Shloka 56

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

Devanagari script

प्रोक्तस्त्वेडगजस्तज्ज्ञैश्चक्रमर्दकसंज्ञखः / सुरङ्गीतगरः स्नायुः कलनाशा तु वायसी

Transliteration

proktastveḍagajastajjñaiścakramardakasaṃjñakhaḥ / suraṅgītagaraḥ snāyuḥ kalanāśā tu vāyasī

Translation

തജ്ഞർ ഇതിനെ ‘ഏഡഗജ’ എന്നും ‘ചക്രമർദക’ എന്ന പേരിലും പറയുന്നു. പിന്നെയും—‘സുരംഗീ’ തന്നെയാണ് ‘തഗര’; ‘സ്നായു’യെ ‘ഗര’ എന്നു വിളിക്കുന്നു; ‘കലനാശാ’യെ ‘വായസീ’ എന്നും പറയുന്നു.

Word by Word

• प्रोक्तः: is proclaimed
• प्रोक्तः: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: प्र√वच् (धातु) + त (कृत् प्रत्यय)
• Form: कृदन्त (क्त), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; कर्मणि (said/proclaimed)

• तु: indeed/but
• तु: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तु (अव्यय)
• Form: विरोध/विशेषबोधक-अव्यय (particle: but/indeed)

• एडगजः: eḍagaja (plant name)
• एडगजः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: एड (प्रातिपदिक) + गज (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; तत्पुरुषः (एडस्य गजः)

• तज्ज्ञैः: by the experts/knowers
• तज्ज्ञैः: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक) + ज्ञ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/Instrumental), बहुवचन; तत्पुरुषः (तत् जानन्ति ये = तज्ज्ञाः)

• चक्रमर्दकसंज्ञकः: having the name ‘cakramardaka’
• चक्रमर्दकसंज्ञकः: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: चक्रमर्दक (प्रातिपदिक) + संज्ञक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; तत्पुरुषः (चक्रमर्दक इति संज्ञा यस्य)

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

• तगरः: tagara (valerian; plant)
• तगरः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तगर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन

• स्नायुः: snāyu (sinew; also plant name)
• स्नायुः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: स्नायु (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन

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

• तु: and/but
• तु: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तु (अव्यय)
• Form: विरोध/विशेषबोधक-अव्यय (particle)

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

Speaker

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

Philosophical Teaching

Concept: Deference to expert knowledge and precise terminology in applied sciences.

Vedantic Theme: Śraddhā in śāstra and guru-paramparā for reliable worldly knowledge; supports dharmic action.

Application: Use expert-validated synonym equivalences (eḍagaja/cakramardaka; suraṅgī/tagara; snāyu/gara; kalanāśā/vāyasī) when sourcing and compounding medicines.

Verse Rasa

Primary Rasa: shanta

Cross References

Related Themes: Garuda Purana 1.204 (expert-attributed synonym chains)

Characters & Entities

• Lord Vishnu
• Garuda

FAQs

What is the importance of listing plant-synonyms in the Garuda Purana?

This verse preserves technical synonymy used by experts, helping practitioners correctly identify substances across regional or textual name-variants.

How does this verse explain the path of the soul?

It does not address the soul’s journey; instead, it functions as a specialized glossary-style statement of names, typical of sections dealing with practical or technical knowledge.

Practical application of this wisdom today?

Use it as a cross-reference when matching Sanskrit materia medica names (e.g., Eḍagaja/Cakramardaka; Suraṅgī/Tagara) to avoid confusion in study, cataloging, or traditional practice.