Shloka 6

Oṣadhi-nāma-nirdeśa: Paryāya (Synonyms) of Herbs, Minerals, and Classical Measures

Devanagari script

वृश्चिका त्र्यमृता काली विषघ्नी सर्पदंष्ट्रिका / मर्कटी चात्मगुप्ता स्यादार्षेयी कपिकच्छुका

Transliteration

vṛścikā tryamṛtā kālī viṣaghnī sarpadaṃṣṭrikā / markaṭī cātmaguptā syādārṣeyī kapikacchukā

Translation

वृश्चिका ‘त्र्यमृता’ ‘काली’ ‘विषघ्नी’ ‘सर्पदंष्ट्रिका’ इति च। ‘मर्कटी’ ‘आत्मगुप्ता’ ‘आर्षेयी’ ‘कपिकच्छुका’ इति च कथ्यते॥

Word by Word

• वृश्चिका: Vṛścikā (plant)
• वृश्चिका: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वृश्चिका (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; नाम (औषधिनाम)

• त्र्यमृता: Tryamṛtā ("three-nectar" plant)
• त्र्यमृता: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: त्रि + अमृता (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; द्विगु-समासः (त्रयः अमृताः/त्रि-अमृता) औषधिनाम

• काली: Kālī (plant)
• काली: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: काली (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; नाम (औषधिनाम)

• विषघ्नी: Viṣaghnī (poison-destroying plant)
• विषघ्नी: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: विष + घ्नी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; तत्पुरुषः (विषं हन्ति इति/विष-घ्नी)

• सर्पदंष्ट्रिका: Sarpadaṃṣṭrikā ("snake-tooth" plant)
• सर्पदंष्ट्रिका: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सर्प + दंष्ट्रिका (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (सर्पस्य दंष्ट्रिका)

• मर्कटी: Markaṭī (plant)
• मर्कटी: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मर्कटी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; नाम (औषधिनाम)

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Connector)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयबोधक-अव्यय (conjunction)

• आत्मगुप्ता: Ātmaguptā (plant)
• आत्मगुप्ता: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: आत्मन् + गुप्ता (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; तत्पुरुषः (आत्मानं गुप्नाति/आत्म-गुप्ता) औषधिनाम

• स्यात्: is/should be (called)
• स्यात्: Kriya (Predicate/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: अस् (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (Optative), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• आर्षेयी: Ārṣeyī (plant)
• आर्षेयी: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: आर्षेयी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; नाम (औषधिनाम)

• कपिकच्छुका: Kapikacchukā ("monkey-itch" plant)
• कपिकच्छुका: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कपि + कच्छुका (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (कपेः कच्छुका)

Speaker

Lord Vishnu (speaking to Garuda/Vinata-putra)

Philosophical Teaching

Concept: Names encode observed efficacy (e.g., ‘Viṣaghnī’), guiding correct therapeutic choice.

Vedantic Theme: Guṇa-karma-based designation within vyavahāra; knowledge aligns action with purpose.

Application: Recognize Vṛścikā as identical with Tryamṛtā/Kālī/Viṣaghnī/Sarpadaṃṣṭrikā/Markaṭī/Ātmaguptā/Ārṣeyī/Kapikacchukā when sourcing or interpreting recipes.

Verse Rasa

Primary Rasa: shanta

Secondary Rasa: adbhuta

Cross References

Related Themes: Garuda Purana 1.204 (synonyms; Vṛścikā/Ātmaguptā/Kapikacchukā set)

Characters & Entities

• Garuda
• Vishnu

FAQs

What is the importance of listing multiple names of a herb in the Garuda Purana?

This verse preserves traditional synonymy so the same medicinal plant can be correctly identified across regions, lineages, and therapeutic contexts.

How does this verse relate to Garuda Purana teachings beyond afterlife topics?

It shows the text’s encyclopedic scope: alongside dharma and post-death narratives, it also transmits practical knowledge such as herbal identification and antidotal properties (viṣaghnī).

Practical application of this wisdom today?

Use it as a cross-reference list when reading Ayurvedic nighaṇṭus or traditional commentaries, helping avoid confusion between regional plant names—especially for herbs described as antidotal.