Shloka 31

Devanagari script

अन्यत्र वामवाहे तु नाम वै विषमाक्षरम् / तदासौ जयमाप्नोति योधः संग्राममध्यतः

Transliteration

anyatra vāmavāhe tu nāma vai viṣamākṣaram / tadāsau jayamāpnoti yodhaḥ saṃgrāmamadhyataḥ

Translation

എന്നാൽ വാമവാഹത്തിൽ (ഇടത് പ്രവാഹത്തിൽ) നാമം വിഷമാക്ഷരമായാൽ, ആ യോദ്ധാവ് യുദ്ധത്തിന്റെ നടുവിൽ തന്നേ ജയമടയും.

Word by Word

• अन्यत्र: elsewhere; otherwise
• अन्यत्र: Adhikarana (Adverbial-locative/देशाधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अन्यत्र (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; अव्यय-प्रकारः: देशवाचक-अव्यय (adverb of place)

• वामवाहे: in the left flow/channel
• वामवाहे: Adhikarana (Locative/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वाम + वाह (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग/नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/Locative), एकवचन

• तु: but; however
• तु: Sambandha (Discourse particle/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तु (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; अव्यय-प्रकारः: निपात (particle)

• नाम: indeed; namely
• नाम: Sambandha (Particle/निपात)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: नाम (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; अव्यय-प्रकारः: निपात (emphatic/quotative particle)

• वै: certainly
• वै: Sambandha (Particle/निपात)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: वै (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; अव्यय-प्रकारः: निपात (emphasis)

• विषमाक्षरम्: irregular syllable/letter
• विषमाक्षरम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: विषम + अक्षर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1st/2nd Nom/Acc), एकवचन

• तदा: then
• तदा: Kala-adhikarana (Temporal/कालाधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तदा (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; कालवाचक-अव्यय (adverb of time)

• असौ: he; that person
• असौ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: असद्/अदस् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; सर्वनाम

• जयम्: victory
• जयम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: जय (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन

• आप्नोति: attains
• आप्नोति: Kriya (Verb/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: आप् (धातु)
• Form: लट् (Present), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• योधः: the warrior
• योधः: Karta (Apposition/कर्ता-समानााधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: योध (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन

• संग्राममध्यतः: from the midst of battle
• संग्राममध्यतः: Apadana (Ablatival sense/अपादान)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: संग्राम + मध्य + तस् (प्रातिपदिक + तद्धित-अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; तद्धितान्त (तस्) = ‘from/within’; स्थानवाचक

Speaker

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

Philosophical Teaching

Concept: Nimitta: syllabic parity/oddity linked with leftward flow is taken as a sign of success for the warrior.

Vedantic Theme: Karma and signs: outcomes manifest through observable indicators; skill lies in reading conditions rather than forcing action blindly.

Application: For high-stakes action, check auspicious indicators (breath/left flow and syllabic count) before committing to engagement.

Verse Rasa

Primary Rasa: vira

Secondary Rasa: adbhuta

Geographic Context

Type: battlefield

Cross References

Related Themes: Garuda Purana 1.67 (rules of iḍā/piṅgalā and akṣara-parīkṣā for success/defeat)

Characters & Entities

• Garuda
• Yodha (warrior)

FAQs

What is the importance of odd syllables (viṣamākṣaram) in this Garuda Purana verse?

The verse treats an odd-syllabled name placed on the left side as an auspicious indicator, specifically linked to success and victory in battle.

How does this verse explain the path of the soul?

This particular verse is not about the soul’s post-death journey; it belongs to an omen/mark-reading context where outcomes (like victory) are inferred from auspicious patterns.

Practical application of this wisdom today?

Read it as a traditional indicator of auspiciousness: prioritize clarity, steadiness, and disciplined preparation over superstition, while recognizing that classical texts also preserved cultural systems of signs and confidence-building.