Shloka 16

Prāṇeśvara Garuḍa-Mantra: Timing (Velā), Nāga-Grahas, Nyāsa, Haṃsa-Rite, and Viṣa-Cikitsā

Devanagari script

गले कुरु न्यसेद्धीमान्कुले च गुल्फयोः स्मृतः / स्वाहा पादयुगे चैव युगहा न्यास ईरितः

Transliteration

gale kuru nyaseddhīmānkule ca gulphayoḥ smṛtaḥ / svāhā pādayuge caiva yugahā nyāsa īritaḥ

Translation

బుద్ధిమంతుడు కంఠమున న్యాసం చేయవలెను; అది కులమున (భుజమున) మరియు గుల్ఫములలో (మడమలలో) కూడా స్మృతమై ఉంది. ‘స్వాహా’ అని ఉచ్చరించి రెండు పాదములపై కూడా న్యాసం చేయవలెను—ఇదే పాదయుగ న్యాసమని ప్రకటించబడింది.

Word by Word

• गले: in the throat/neck
• गले: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: गल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति (Locative/7th), एकवचन

• कुरु: do; perform
• कुरु: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: कृ (धातु)
• Form: लोट् (Imperative), मध्यमपुरुष (2nd person), एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• न्यसेत्: should place
• न्यसेत्: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: नि + अस्/स्य (धातु: न्यस्)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (Optative), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• धीमान्: the wise person
• धीमान्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: धीमत् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; गुणवाचक-शब्दः (one who possesses intellect)

• कुले: in the forearm/lineage-place (here: on the arm)
• कुले: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कुल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति, एकवचन

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

• गुल्फयोः: at the two ankles
• गुल्फयोः: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: गुल्फ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी/सप्तमी-विभक्ति (Genitive/Locative), द्विवचन (Dual); here locative sense ‘at/on the two ankles’

• स्मृतः: is stated/remembered
• स्मृतः: Kriya (Predicate/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: स्मृ (धातु) → स्मृत (कृदन्त, क्त)
• Form: भूतकर्मणि कृदन्त (Past passive participle), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; ‘is said/remembered’

• स्वाहा: svāhā (ritual utterance)
• स्वाहा: Sambandha (Mantra particle/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: स्वाहा (अव्यय/मन्त्रपद)
• Form: मन्त्र-निपात (ritual exclamation)

• पाद-युगे: on the pair of feet
• पाद-युगे: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पाद (प्रातिपदिक) + युग (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति, एकवचन; समासः—तत्पुरुषः (पादयोः युगम् = pair of feet)

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

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

• युगहा: (the nyāsa called) Yugahā
• युगहा: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: युगहा (प्रातिपदिक/मन्त्रनाम)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; मन्त्र/न्यास-नाम (name of a nyāsa/placement)

• न्यासः: nyāsa (ritual placement)
• न्यासः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: न्यास (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• ईरितः: has been declared
• ईरितः: Kriya (Predicate/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: ईर् (धातु) → ईरित (कृदन्त, क्त)
• Form: भूतकर्मणि कृदन्त (Past passive participle), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; ‘has been declared’

Speaker

Lord Vishnu (in instruction to Garuda/Vinatā-putra)

Philosophical Teaching

Concept: Nyāsa sacralizes the body; correct placement and utterance activate protective efficacy.

Vedantic Theme: Body-mind as an instrument (upādhi) that can be purified/ordered through śabda and saṅkalpa.

Application: Perform nyāsa with attention: throat, forearm, ankles, and feet with ‘svāhā’—emphasizing clarity of pronunciation and mindful touch.

Verse Rasa

Primary Rasa: shanta

Secondary Rasa: vira

Cross References

Related Themes: Garuda Purana 1.19.15 (praṇava placement); Garuda Purana 1.19.17 (japa and protective thread); Garuda Purana 1.19.19 (lotus/yantra writing)

FAQs

What is the importance of nyāsa in the Garuda Purana?

This verse treats nyāsa as a precise ritual installation of mantra-power on specific body points, supporting purity, protection, and correct performance of rites.

How does this verse explain the path of the soul?

Indirectly: by prescribing bodily mantra-installation, it emphasizes ritual preparedness and protection connected with preta-related rites, which are taught to aid the departed and the living in dharmic observance.

Practical application of this wisdom today?

If following traditional practice under guidance, one can learn the correct nyāsa placements and mantra utterances (such as “svāhā”) to keep ritual actions disciplined and text-aligned rather than improvised.