Shloka 85

Purusha-Strī-Lakṣaṇa (Samudrika-śāstra): Marks of Kingship, Wealth, Longevity, and Conduct

Devanagari script

निः स्वाश्चैवातिकुचिलैर्घनैरसित (धिक) मूर्धजैः / यद्यद्गात्रं महारूक्षं शिरालं मांसवर्जितम्

Transliteration

niḥ svāścaivātikucilairghanairasita (dhika) mūrdhajaiḥ / yadyadgātraṃ mahārūkṣaṃ śirālaṃ māṃsavarjitam

Translation

അവർ ശ്വാസരഹിതരായി, തലയിൽ അതിയായി കുഴഞ്ഞുകെട്ടിയ, ഘനമായ, കറുത്ത (മലിന) മുടിയാൽ മൂടപ്പെട്ടിരിക്കും; അവരുടെ ഏത് അവയവവും അത്യന്തം രൂക്ഷവും ശിരകൾ തെളിഞ്ഞതും മാംസരഹിതവുമാകും।

Word by Word

• निः: without / devoid
• निः: Sambandha (Qualifier)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: निः (अव्यय/उपसर्ग)
• Form: उपसर्ग/अव्ययम् (prefix/particle; here as qualifier ‘without/away’)

• स्वाः: own / natural
• स्वाः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: स्व (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा) बहुवचनम्; विशेषणम् (nominative plural, masc.)

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

• एव: indeed
• एव: Sambandha (Emphasis)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एव (अव्यय)
• Form: अवधारणार्थक-अव्ययम् (emphatic particle)

• अतिकुचिलैः: with very curly (hair)
• अतिकुचिलैः: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अति + कुचिल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे तृतीया (3rd/करण) बहुवचनम्; विशेषणम् (instrumental plural, masc.)

• घनैः: with thick/dense (hair)
• घनैः: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: घन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे तृतीया (3rd/करण) बहुवचनम्; विशेषणम् (instrumental plural, masc.)

• असित: black
• असित: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: असित (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे तृतीया (3rd/करण) बहुवचनार्थे विशेषणम्; पाठभेद-सूचक (black; reading uncertain with ‘धिक’)

• मूर्धजैः: with head-hair
• मूर्धजैः: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मूर्धज (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे तृतीया (3rd/करण) बहुवचनम् (instrumental plural, masc.)

• यत्: whatever
• यत्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्गे प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1st/2nd) एकवचनम्; यद्यद्-प्रयोगे पुनरुक्ति (relative pronoun: ‘whatever’)

• यत्: whatever
• यत्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्गे प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1st/2nd) एकवचनम्; पुनरुक्ति (relative: ‘whatever’)

• गात्रम्: limb/body-part
• गात्रम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: गात्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्गे प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1st/2nd) एकवचनम् (nom./acc. sg., neut.)

• महारूक्षम्: very rough
• महारूक्षम्: Visheshana (Qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: महा + रूक्ष (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्गे प्रथमा/द्वितीया एकवचनम्; विशेषणम् (nom./acc. sg., neut.)

• शिरालम्: veiny
• शिरालम्: Visheshana (Qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: शिराल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्गे प्रथमा/द्वितीया एकवचनम्; विशेषणम् (veiny; nom./acc. sg., neut.)

• मांसवर्जितम्: devoid of flesh
• मांसवर्जितम्: Visheshana (Qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: मांस + वर्जित (कृदन्त; √वृज्/वर्ज् त्यागे)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्गे प्रथमा/द्वितीया एकवचनम्; भूतकर्मणि कृदन्त (past passive participle: ‘devoid of flesh’)

Speaker

Lord Vishnu (speaking to Garuda/Vinata-putra)

Pretakalpa Layer

Afterlife Stage: Pretayoni

Philosophical Teaching

Concept: Sin and neglect of dharma lead to painful, degraded conditions after death; the body becomes a vehicle of karmic retribution.

Vedantic Theme: Karma-phala and saṃsāra’s terror; dispassion (vairāgya) through contemplation of suffering.

Application: Use the imagery as a moral check: avoid harmful actions, cultivate restraint and charity, and perform prescribed rites for the departed to mitigate distress.

Verse Rasa

Primary Rasa: bibhatsa

Secondary Rasa: bhayanaka

Geographic Context

Type: liminal route / afterlife landscape

Cross References

Related Themes: Garuda Purana Pretakalpa: repeated descriptions of preta suffering—hunger, thirst, deformity, foulness—during Yama’s journey and in narakas

Characters & Entities

• Garuda
• Pretas

FAQs

What is the importance of describing the preta’s form in the Garuda Purana?

This verse emphasizes the harsh, diminished condition of the preta, reinforcing the Purana’s teaching that one’s post-death experience reflects karma and neglect of dharma.

How does this verse explain the path of the soul after death?

It portrays an intermediate, suffering state where the being is physically degraded (rough, vein-prominent, fleshless), indicating the consequences that can manifest before onward judgment and transition.

Practical application of this wisdom today?

Live ethically and responsibly, and—where tradition is followed—ensure proper death rites and charitable acts, as the text frames such conduct as reducing post-death hardship.