Shloka 93

Jñāna-hetu-nirūpaṇa

On the Causes/Means of Knowledge

Devanagari script

नमुचेस्तुसमौ ज्ञेयौ पाक इल्वल इत्युभौ / तस्माच्चतुर्गुणैर्हीनो वातापिर्दानवाधमः

Transliteration

namucestusamau jñeyau pāka ilvala ityubhau / tasmāccaturguṇairhīno vātāpirdānavādhamaḥ

Translation

പാകനും ഇൽവലനും—ഇരുവരും നമുചിയോടു സമന്മാരെന്ന് അറിയുക. എന്നാൽ അവനേക്കാൾ നാലുഗുണം ഹീനനായ വാതാപി ദാനവന്മാരിൽ അധമൻ.

Word by Word

• नमुचेः: of Namuci
• नमुचेः: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नमुचि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine (पुंलिङ्ग), Genitive (6th/षष्ठी), Singular (एकवचन)

• तु: indeed
• तु: Sambandha/Discourse particle (सम्बन्ध/निपात)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तु (अव्यय)
• Form: Particle (निपात)

• समौ: equal
• समौ: Karta-samānādhikaraṇa (कर्तृ-समानााधिकरण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine (पुंलिङ्ग), Nominative (1st/प्रथमा), Dual (द्विवचन); predicate adjective

• ज्ञेयौ: to be known (as)
• ज्ञेयौ: Vidhi (विधि)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: ज्ञा (धातु) + य (कृत्)
• Form: Gerundive (यत्), Masculine (पुंलिङ्ग), Nominative (1st/प्रथमा), Dual (द्विवचन)

• पाकः: Pāka
• पाकः: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पाक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine (पुंलिङ्ग), Nominative (1st/प्रथमा), Singular (एकवचन)

• इल्वलः: Ilvala
• इल्वलः: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: इल्वल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine (पुंलिङ्ग), Nominative (1st/प्रथमा), Singular (एकवचन)

• इति: thus
• इति: Sambandha/Quotation marker (सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: इति (अव्यय)
• Form: Quotative particle (उद्धरण-निपात)

• उभौ: both
• उभौ: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: उभ (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Pronoun (सर्वनाम), Masculine (पुंलिङ्ग), Nominative (1st/प्रथमा), Dual (द्विवचन)

• तस्मात्: from that
• तस्मात्: Apadana (अपादान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Pronoun, Ablative (5th/पञ्चमी), Singular (एकवचन)

• चतुर्गुणैः: by fourfold (degrees)
• चतुर्गुणैः: Karana (करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: चतुर् + गुण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine (पुंलिङ्ग), Instrumental (3rd/तृतीया), Plural (बहुवचन)

• हीनः: less (by)
• हीनः: Karta-samānādhikaraṇa (कर्तृ-समानााधिकरण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: हीन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine (पुंलिङ्ग), Nominative (1st/प्रथमा), Singular (एकवचन)

• वातापिः: Vātāpi
• वातापिः: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वातापि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine (पुंलिङ्ग), Nominative (1st/प्रथमा), Singular (एकवचन)

• दानव-अधमः: the lowest of the dānavas
• दानव-अधमः: Karta-samānādhikaraṇa (कर्तृ-समानााधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: दानव + अधम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine (पुंलिङ्ग), Nominative (1st/प्रथमा), Singular (एकवचन); “lowest among dānavas”

Speaker

Lord Vishnu (narrating to Garuda/Vinata-putra)

Philosophical Teaching

Concept: Adharma is graded; beings are assessed by relative guṇa/merit and moral standing, with the ‘lowest’ marked for censure.

Vedantic Theme: Guṇa-vaiṣamya and adharmic disposition bind beings to lower states; discernment (viveka) distinguishes noble from ignoble tendencies.

Application: Use comparative self-audit: reduce tamasic/violent impulses, avoid envy and cruelty, and cultivate sattva through restraint and devotion.

Verse Rasa

Primary Rasa: raudra

Secondary Rasa: bibhatsa

Cross References

Related Themes: Garuda Purana (Pretakalpa/Dharmakanda sections that classify beings and consequences by gradation of pāpa/puṇya)

Characters & Entities

• Namuci
• Pāka
• Ilvala
• Vātāpi
• Dānavas

FAQs

What is the importance of naming Dānavas like Namuci, Ilvala, and Vātāpi in the Garuda Purana?

This verse uses a comparative ranking of Dānavas to situate mythic figures within a hierarchy of power/quality, a common Purāṇic method for cataloging beings and their relative status.

How does this verse explain the path of the soul in the Garuda Purana?

It does not directly describe the soul’s journey or after-death rites; instead, it belongs to a mythic-descriptive section that classifies beings (here, Dānavas) by relative standing.

Practical application of this wisdom today?

Treat it as a reminder that actions and qualities create hierarchy and consequence; cultivate virtues rather than “lower” tendencies like cruelty, deceit, and harmful pride.