Shloka 57

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

Devanagari script

महाकालः स्मृतो बेलस्तण्डुलीयो घनस्तनः / इक्ष्वाकुस्तिक्ततुम्बी स्यात्तिक्तालबुर्निगद्यते

Transliteration

mahākālaḥ smṛto belastaṇḍulīyo ghanastanaḥ / ikṣvākustiktatumbī syāttiktālaburnigadyate

Translation

‘മഹാകാല’ എന്നു പറയുന്നത് ബിൽവഫലത്തെയാണ്; ‘തണ്ഡുലീയ’ ‘ഘനസ്തനാ’ എന്ന പേരിൽ അറിയപ്പെടുന്നു; ‘ഇക്ഷ്വാകു’ തിക്തതുംബി (പാവയ്ക്ക) എന്നു നിഗദിതം; ‘തിക്താലബു’യും കയ്പുള്ള ചുരയ്ക്ക/കുമ്പളത്തിന്റെ ഒരു ഭേദം എന്നു നിർദ്ദേശിക്കുന്നു।

Word by Word

• महाकालः: Mahākāla (a name)
• महाकालः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: महाकाल (प्रातिपदिक) = महा + काल
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; समासः—कर्मधारय (महान् कालः)

• स्मृतः: is called/remembered as
• स्मृतः: Kriya (Predicate/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: स्मृ (धातु) + क्त (कृदन्त)
• Form: भूतकर्मणि कृदन्त (क्त/PPP), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; कर्मणि प्रयोगे ‘is called/remembered’

• बेलः: bela (name)
• बेलः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: बेल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• तण्डुलीयः: taṇḍulīya (name)
• तण्डुलीयः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तण्डुलीय (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• घनस्तनः: ghanastana (name)
• घनस्तनः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: घनस्तन (प्रातिपदिक) = घन + स्तन
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; समासः—कर्मधारय (घनः स्तनः यस्य/घनस्तनः)

• इक्ष्वाकुः: ikṣvāku (name)
• इक्ष्वाकुः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: इक्ष्वाकु (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• तिक्ततुम्बी: bitter gourd (name: tiktatumbī)
• तिक्ततुम्बी: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तिक्ततुम्बी (प्रातिपदिक) = तिक्त + तुम्बी
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; समासः—कर्मधारय (तिक्ता तुम्बी)

• स्यात्: may be/is (said to be)
• स्यात्: Kriya (Predicate/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: अस् (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (Optative), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• तिक्तालबुः: bitter alabu (name)
• तिक्तालबुः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तिक्तालबु (प्रातिपदिक) = तिक्त + अलबु
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; समासः—कर्मधारय (तिक्तः अलबुः)

• निगद्यते: is declared/said
• निगद्यते: Kriya (Predicate/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: नि + गद् (धातु)
• Form: लट् (Present), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; आत्मनेपद; कर्मणि/भावे प्रयोगः—‘is stated/declared’

Speaker

Lord Vishnu (in instruction to Garuda/Vainateya)

Philosophical Teaching

Concept: Correct identification of substances through synonymy (nāma-bheda) to avoid error in usage.

Vedantic Theme: Pramāṇa and viveka at the practical level—right knowledge precedes right action.

Application: Use these equivalences when reading recipes/ritual-medical instructions so the intended fruit/vegetable is procured (bael; bitter gourds).

Verse Rasa

Primary Rasa: shanta

Cross References

Related Themes: Garuda Purana 1.204 (nighaṇṭu-style synonym lists continuing in adjacent verses)

Characters & Entities

• Vishnu
• Garuda

FAQs

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

This verse preserves traditional synonymy (nighaṇṭu-style) so that herbs and edibles used in rites, diet, and healing are correctly identified across regions and vocabularies.

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

It shows the Purana’s encyclopedic scope: alongside dharma and post-death instruction, it also records practical knowledge—here, the correct names of plants and gourds used in daily and ritual contexts.

Practical application of this wisdom today?

When reading Sanskrit ritual or Ayurvedic instructions, use these synonym mappings to avoid misidentifying ingredients (e.g., recognizing ‘mahākāla’ as bel/bilva and ‘ikṣvāku’ as a bitter gourd-type term).