Shloka 5

Lakṣaṇas of Men: Feet, Shanks, Hair, Genitals, Abdomen, and Lines of Longevity

Forehead & Palm

Devanagari script

रोमैकैकं कूपके स्याद्भूपानां तु महात्मनाम् / द्वेद्वे रोम्णी पण्डितानां श्रोत्रियाणां तथैव च

Transliteration

romaikaikaṃ kūpake syādbhūpānāṃ tu mahātmanām / dvedve romṇī paṇḍitānāṃ śrotriyāṇāṃ tathaiva ca

Translation

У царей великой души каждый волосок становится колодцем заслуги. У учёных мужей и у шротриев, воспитанных Ведой, каждый волосок становится также двумя такими колодцами.

Word by Word

• रोमैकैकम्: each single hair
• रोमैकैकम्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: रोमन् (प्रातिपदिक) + एकैक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1st/2nd), एकवचन; कर्मधारय-समासः (एकैकं रोम = each single hair)

• कूपके: in the pit (kūpaka)
• कूपके: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कूपक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग/नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/सप्तमी), एकवचन; अधिकरण (locative)

• स्यात्: would be / is said to be
• स्यात्: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: अस् (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (Optative), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd), एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• भूपानाम्: of kings
• भूपानाम्: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: भूप (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th/षष्ठी), बहुवचन; सम्बन्ध (genitive)

• तु: but/indeed
• तु: Sambandha (Discourse particle/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तु (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; निपात (particle), विरोध/विशेषार्थ

• महात्मनाम्: of great-souled (ones)
• महात्मनाम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: महात्मन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th/षष्ठी), बहुवचन; विशेषणं भूपानाम्

• द्वे: two
• द्वे: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: द्वि (संख्याशब्द/प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1st/2nd), द्विवचन; संख्याविशेषण

• द्वे: two (each)
• द्वे: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: द्वि (संख्याशब्द/प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1st/2nd), द्विवचन; पुनरुक्ति-प्रयोगः (distributive: two and two)

• रोम्णी: two hairs
• रोम्णी: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: रोमन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1st/2nd), द्विवचन; (रोमन्-शब्दस्य द्विवचनरूपम्)

• पण्डितानाम्: of learned men
• पण्डितानाम्: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पण्डित (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th/षष्ठी), बहुवचन; सम्बन्ध (genitive)

• श्रोत्रियाणाम्: of Vedic scholars (śrotriyas)
• श्रोत्रियाणाम्: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: श्रोत्रिय (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th/षष्ठी), बहुवचन; सम्बन्ध (genitive)

• तथा: thus/likewise
• तथा: Sambandha (Adverbial/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तथा (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; क्रियाविशेषण (adverb)

• एव: indeed/just
• एव: Sambandha (Emphasis/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एव (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; अवधारण (emphasis)

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

Speaker

Lord Vishnu (speaking to Garuda, Vinata-putra)

Philosophical Teaching

Concept: Puṇya accrues in proportion to dharmic station and cultivated virtue; kings and śrotriyas generate amplified merit.

Vedantic Theme: Adṛṣṭa-phala (unseen karmic result) and the moral causality governing embodied life.

Application: Honor learning and Vedic discipline; cultivate charity, protection of subjects, and truthfulness so that small acts yield large merit.

Verse Rasa

Primary Rasa: adbhuta

Secondary Rasa: shanta

Cross References

Related Themes: Garuda Purana (Preta-kalpa/Dharma sections): recurring doctrine of adṛṣṭa-phala and graded merit by varṇa/āśrama; Garuda Purana: śrāddha and dāna passages where small offerings yield vast results when done with śraddhā

Characters & Entities

• Bhūpa (kings)
• Paṇḍita
• Śrotriya

FAQs

What is the importance of this 'hair becoming wells' idea in the Garuda Purana?

It is a symbolic way of expressing immense accumulated merit (puṇya): even the smallest unit (a single hair) is said to yield a vast result (a well), indicating extraordinary spiritual reward for dharmic life.

How does this verse explain the path of the soul?

By highlighting how puṇya is magnified for the righteous, the verse implies that virtuous conduct supports the soul’s favorable post-death journey and conditions in the afterlife, contrasting with suffering described elsewhere for sinful acts.

Practical application of this wisdom today?

Live with disciplined dharma—ethical leadership, truthfulness, charity, and scriptural integrity—since even small consistent virtues are portrayed as producing disproportionately great spiritual benefit.