Shloka 21

Devanagari script

मध्यमो युष्मदि प्रोक्त उत्तमः पुरुषो ऽस्मदि / भूवाद्या धातवः प्रोक्ताः सनाद्यन्तास्तथा ततः

Transliteration

madhyamo yuṣmadi prokta uttamaḥ puruṣo 'smadi / bhūvādyā dhātavaḥ proktāḥ sanādyantāstathā tataḥ

Translation

മധ്യമപുരുഷൻ ‘യുഷ്മദ്’ (ദ്വിതീയപുരുഷ) രൂപങ്ങളിൽ പ്രസ്താവിതൻ; ഉത്തമപുരുഷൻ ‘അസ്മദ്’ (പ്രഥമപുരുഷ) രൂപങ്ങളിൽ പ്രസ്താവിതൻ. അതുപോലെ ‘ഭൂ’ മുതലായ ധാതുക്കൾ ഉപദേശിക്കപ്പെട്ടു; തുടർന്ന് ‘സൻ’ മുതലായ प्रत्यയങ്ങളോടുകൂടിയ രൂപങ്ങളും വിവരണമായി വരുന്നു.

Word by Word

• मध्यमः: the middle (person)
• मध्यमः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मध्यम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative/1st), एकवचन (Singular)

• युष्मदि: in/with reference to ‘you’ (2nd person)
• युष्मदि: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: युष्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सर्वनाम, सप्तमी-विभक्ति (Locative/7th), एकवचन (Singular)

• प्रोक्तः: is said/declared
• प्रोक्तः: Karma (Predicate/कर्म)
• Type: Verb
• Root: प्र+वच् (धातु) → प्रोक्त (कृदन्त, क्त-प्रत्यय)
• Form: भूतकर्मणि कृदन्त (Past passive participle), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• उत्तमः: the best (person)
• उत्तमः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: उत्तम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• पुरुषः: person
• पुरुषः: Apposition (समानााधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पुरुष (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• अस्मदि: in/with reference to ‘I/we’ (1st person)
• अस्मदि: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अस्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सर्वनाम, सप्तमी-विभक्ति (Locative/7th), एकवचन (Singular)

• भूवाद्याः: beginning with ‘bhū’
• भूवाद्याः: Visheshana (Adjective/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: भू + आदि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तत्पुरुष-समास (भू-आदि = beginning with ‘bhū’), स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन; धातवः इति विशेषण

• धातवः: verbal roots
• धातवः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: धातु (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन

• प्रोक्ताः: are said/declared
• प्रोक्ताः: Karma (Predicate/कर्म)
• Type: Verb
• Root: प्र+वच् (धातु) → प्रोक्त (कृदन्त, क्त-प्रत्यय)
• Form: भूतकर्मणि कृदन्त (Past passive participle), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन

• सनाद्यन्ताः: having san etc. (sanādi) as affixes
• सनाद्यन्ताः: Visheshana (Adjective/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सन् + आदि + अन्त (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तत्पुरुष-समास (सन्-आदि-अन्त = having san etc. at the beginning/end), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन; धातवः इति विशेषण

• तथा: thus/also
• तथा: Sambandha (Discourse marker/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तथा (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय, क्रियाविशेषण (adverb)

• ततः: thereafter/from that
• ततः: Sambandha (Sequence/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ततः (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय, क्रियाविशेषण (adverb: ‘thereafter/from that’)

Speaker

Lord Vishnu (in instruction to Garuda)

Philosophical Teaching

Concept: Śabda-śāstra as structured knowledge: persons (madhyama/uttama) and ordered presentation of dhātus and san-ādi affixes.

Vedantic Theme: Śabda as pramāṇa (authoritative means of knowledge) and discipline of buddhi through rule-governed language.

Application: Use correct person-forms (yuṣmad/asmad) and recognize dhātu/affix groupings when parsing or composing Sanskrit.

Verse Rasa

Primary Rasa: shanta

Cross References

Related Themes: Garuda Purana 1.205.22-25 (continuation of lakāra/affix instruction)

Characters & Entities

• Vishnu
• Garuda

FAQs

What is the importance of puruṣa (grammatical person) in this Garuda Purana verse?

This verse uses puruṣa as a technical grammar category, clarifying that yuṣmad corresponds to the middle (second) person and asmad to the highest (first) person, framing how speech and recitation are correctly formed.

How does this verse relate to Garuda Purana’s broader teaching?

Here the Purana briefly shifts into a didactic, technical mode—presenting foundational Sanskrit categories (persons, roots, and san-ādi affixes) that support precise transmission of sacred instruction.

Practical application of this wisdom today?

For accurate mantra/śāstra study, learn basic puruṣa-prayoga (person usage) and recognize common dhātu and san-ādi formations so recitation and interpretation remain grammatically sound.