Shloka 3

The Examination of Pearls and Padmarāga (Ruby): Origins, Marks, Defects, and Valuation

Devanagari script

तत्सिंहलीचारुनितम्बबिम्बविक्षो भितागाधमहाह्रदायाम् / पूगद्रुमाबद्धतटद्वयायां मुमोच सूर्यः सरिदुत्तमायाम्

Transliteration

tatsiṃhalīcārunitambabimbavikṣo bhitāgādhamahāhradāyām / pūgadrumābaddhataṭadvayāyāṃ mumoca sūryaḥ sariduttamāyām

Translation

Di sana, pada sungai yang utama itu—kolam-kolamnya yang luas dan tak terduga dalamnya bergelora oleh pinggul bulat nan elok para gadis Sinhalī, dan kedua tebingnya terikat oleh pohon pinang—Surya melepaskan sinarnya lalu meneruskan perjalanan.

Word by Word

• tat-siṃhalī-cāru-nitamba-bimba-vikṣobhita-agādha-mahā-hradāyām: in the (river) whose deep great lake was stirred by the lovely Siṃhalī woman's hip-orb
• tat-siṃhalī-cāru-nitamba-bimba-vikṣobhita-agādha-mahā-hradāyām: Adhikaraṇa (Locative: where)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक) + siṃhalī (प्रातिपदिक) + cāru (प्रातिपदिक) + nitamba (प्रातिपदिक) + bimba (प्रातिपदिक) + vikṣobha (प्रातिपदिक) + bhita/bhita? (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक; here vikṣobhita) + agādha (प्रातिपदिक) + mahā (प्रातिपदिक) + hrada (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th), एकवचन; बहुव्रीहि-समास (यस्यां ... सः/सा) used as locative of a river/lake: 'in (the river) which has a deep great lake agitated by the (hip-)orb of that beautiful Siṃhalī woman'

• pūga-drumābaddha-taṭa-dvayāyām: in (the river) whose two banks were lined with areca trees
• pūga-drumābaddha-taṭa-dvayāyām: Adhikaraṇa (Locative; further qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: pūga (प्रातिपदिक) + druma (प्रातिपदिक) + ābaddha (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक) + taṭa (प्रातिपदिक) + dvaya (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th), एकवचन; बहुव्रीहि: 'in (that) which has both banks fastened/bound with areca-palms'

• mumoca: released; let go
• mumoca: Kriyā (Main verb)
• Type: Verb
• Root: muc (धातु)
• Form: लिट् (Perfect), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• sūryaḥ: the Sun
• sūryaḥ: Karta (Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: sūrya (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन

• sarid-uttamāyām: in the excellent river
• sarid-uttamāyām: Adhikaraṇa (Locative)
• Type: Noun
• Root: sarid (प्रातिपदिक) + uttamā (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th), एकवचन; कर्मधारय (best river)

Speaker

Lord Viṣṇu (narrating to Garuḍa/Vinatā-putra in the Garuḍa Purāṇa dialogue frame)

Philosophical Teaching

Concept: Contact with divine agency (Sūrya) transforms a place into a merit-yielding tīrtha; sacredness accrues through mythic causality and remembrance.

Vedantic Theme: Saguṇa-divinity as a conduit for sanctifying space; nāma-rūpa becomes spiritually efficacious through sambandha (connection).

Application: Treat rivers and ecosystems as sacred trusts; ritual remembrance should translate into protection and cleanliness of waterways.

Verse Rasa

Primary Rasa: shringara

Secondary Rasa: adbhuta

Geographic Context

Type: river / tīrtha-in-the-making

Cross References

Related Themes: Garuda Purana 1.70.4 (river’s later name and fame)

Characters & Entities

• Sūrya (Sun)

FAQs

What is the importance of sacred rivers in the Garuda Purana?

This verse exemplifies how the Purāṇa elevates certain rivers as “supreme,” describing their natural beauty and sanctity to inspire tīrtha-yātrā (pilgrimage) and purification-oriented dharma.

How does this verse explain the path of the soul?

It does not directly describe the soul’s post-death journey; instead, it belongs to the sacred-geography/merit context of Kanda 1, where holy places and rivers are praised as supports for righteous living and purification.

Practical application of this wisdom today?

Treat rivers and water-bodies as sacred—practice cleanliness, restraint, and pilgrimage/ritual bathing with humility, using the setting to cultivate dharma rather than mere sightseeing.