Shloka 6
Hikkā-nidāna: Causes, Types, and the Grave Yamalā/Veginī Hiccup
चिरेण यमलैर्वेगैर्या हिक्रा संप्रवर्तते / परिणामान्मुखे वृद्धिं परिणामे च गच्छति
cireṇa yamalairvegairyā hikrā saṃpravartate / pariṇāmānmukhe vṛddhiṃ pariṇāme ca gacchati
चिरेण यमलैर्वेगैर्या हिक्रा संप्रवर्तते; परिणामात् मुखे वृद्धिं गच्छति, परिणामे च शमं याति।
Lord Vishnu (speaking to Garuda/Vinata-putra)
Concept: Afflictions can be framed as karmic ‘messengers’ (Yama’s impulses), yet they follow discernible bodily cycles (digestion).
Vedantic Theme: Karma-phala operating through prakṛti (bodily processes) while reminding of mortality.
Application: Note timing: late-arising hiccup that intensifies during digestion and subsides after digestion—use this pattern to assess severity and prognosis.
Primary Rasa: bhayanaka
Secondary Rasa: bibhatsa
Related Themes: Garuda Purana 1.151.7-9 (Yamalā identification and severe signs)
FAQs
This verse frames hiccups as not merely physical, but as driven by unseen impulses associated with Yama’s agency, making them meaningful as indicators within the Purana’s broader discussion of signs and consequences.
By linking a bodily symptom to Yama’s attendants, it reflects the Garuda Purana theme that subtle agencies connected with karma and Yama can manifest through the body, foreshadowing the post-death administration of deeds.
Treat the teaching as a reminder to live ethically and mindfully—physical life is intertwined with subtle causes in the Purana’s worldview—so one should strengthen dharma, self-control, and right conduct.