Shloka 42

Oṣadhi-nāma-nirdeśa: Paryāya (Synonyms) of Herbs, Minerals, and Classical Measures

Devanagari script

कृष्णार्जकः करालश्च कालमानः प्रकीर्तितः / प्राची बला नदीक्रान्ता काकजङ्घाथ वायसी

Transliteration

kṛṣṇārjakaḥ karālaśca kālamānaḥ prakīrtitaḥ / prācī balā nadīkrāntā kākajaṅghātha vāyasī

Translation

മാർഗ്ഗം/കാലത്തിന്റെ ഒരു ഘട്ടം ‘കൃഷ്ണാർജക’ എന്നും ‘കരാള’ എന്നും പ്രസ്താവിക്കപ്പെടുന്നു; അത് ‘കാലമാന’ എന്ന പേരിലും പ്രസിദ്ധമാണ്. തുടർന്ന് ‘പ്രാചീ’, ‘ബലാ’, ‘നദീക്രാന്താ’, ‘കാകജങ്ഘാ’, ‘വായസീ’ എന്നീ ഘട്ടങ്ങൾ വരുന്നു.

Word by Word

• कृष्णार्जकः: (the plant) ‘kṛṣṇārjaka’
• कृष्णार्जकः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कृष्ण + अर्जक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; समासः—कर्मधारय (कृष्णः अर्जकः)

• करालः: ‘karāla’ (name/epithet)
• करालः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कराल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयबोधक-अव्यय (conjunction ‘and’)

• कालमानः: ‘kālamāna’ (name/epithet)
• कालमानः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कालमान (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन

• प्रकीर्तितः: is proclaimed/mentioned
• प्रकीर्तितः: Karma (Predicate complement/कर्म)
• Type: Verb
• Root: प्र + कीर्त् (धातु) → प्रकीर्तित (कृदन्त)
• Form: भूतकर्मणि कृदन्त (past passive participle); पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; ‘is proclaimed/mentioned’

• प्राची: ‘prācī’ (name)
• प्राची: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: प्राची (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन

• बला: ‘balā’ (name)
• बला: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: बला (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन

• नदीक्रान्ता: river-crossing/overrunning
• नदीक्रान्ता: Visheshana (Adjective/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: नदी + क्रान्त (कृदन्त/प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; समासः—तत्पुरुष (नदीं क्रान्ता = ‘river-crossing/overrunning’)

• काकजङ्घा: ‘kākajaṅghā’ (crow-leg; plant name)
• काकजङ्घा: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: काक + जङ्घा (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; समासः—तत्पुरुष (काकस्य जङ्घा)

• अथ: then/now
• अथ: Sambandha (Discourse marker/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अथ (अव्यय)
• Form: अनन्तरार्थक-अव्यय (particle: ‘then/now’)

• वायसी: ‘vāyasī’ (crow-like; plant name)
• वायसी: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वायसी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन

Speaker

Lord Vishnu (speaking to Garuda/Vinata-putra)

Philosophical Teaching

Concept: Correct naming and recognition of stages/segments is itself a form of śāstric knowledge needed to navigate prescribed systems (routes, times, ritual maps).

Vedantic Theme: Nāma-rūpa as conventional designation; disciplined knowledge (vidyā) as prerequisite for right action.

Application: Use the standardized nomenclature when reciting/teaching the itinerary or when consulting the text for sequence/order; avoid confusion of segments.

Verse Rasa

Primary Rasa: adbhuta

Secondary Rasa: bhayanaka

Geographic Context

Type: route-segments/toponyms (technical list)

Cross References

Related Themes: Garuda Purana 1.204 (surrounding verses listing names/synonyms in sequence)

Characters & Entities

• Vishnu
• Garuda

FAQs

What is the importance of these named stages (Kṛṣṇārjaka, Karāla, etc.) in the Garuda Purana?

They function as technical labels for successive segments or regions in the post-death route, helping map the Purāṇic description of how the departed being traverses the after-death path.

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

Rather than giving moral instruction here, the verse enumerates specific waypoints of the journey—implying an ordered progression through distinct passages (including a river-crossing stage, Nadīkrāntā).

Practical application of this wisdom today?

Use it as a reminder to perform death-related rites with care (e.g., śrāddha and piṇḍa offerings where prescribed), since the text frames the after-death journey as structured and consequential.