Shloka 48

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

Devanagari script

शङ्खिनी सुकुमारी च तिक्ताक्षी चाक्षिपीलुकम् / गवाक्षी चामृता श्वेता गिरिकर्णो गवादिनी

Transliteration

śaṅkhinī sukumārī ca tiktākṣī cākṣipīlukam / gavākṣī cāmṛtā śvetā girikarṇo gavādinī

Translation

ശംഖിനീ, സുകുമാരീ, തിക്താക്ഷീ, ആക്ഷിപീലുകം, ഗവാക്ഷീ, അമൃതാ, ശ്വേതാ, ഗിരികർണാ, ഗവാദിനീ—ഇവയാണ് ഇവിടെ പറഞ്ഞിരിക്കുന്ന നാമങ്ങൾ।

Word by Word

• शङ्खिनी: Śaṅkhinī (plant-name)
• शङ्खिनी: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: शङ्खिनी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• सुकुमारी: Sukumārī (plant-name)
• सुकुमारी: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: सु (उपसर्ग/अव्यय) + कुमारी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; कर्मधारय (very tender/beautiful maiden-like)

• च: and
• च: Sambandha
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयबोधक अव्यय

• तिक्ताक्षी: Tiktākṣī (plant-name)
• तिक्ताक्षी: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: तिक्त (प्रातिपदिक) + अक्षी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; कर्मधारय (bitter-eyed/with bitter 'eyes')

• च: and
• च: Sambandha
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयबोधक अव्यय

• अक्षिपीलुकम्: Akṣipīlukam (plant-name)
• अक्षिपीलुकम्: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: अक्षि (प्रातिपदिक) + पीलुक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष (pīluka of/for the eye)

• गवाक्षी: Gavākṣī (plant-name)
• गवाक्षी: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: गव (प्रातिपदिक) + अक्षी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष (cow-eyed)

• च: and
• च: Sambandha
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयबोधक अव्यय

• अमृता: Amṛtā (plant-name)
• अमृता: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: अमृता (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• श्वेता: white
• श्वेता: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: श्वेत (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; विशेषण

• गिरिकर्णः: Girikarna (plant-name)
• गिरिकर्णः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: गिरि (प्रातिपदिक) + कर्ण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष (mountain-eared)

• गवादिनी: Gavādinī (plant-name)
• गवादिनी: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: गव (प्रातिपदिक) + आदिनी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; तत्पुरुष (cow-eating/associated with cows)

Speaker

Lord Vishnu (speaking to Garuda/Vinatā-putra, in the Garuda Purana dialogue frame)

Philosophical Teaching

Concept: Śāstric memory (smṛti) preserves practical knowledge through stable synonymy and careful recitation.

Vedantic Theme: Śabda-pramāṇa in vyavahāra: reliable words enable reliable action.

Application: Learn these paryāya-nāmas to interpret prescriptions and commentaries; cross-check regional names against the canonical list.

Verse Rasa

Primary Rasa: shanta

Cross References

Related Themes: Garuda Purana 1.204 (continuation of auṣadhi/dravya name-lists)

Characters & Entities

• Vishnu
• Garuda

FAQs

What is the importance of such name-lists in the Garuda Purana?

This verse functions as a catalog entry—preserving specific traditional names used in the text’s ritual/afterlife discourse, helping practitioners and commentators identify categories of beings referenced in the surrounding context.

How does this verse explain the path of the soul?

This specific shloka does not narrate the soul’s journey directly; it supplies names that typically belong to a larger explanatory section, where such entities are invoked or described in relation to post-death processes and ritual knowledge.

Practical application of this wisdom today?

Use it for accurate recitation, citation, and cross-referencing when studying Garuda Purana passages on death rites (e.g., śrāddha, piṇḍa-dāna) and related descriptions of post-death beings and realms.