Shloka 47

Devanagari script

नयते प्राणदो वायुः शरीरे सर्वसन्धिषु / आहारो भुक्तमात्रस्तु वायुना क्रियते द्विधा

Transliteration

nayate prāṇado vāyuḥ śarīre sarvasandhiṣu / āhāro bhuktamātrastu vāyunā kriyate dvidhā

Translation

പ്രാണദായകമായ വായു ശരീരത്തിലെ എല്ലാ സന്ധികളിലൂടെയും സഞ്ചരിക്കുന്നു. ഭുജിച്ചതത്രയായ ആഹാരം വായുവാൽ രണ്ടായി രൂപാന്തരപ്പെടുന്നു.

Word by Word

• नयते: leads/carries
• नयते: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: नी (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार (Present), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• प्राणदः: life-giving
• प्राणदः: Visheshana (Adjectival/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: प्राण (प्रातिपदिक) + द (धातु/प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; तत्पुरुष (giver of life/breath)

• वायुः: vāyu (vital air)
• वायुः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वायु (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• शरीरे: in the body
• शरीरे: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शरीर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/Locative), एकवचन

• सर्वसन्धिषु: in all joints/connecting points
• सर्वसन्धिषु: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सर्व (प्रातिपदिक) + सन्धि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी, बहुवचन; तत्पुरुष (in all joints/points of conjunction)

• आहारः: food/intake
• आहारः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: आहार (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• भुक्तमात्रः: only in the form of what is eaten
• भुक्तमात्रः: Visheshana (Adjectival/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: भुक्त (भुज्-धातु, क्त-कृदन्त) + मात्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; तत्पुरुष (only as eaten; merely consumed)

• तु: but/indeed
• तु: Sambandha (Particle/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तु (अव्यय)
• Form: विरोध/विशेषार्थक-निपात (adversative/emphatic particle)

• वायुना: by the vāyu
• वायुना: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वायु (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/Instrumental), एकवचन

• क्रियते: is made/done
• क्रियते: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: कृ (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार (Present), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; आत्मनेपद; कर्मणि-प्रयोग (passive)

• द्विधा: in two ways
• द्विधा: Sambandha (Adverbial/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: द्विधा (अव्यय)
• Form: परिमाण/प्रकारवाचक-अव्यय (adverb: in two ways)

Speaker

Lord Vishnu (speaking to Garuda/Vinata-putra)

Medical Ayurveda

Dosha: Vata

Philosophical Teaching

Concept: Prāṇa-vāyu pervades the body’s junctions; vāyu transforms eaten food into two divisions (commonly understood as essence vs waste, or nutritive vs excretory fractions).

Vedantic Theme: Functional intelligence of prāṇa within the upādhi; supports viveka by seeing bodily processes as governed mechanisms, not the Self.

Application: Support vāyu through regular movement, breath regulation, and digestive-friendly habits; reflect on assimilation and elimination as natural, reducing attachment and aversion.

Verse Rasa

Primary Rasa: adbhuta

Secondary Rasa: shanta

Geographic Context

Type: body-microcosm

Cross References

Related Themes: Garuda Purana 2.32.46 (food as nourishment)

Characters & Entities

• Vayu

FAQs

What is the importance of vāyu (prāṇa) in Garuda Purana?

This verse highlights vāyu as the life-sustaining force that circulates through the body and enables internal processing, making it central to understanding how life functions and how the subtle principles are discussed in Preta Kanda.

How does this verse connect to the Garuda Purana’s description of the soul’s journey after death?

Preta Kanda often explains bodily and subtle mechanisms to frame what departs at death; by emphasizing vāyu as the mover and life-giver, the text sets up the idea that when prāṇa-vāyu withdraws, bodily functions cease and the jīva proceeds onward.

Practical application of this wisdom today?

Treat food and breath as sacred disciplines: eat moderately and mindfully, and cultivate steady breathing practices (prāṇāyāma within one’s tradition) to support clarity, health, and dharmic living.