Shloka 6

Śvāsa-nidāna: Etiology, Types, Symptom Progression, and Fatal Prognosis

Devanagari script

प्रेरितः प्रेरयन्क्षुद्रं स्वयं स समलं मरुत् / प्रतिलोमं शिरा गच्छेदुदीर्य पवनः कफम्

Transliteration

preritaḥ prerayankṣudraṃ svayaṃ sa samalaṃ marut / pratilomaṃ śirā gacchedudīrya pavanaḥ kapham

Translation

ప్రేరేపింపబడి, మలమిశ్రమమైన ఆ మరుత్ తానే మలాన్ని నడిపిస్తూ నాడులలో విరుద్ధ దిశగా సాగుతుంది; పైకి లేచే పవనం కఫాన్ని శిరస్సు వైపు తోసివేస్తుంది.

Word by Word

• प्रेरितः: impelled; set in motion
• प्रेरितः: Visheshana (Adjectival modifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: ईर्/इर् (धातु) + प्र (उपसर्ग) → प्रेरित (कृदन्त, क्त)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; क्त-प्रत्ययान्त (impelled)

• प्रेरयन्: impelling; driving
• प्रेरयन्: Karta (Agent/कर्ता)
• Type: Verb
• Root: ईर्/इर् (धातु) + प्र (उपसर्ग) → प्रेरयत् (कृदन्त, शतृ)
• Form: वर्तमानकालिक कृदन्त (present active participle, शतृ), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• क्षुद्रम्: the minor (one); small
• क्षुद्रम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: क्षुद्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग/पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन; विशेष्यापेक्षया

• स्वयम्: by oneself
• स्वयम्: Kriya-visheshana (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: स्वयम् (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय, आत्मार्थक (reflexive adverb: oneself)

• सः: he/that (vāyu)
• सः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; सर्वनाम

• समलम्: with impurities; foul
• समलम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: समल (प्रातिपदिक; स + मल)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग/पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन; विशेषण

• मरुत्: wind; vāyu
• मरुत्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मरुत् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• प्रतिलोमम्: in reverse direction; against the normal course
• प्रतिलोमम्: Kriya-visheshana (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: प्रतिलोम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्ययीभावप्रायं क्रियाविशेषणरूपेण (adverbial accusative)

• शिराः: veins; vessels
• शिराः: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शिरा (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), बहुवचन (or प्रथमा बहुवचन by context); here as object of गच्छेत्

• गच्छेत्: would go; moves
• गच्छेत्: Kriya (Main action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: गम् (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (Optative), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन; परस्मैपदम्

• उदीर्य: having stirred up; having raised
• उदीर्य: Purvakala (Prior action/पूर्वकाल)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ईर्/इर् (धातु) + उद् (उपसर्ग) → उदीर्य (कृदन्त, ल्यप्)
• Form: क्त्वान्त/ल्यपन्त अव्यय (gerund/absolutive): ‘having raised/stirred’

• पवनः: wind; vāyu
• पवनः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पवन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• कफम्: phlegm (kapha)
• कफम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कफ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन

Speaker

Lord Vishnu (speaking to Garuda/Vinata-putra)

Medical Ayurveda

Dosha: Vata

Philosophical Teaching

Concept: Prāṇa-vāyu’s pathological reversal (pratiloma gati) through nāḍī/sirā pathways, mobilizing mala and propelling kapha upward—mechanism of symptom escalation.

Vedantic Theme: Embodied causation: when regulating principles (vāyu) are tainted, they become agents of disorder; governance of prāṇa parallels governance of mind.

Application: Therapeutic aim: restore vāyu’s normal direction (anulomana), reduce kapha, and prevent upward congestion affecting head/neck.

Verse Rasa

Primary Rasa: bhayanaka

Secondary Rasa: raudra

Cross References

Related Themes: Garuda Purana 1.150.3 (kapha obstruction of vāyu); Garuda Purana 1.150.7 (head/neck involvement and catarrh)

Characters & Entities

• Vayu (Prana)
• Kapha

FAQs

What is the importance of reverse-moving prana (pratiloma vāyu) in the Garuda Purana?

This verse treats pratiloma movement as a technical sign of disturbance in the life-wind during the dying process, where vāyu drives impurities upward and alters normal bodily flow.

How does this verse explain what happens as death approaches?

It describes the vital air becoming ‘tainted’ and moving against its usual direction through the bodily channels, pushing kapha upward toward the head—an indicator of the body’s systems losing normal regulation.

Practical application of this wisdom today?

Use it as a contemplative reminder of bodily impermanence: prepare ethically (dharma, repentance, charity) and ritually (antyeṣṭi readiness, mantra/smaraṇa) rather than clinging to the body’s failing functions.