

It depicts a condition of the departed being (preta-like state) experiencing discomfort and deprivation, implying that the journey after death includes experiential results of karma, not merely a change of location.

Practical application of this wisdom today?

Cultivate sattvic, non-harmful habits—especially around food and self-control—and support ancestral rites/charity with compassion, as the Purana frames such disciplines as reducing suffering and promoting well-being.