Shloka 18

Gāruḍa-Māhātmya and Tārkṣya-Stotra: Fruits of Hearing/Reciting and the Power of Garuḍa’s Praise

Devanagari script

परस्परस्य शापेन सुप्रतीकविभावसू / गजकच्छपतां प्राप्तौ भ्रातरौचैव संयुतौ

Transliteration

parasparasya śāpena supratīkavibhāvasū / gajakacchapatāṃ prāptau bhrātaraucaiva saṃyutau

Translation

परस्परशापप्रभावेन सुप्रतीकविभावसू भ्रातरौ सहैव गजकच्छपयोनिं प्राप्तौ।

Word by Word

• परस्परस्य: of each other
• परस्परस्य: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: परस्पर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th/षष्ठी), एकवचन; 'of each other' (reciprocal genitive)

• शापेन: by a curse
• शापेन: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शाप (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/तृतीया), एकवचन; instrumental

• सुप्रतीकविभावसू: Supratīka and Vibhāvasu
• सुप्रतीकविभावसू: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सुप्रतीक + विभावसु (प्रातिपदिक; द्वौ नाम्नी)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा), द्विवचन; द्वन्द्व-समासः (इतरेतर-द्वन्द्व)

• गजकच्छपताम्: (the forms of) an elephant and a tortoise
• गजकच्छपताम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: गज + कच्छप (प्रातिपदिक; द्वन्द्व)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/द्वितीया), द्विवचन; द्वन्द्व-समासः; 'as elephant and tortoise' (state/role)

• प्राप्तौ: having attained
• प्राप्तौ: Karta (Predicate adjective/कर्तृसम्बन्धी)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: प्राप्त (कृदन्त; √आप्/आपॢ (धातु) + क्त)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा), द्विवचन; क्त-प्रत्ययान्त भूतकर्मणि/भूतकालिक; 'having obtained/attained'

• भ्रातरौ: two brothers
• भ्रातरौ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: भ्रातृ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा), द्विवचन

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

• एव: indeed/just
• एव: Sambandha (Emphasis)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एव (अव्यय)
• Form: अवधारणार्थक-अव्यय (emphatic particle)

• संयुतौ: joined together
• संयुतौ: Karta (Predicate adjective/कर्तृसम्बन्धी)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: संयुत (कृदन्त; सम्+√युज् (धातु) + क्त)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा), द्विवचन; क्त-प्रत्ययान्त; 'joined/associated'

Speaker

Lord Vishnu (in discourse to Garuda/Vinata-putra)

Philosophical Teaching

Concept: Mutual malediction (śāpa) precipitates embodied downfall; speech-acts carry karmic force shaping rebirth.

Vedantic Theme: Bandha through avidyā-driven krodha (anger) and vāk-karman; saṃsāra as consequence of doṣa in antaḥkaraṇa.

Application: Restrain anger and harsh speech; practice kṣamā (forbearance) and reconciliation to avoid long-term karmic entanglement.

Verse Rasa

Primary Rasa: karuna

Secondary Rasa: bhayanaka

Cross References

Related Themes: Garuda Purana Pretakalpa: śāpa-nimitta punarjanma motifs (general); Garuda Purana: narratives warning against krodha and vāk-doṣa (general)

Characters & Entities

• Vishnu
• Garuda
• Supratīka
• Vibhāvasu
• Gaja (elephant)
• Kacchapa (tortoise)

FAQs

What is the importance of curses (śāpa) in the Garuda Purana?

This verse shows śāpa as a karmic trigger: harmful speech and hostility can precipitate a fall into lower births, illustrating immediate ethical consequences within the Purana’s moral framework.

How does this verse explain the path of the soul?

It presents rebirth as shaped by one’s actions—here, mutual cursing binds both brothers to an animal embodiment, indicating that negative intent and words can redirect the jīva into constricted forms of experience.

Practical application of this wisdom today?

Practice restraint in anger and speech; avoid retaliatory harm. Cultivating forgiveness and self-control reduces karmic entanglements that the text associates with downfall and suffering.