Shloka 4

Viṣa-hara Yogas: Puṣya-Nakṣatra Remedies for Serpents, Stings, and Compounded Poisons

Devanagari script

पुष्ये लज्जालुकामूले हस्तबद्धे तु पन्नगान् / गृह्णीयाल्लेपतो वापि नात्र कार्या विचारणा

Transliteration

puṣye lajjālukāmūle hastabaddhe tu pannagān / gṛhṇīyāllepato vāpi nātra kāryā vicāraṇā

Translation

पुष्य नक्षत्री लज्जालुकेच्या मुळाशी, हात बांधून (संरक्षण करून) किंवा लेप लावूनही सर्प पकडावेत; याबाबत अधिक विचार नको.

Word by Word

• पुष्ये: in Puṣya (time)
• पुष्ये: Kala-adhikarana (Time/कालाधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पुष्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी, एकवचन; नक्षत्र-नाम

• लज्जालुका-मूले: in/with the root of lajjālukā (sensitive plant)
• लज्जालुका-मूले: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: लज्जालुका (प्रातिपदिक) + मूल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/Locative), एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष (लज्जालुकायाः मूलम्)

• हस्त-बद्धे: when bound on the hand
• हस्त-बद्धे: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: हस्त (प्रातिपदिक) + बद्ध (कृदन्त; √बन्ध्)
• Form: पुं/नपुंसक, सप्तमी (7th/Locative), एकवचन; तत्पुरुष (हस्ते बद्धः)

• तु: indeed/but
• तु: Sambandha (Particle/निपात)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तु (अव्यय)
• Form: अवधारण/विरोध-अव्यय (particle: but/indeed)

• पन्नगान्: snakes
• पन्नगान्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पन्नग (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), बहुवचन

• गृह्णीयात्: should seize/catch
• गृह्णीयात्: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: ग्रह् (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (Optative), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• लेपतः: by (its) application/paste
• लेपतः: Hetu (Cause/हेतु)
• Type: Noun
• Root: लेप (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, पञ्चमी (5th/Ablative), एकवचन; हेत्वर्थे (by means of/from application)

• वा: or
• वा: Sambandha (Alternative/विकल्प)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: वा (अव्यय)
• Form: विकल्प-अव्यय (disjunctive particle)

• अपि: also/even
• अपि: Sambandha (Particle/निपात)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अपि (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चय/अपेक्षा-अव्यय (particle: also/even)

• न: not
• न: Pratishedha (Negation/निषेध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: न (अव्यय)
• Form: निषेध-अव्यय

• अत्र: here/in this matter
• अत्र: Desha-adhikarana (Place/देशाधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अत्र (अव्यय)
• Form: देशवाचक-अव्यय (adverb)

• कार्या: to be done/necessary
• कार्या: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: कार्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; विधेय-विशेषण (predicate adjective)

• विचारणा: consideration/deliberation
• विचारणा: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: विचारणा (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

Speaker

Lord Vishnu (in instruction to Garuda)

Philosophical Teaching

Concept: Śāstra-authorized techniques can grant control over dangerous beings; decisiveness in protective action.

Vedantic Theme: Pragmatic application of vidyā within saṃsāra; mastery through prescribed means rather than panic.

Application: On Puṣya, use lajjālukā root with protective binding of the hand or apply a paste to seize/handle serpents safely (as the text claims).

Verse Rasa

Primary Rasa: vira

Secondary Rasa: adbhuta

Geographic Context

Type: field/house-perimeter where plants grow

Cross References

Related Themes: Garuda Purana 1.191: escalating anti-sarpa measures; emphasis on Puṣya

Characters & Entities

• Vishnu
• Garuda
• Puṣya Nakshatra
• Serpents (Nāgas)

FAQs

What is the importance of Puṣya nakshatra in this Garuda Purana verse?

The verse treats Puṣya as an auspicious/efficacious time-marker, indicating that certain actions (here, dealing with serpents using protection or a paste) are considered especially effective when Puṣya is prevailing.

How does this verse fit the Garuda–Vishnu dialogue style of the Garuda Purana?

It reads as a prescriptive instruction (vidhi) given by Vishnu to Garuda, typical of Achara-focused sections where specific timings, methods, and prohibitions are stated succinctly.

Practical application of this wisdom today?

As a general takeaway, it emphasizes acting with proper protection and method rather than recklessness; in modern terms, handle dangers (like snakes) with safety measures and expert technique, and treat astrological/ritual prescriptions as tradition-specific guidance.