Shloka 60

Devanagari script

संहतं चास्फुटिताग्रं रक्तश्मश्रुश्च चौरकः / रक्ताल्पपरुषश्मश्रुकर्णाः स्युः पापमृत्यवः

Transliteration

saṃhataṃ cāsphuṭitāgraṃ raktaśmaśruśca caurakaḥ / raktālpaparuṣaśmaśrukarṇāḥ syuḥ pāpamṛtyavaḥ

Translation

దొంగకు జుట్టు గుచ్చుకుపోయి, మురికిగా, చీలిన చివరలతో ఉంటుంది; గడ్డం ఎర్రగా ఉంటుంది. పాపమరణం పొందినవారికి గడ్డం, చెవులు ఎర్రగా, తక్కువగా, రూక్షంగా ఉంటాయని చెప్పబడింది।

Word by Word

• संहतम्: compact, dense
• संहतम्: Visheshana (Adjectival qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सम्-हन् (धातु) → संहत (कृदन्त/प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन (Neuter, Nom./Acc. singular); विशेषण

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

• अस्फुटिताग्रम्: with an un-split tip
• अस्फुटिताग्रम्: Visheshana (Adjectival qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अ-स्फुटित-अग्र (प्रातिपदिक; नञ् + कृदन्त + प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन (Neuter, Nom./Acc. singular); विशेषण; समासः—नञ्-तत्पुरुषः (‘स्फुटित’=split, ‘अग्र’=tip)

• रक्तश्मश्रुः: red beard
• रक्तश्मश्रुः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: रक्त + श्मश्रु (प्रातिपदिक-द्वय)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन (Neuter, Nominative singular); कर्मधारय-समासः (‘रक्तं श्मश्रु’=red beard)

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

• चौरकः: a thief/robber
• चौरकः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: चौरक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन (Masculine, Nominative singular)

• रक्ताल्पपरुषश्मश्रुकर्णाः: those with ears (and) red, scanty, rough beard
• रक्ताल्पपरुषश्मश्रुकर्णाः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: रक्त + अल्प + परुष + श्मश्रु + कर्ण (प्रातिपदिक-समूह)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, बहुवचन (Masculine, Nominative plural); बहुपद-तत्पुरुषसमासः—‘रक्तं (वा) अल्पं परुषं श्मश्रु यस्य’ इति श्मश्रु-विशेषणसमूहः + ‘कर्ण’ (कर्णाः=ear-possessors)

• स्युः: would be/are said to be
• स्युः: Kriya (Verb/action)
• Type: Verb
• Root: अस् (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (Optative), प्रथमपुरुष, बहुवचन (3rd person plural)

• पापमृत्यवः: evil deaths
• पापमृत्यवः: Karta (Predicate nominative)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पाप + मृत्यु (प्रातिपदिक-द्वय)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, बहुवचन (Masculine, Nominative plural); कर्मधारयः (‘पापः मृत्यु’=evil death)

Speaker

Lord Vishnu (narrating to Garuda/Vinata-putra)

Philosophical Teaching

Concept: Pāpa and criminality (theft) bear tangible marks; inner vice externalizes as bodily roughness and impurity.

Vedantic Theme: Adharmic saṃskāras shape the embodied condition; karma-phala operates through nāma-rūpa (name-form) in saṃsāra.

Application: Refrain from theft and harmful acts; cultivate cleanliness and sattvic habits; use the teaching as ethical deterrence and self-correction.

Verse Rasa

Primary Rasa: bibhatsa

Secondary Rasa: bhayanaka

Cross References

Related Themes: Garuda Purana 1.65 (lakṣaṇa descriptions of pāpa/punya outcomes)

Characters & Entities

• Vishnu
• Garuda

FAQs

What is the importance of bodily signs (hair, beard, ears) in Garuda Purana?

This verse treats certain physical features as karmic indicators—external marks that symbolically reflect inner conduct (such as theft) and the ripening of sin at the time of death.

How does this verse explain the link between sin (pāpa) and death (mṛtyu)?

By calling some deaths “pāpa-mṛtyu,” the text frames death not only as a biological event but also as a karmic culmination, where wrongdoing is said to manifest in inauspicious traits and conditions.

Practical application of this wisdom today?

Use it as an ethical warning: avoid theft and harmful conduct, cultivate honesty and restraint, and treat death-related teachings as motivation for dharmic living and timely repentance.