Shloka 33

Nīti for Calamity, Wealth, Friendship, Charity, and Restraint of Kāma

Devanagari script

स्त्रीणां द्विगुण आहारः प्रज्ञा चैव चतुर्गुणा / षड्गुणो व्यवसायश्च कामश्चाष्टगुणः स्मृतः

Transliteration

strīṇāṃ dviguṇa āhāraḥ prajñā caiva caturguṇā / ṣaḍguṇo vyavasāyaśca kāmaścāṣṭaguṇaḥ smṛtaḥ

Translation

స్త్రీలకు ఆహారం ద్విగుణమని; ప్రজ্ঞ చతుర్గుణమని; వ్యాపారం/ఉద్యమం షడ్గుణమని; కామం అష్టగుణమని స్మృతిలో చెప్పబడింది।

Word by Word

• स्त्रीणाम्: of women
• स्त्रीणाम्: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: स्त्री (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th), बहुवचन

• द्विगुणः: twofold
• द्विगुणः: Visheshana (Adjectival qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: द्वि (संख्या-प्रातिपदिक) + गुण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; द्विगु-समास (द्वौ गुणौ यस्य/द्विगुणः) विशेषणम्

• आहारः: food/intake
• आहारः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: आहार (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन

• प्रज्ञा: intelligence
• प्रज्ञा: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: प्रज्ञा (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन

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

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

• चतुर्गुणा: fourfold
• चतुर्गुणा: Visheshana (Adjectival qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: चतुर् (संख्या-प्रातिपदिक) + गुण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; द्विगु-समास विशेषणम् (fourfold)

• षड्गुणः: sixfold
• षड्गुणः: Visheshana (Adjectival qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: षट् (संख्या-प्रातिपदिक) + गुण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; द्विगु-समास विशेषणम् (sixfold)

• व्यवसायः: effort/enterprise
• व्यवसायः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: व्यवसाय (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन

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

• कामः: desire/sexual desire
• कामः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: काम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन

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

• अष्टगुणः: eightfold
• अष्टगुणः: Visheshana (Adjectival qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अष्ट (संख्या-प्रातिपदिक) + गुण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; द्विगु-समास विशेषणम् (eightfold)

• स्मृतः: is remembered/considered
• स्मृतः: Kriya (Predicative verbal notion/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: स्मृत (प्रातिपदिक; कृदन्त-भूतकृदन्त from √स्मृ (धातु) ‘to remember/consider’)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; भूतकृदन्त (past passive participle) विधेयार्थे—‘is said/considered’

Speaker

Lord Vishnu (speaking to Garuda/Vainateya)

Philosophical Teaching

Concept: A stereotyped, numeric exaggeration about women’s capacities and desires; functions as folk-niti rather than metaphysical doctrine.

Vedantic Theme: Not a Vedantic teaching; illustrates how social perceptions (saṃskāra) and projection shape ‘niti’ statements.

Application: Treat as culturally situated rhetoric; avoid using it to essentialize; instead, reflect on how desire (kāma) and enterprise (vyavasāya) vary by individual and require ethical guidance.

Verse Rasa

Primary Rasa: hasya

Secondary Rasa: shanta

Cross References

Related Themes: Garuda Purana 1.109 (niti/dharma counsel cluster)

FAQs

What is the importance of desire (kāma) in Garuda Purana?

This verse highlights kāma as a powerful multiplying force in human psychology, implying the need for restraint and dharmic regulation of desire.

How does this verse explain the path of the soul?

Indirectly, it points to inner tendencies—especially desire and resolve—that shape conduct; in the Garuda Purana’s moral framework, such conduct influences karmic outcomes after death.

Practical application of this wisdom today?

Use it as a reminder to monitor appetite, channel ambition ethically, and practice self-discipline so desire does not dominate decision-making.