Shloka 94

Jñāna-hetu-nirūpaṇa

On the Causes/Means of Knowledge

Devanagari script

तस्मात्सार्धगुणैर्हीनो धेनुको नाम दैत्यराट् / धेनुकादर्धगुणतः केशी दैत्यस्तु चावरः

Transliteration

tasmātsārdhaguṇairhīno dhenuko nāma daityarāṭ / dhenukādardhaguṇataḥ keśī daityastu cāvaraḥ

Translation

ਇਸ ਲਈ ‘ਧੇਨੁਕ’ ਨਾਮ ਦਾ ਦੈਤ੍ਯ-ਰਾਜਾ ਸਵਾ-ਇੱਕ (ਡੇਢ) ਗੁਣ ਘੱਟ ਹੈ; ਅਤੇ ਧੇਨੁਕ ਨਾਲੋਂ ‘ਕੇਸ਼ੀ’ ਦੈਤ੍ਯ ਅੱਧ ਗੁਣ ਹੋਰ ਵੀ ਨੀਵਾਂ ਹੈ।

Word by Word

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

• सार्धगुणैः: by one-and-a-half fold (degrees)
• सार्धगुणैः: Karana (करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सार्ध + गुण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine (पुंलिङ्ग), Instrumental (3rd/तृतीया), Plural (बहुवचन); “by (a) half-more measure” (i.e., 1.5-fold)

• हीनः: less (by)
• हीनः: Karta-samānādhikaraṇa (कर्तृ-समानााधिकरण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: हीन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular; with instrumental of measure

• धेनुकः: Dhenuka
• धेनुकः: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: धेनुक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• नाम: by name
• नाम: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: नाम (अव्यय)
• Form: Indeclinable (अव्यय), naming particle

• दैत्य-राट्: king of the daityas
• दैत्य-राट्: Karta-samānādhikaraṇa (कर्तृ-समानााधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: दैत्य + राज्/राट् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular; “king of the daityas”

• धेनुकात्: from Dhenuka
• धेनुकात्: Apadana (अपादान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: धेनुक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Ablative (5th), Singular

• अर्धगुणतः: by half (as a measure)
• अर्धगुणतः: Adhikarana (अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अर्ध + गुण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Adverbial ablative-form (पञ्चमी-अर्थे अव्ययवत्), “by half (measure)”

• केशी: Keśī
• केशी: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: केशिन्/केशी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• दैत्यः: a daitya
• दैत्यः: Karta-samānādhikaraṇa (कर्तृ-समानााधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: दैत्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

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

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: Conjunction (समुच्चय)

• अवरः: lower/inferior
• अवरः: Karta-samānādhikaraṇa (कर्तृ-समानााधिकरण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अवर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular; predicate adjective

Speaker

Lord Vishnu (in discourse to Garuda)

Philosophical Teaching

Concept: Merit/strength (guṇa) is not uniform; relative deficiency indicates karmic and moral limitation.

Vedantic Theme: Karma and guṇa condition capacity; discernment sees relative limitation without fascination or fear.

Application: Track incremental improvement: even ‘half-measures’ matter—small reductions in harmful habits and small gains in virtue accumulate.

Verse Rasa

Primary Rasa: raudra

Secondary Rasa: shanta

Cross References

Related Themes: Garuda Purana passages that quantify pāpa/puṇya and describe graded outcomes (conceptual parallel)

Characters & Entities

• Dhenuka
• Keśī
• Daityas

FAQs

What is the importance of guṇa/merit gradation in the Garuda Purana?

This verse illustrates that beings are described in graded spiritual-ethical terms, where relative merit (guṇa) determines who is considered higher or lower within a class such as the Daityas.

How does this verse explain the path of the soul?

By emphasizing comparative merit and inferiority/superiority, it supports the broader Garuda Purana theme that one’s qualities and deeds shape one’s status and outcomes across realms and births.

Practical application of this wisdom today?

Treat virtue as measurable in daily life—reduce harmful actions and increase dharmic conduct—since even small differences in conduct are portrayed as affecting one’s standing and results.