Shloka 55

Devanagari script

वाकुची सोमराजी च सोमवल्लीति कीर्तिता / मार्कवः केशराजश्च भृङ्गराजो निगद्यते

Transliteration

vākucī somarājī ca somavallīti kīrtitā / mārkavaḥ keśarājaśca bhṛṅgarājo nigadyate

Translation

വാകുചീ ‘സോമരാജീ’ എന്നും ‘സോമവല്ലീ’ എന്നും കീർത്തിക്കപ്പെടുന്നു. അതുപോലെ ഭൃംഗരാജനെ ‘മാർകവ’ ‘കേശരാജ’ എന്നും വിളിക്കുന്നു.

Word by Word

• वाकुची: vākucī (plant name)
• वाकुची: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वाकुची (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन

• सोमराजी: somarājī (plant name)
• सोमराजी: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सोम (प्रातिपदिक) + राजी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; तत्पुरुषः (सोमस्य राजी)

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

• सोमवल्ली: somavallī (soma-creeper)
• सोमवल्ली: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सोम (प्रातिपदिक) + वल्ली (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; तत्पुरुषः (सोमस्य वल्ली)

• इति: thus/so called
• इति: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: इति (अव्यय)
• Form: उद्धरण/समाप्तिबोधक-अव्यय (quotative particle)

• कीर्तिता: is proclaimed/known as
• कीर्तिता: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √कीर्त् (धातु) + त (कृत् प्रत्यय)
• Form: कृदन्त (क्त), स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; कर्मणि प्रयोगार्थः (is proclaimed/called)

• मार्कवः: mārkava (plant name)
• मार्कवः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मार्कव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन

• केशराजः: keśarāja (plant name)
• केशराजः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: केश (प्रातिपदिक) + राज (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; तत्पुरुषः (केशानां राजा)

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

• भृङ्गराजः: bhṛṅgarāja (plant name)
• भृङ्गराजः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: भृङ्ग (प्रातिपदिक) + राज (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; तत्पुरुषः (भृङ्गाणां राजा)

• निगद्यते: is stated/declared
• निगद्यते: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: नि√गद् (धातु)
• Form: लट् (Present), आत्मनेपद, प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन; कर्मणि/भावे प्रयोगः (is said/declared)

Speaker

Lord Vishnu (in instruction to Garuda/Vinata-putra)

Philosophical Teaching

Concept: Knowing celebrated names (kīrti/saṃjñā) prevents confusion and preserves lineage knowledge.

Vedantic Theme: Nāma-rūpa pragmatics: multiple names for one dravya; clarity in convention supports right action.

Application: When encountering regional terms (Somarājī, Somavallī, Mārkava, Keśarāja), map them to the correct herb before use.

Verse Rasa

Primary Rasa: shanta

Secondary Rasa: adbhuta

Cross References

Related Themes: Garuda Purana 1.204 (synonyms for vākucī and bhṛṅgarāja)

Characters & Entities

• Garuda
• Vishnu
• Vākucī
• Somarājī
• Somavallī
• Bhṛṅgarāja
• Mārkava
• Keśarāja

FAQs

What is the importance of listing herbal synonyms in the Garuda Purana?

This verse preserves authoritative synonymy, helping practitioners correctly identify medicinal plants across regions and traditions, reducing confusion in ritual and therapeutic use.

How does this verse relate to Garuda Purana teachings beyond afterlife topics?

It shows the Purana’s encyclopedic scope: alongside dharma and preta-related instruction, it also transmits practical knowledge such as traditional materia medica and nomenclature.

Practical application of this wisdom today?

Use these synonyms when cross-referencing Ayurvedic texts or regional names—e.g., Bhṛṅgarāja is also known as Keśarāja—so the intended herb is chosen accurately.