Shloka 20

Devanagari script

मूर्छा शिरोरुविष्टम्भः श्वयथुः करपादयोः / तन्द्रानिलात्तालुशोषस्तिमिरं कर्णयोः स्वनः

Transliteration

mūrchā śiroruviṣṭambhaḥ śvayathuḥ karapādayoḥ / tandrānilāttāluśoṣastimiraṃ karṇayoḥ svanaḥ

Translation

മൂർഛ, തലയും നെഞ്ചും കെട്ടിപ്പിടിക്കുന്നതു/അവരോധം, കൈകാലുകളിൽ വീക്കം; വാതം വികൃതമായതിനാൽ തന്ദ്ര, താലു വരണ്ടുപോകൽ, കണ്ണിന് മുന്നിൽ ഇരുട്ട്, കാതുകളിൽ മുഴക്കം—ഇവ ലക്ഷണങ്ങൾ.

Word by Word

• मूर्छा: fainting/syncope
• मूर्छा: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मूर्छा (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन

• शिरोरुविष्टम्भः: stiffness/obstruction in head and limbs
• शिरोरुविष्टम्भः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शिरस् + रु + विष्टम्भ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; समासः—समाहार/षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (शिरसि च रुषु च विष्टम्भः)

• श्वयथुः: swelling/edema
• श्वयथुः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: श्वयथु (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन

• करपादयोः: of the hands and feet
• करपादयोः: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कर + पाद (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th/Genitive), द्विवचन; समासः—द्वन्द्वः (करौ च पादौ च)

• तन्द्रा: drowsiness
• तन्द्रा: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तन्द्रा (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन

• अनिलात्: from wind/vāta
• अनिलात्: Apadana (Source/अपादान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अनिल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, पञ्चमी (5th/Ablative), एकवचन

• तालुशोषः: dryness of the palate
• तालुशोषः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तालु + शोष (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; समासः—षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (तालोः शोषः)

• तिमिरम्: darkness/blur (dim vision)
• तिमिरम्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तिमिर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन

• कर्णयोः: of the two ears
• कर्णयोः: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कर्ण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th/Genitive), द्विवचन

• स्वनः: sound/ringing
• स्वनः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: स्वन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन

Speaker

Lord Vishnu (in dialogue, instructing Garuda/Vinatā-putra)

Medical Ayurveda

Dosha: Vata

Philosophical Teaching

Concept: Symptom-clusters reveal underlying doṣa disturbance (here vāta), enabling correct inference and response.

Vedantic Theme: Prakriti-vikriti viveka (discerning normal vs. deranged states) as a form of practical knowledge.

Application: Recognize fainting, head/chest obstruction, peripheral edema, vāta-born drowsiness, dry palate, visual darkness and ear-ringing as a vāta-aggravation pattern; prioritize hydration, warmth, rest, and vaidya-guided vāta-pacifying measures.

Verse Rasa

Primary Rasa: karuna

Secondary Rasa: bhayanaka

Cross References

Related Themes: Garuda Purana 1.157.22 (explicit vāta causation and consequences); Garuda Purana 1.157 (continuing symptomatology of digestive/vāta disorders)

Characters & Entities

• Vāta (Anila)

FAQs

What is the importance of vāta (anila) in this Garuda Purana verse?

The verse attributes multiple distressing symptoms—drowsiness, dryness, sensory disturbances—to an aggravated vāta principle, showing how Garuda Purana links bodily suffering to doṣic imbalance.

How does this verse relate to Garuda Purana’s broader teaching on suffering?

By cataloging concrete symptoms, it frames suffering as observable and diagnosable, supporting the text’s wider emphasis on understanding causes of distress and adopting corrective discipline and care.

Practical application of this wisdom today?

Use the symptom-list as an early warning: if fainting, swelling, dryness, dim vision, or ear-ringing persist, seek timely medical care while also moderating lifestyle factors traditionally associated with vāta aggravation (irregular routine, overexertion, poor rest).