Shloka 13

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

Devanagari script

अधोदृष्टिः शुताक्षस्तु स्निह्यद्रक्तैकलोचनः / शुष्कास्यः प्रलपन्दीनो नष्टच्छायो विचेतनः

Transliteration

adhodṛṣṭiḥ śutākṣastu snihyadraktaikalocanaḥ / śuṣkāsyaḥ pralapandīno naṣṭacchāyo vicetanaḥ

Translation

เขามองต่ำลง; ดวงตาหม่นมัวและลึกโหล หนึ่งข้างเปื้อนชุ่มด้วยสีแดงดุจโลหิต. ปากแห้งผาก พูดเพ้ออย่างน่าเวทนา; รัศมีดุจเงาแห่งชีวิตดับสูญ และเขาก็หมดสติไป।

Word by Word

• अधोदृष्टिः: having the gaze downward
• अधोदृष्टिः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अधस् (अव्यय) + दृष्टि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (अधः-दृष्टिः = अधोमुखी दृष्टिः)

• शुताक्षः: with swollen/raised eyes
• शुताक्षः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: शुत (प्रातिपदिक) + अक्षि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; कर्मधारयः (शुतानि अक्षी यस्य/शुताक्षः)

• तु: indeed/but
• तु: Sambandha (Discourse particle/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तु (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; निपात (emphatic/contrastive particle)

• स्निह्यत्: oozing/greasy, becoming moist
• स्निह्यत्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: स्निह् (धातु)
• Form: वर्तमानकृदन्त (शतृ/Present active participle), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; ‘स्निह्यत्’ = स्नेहं/स्निग्धतां गच्छन्

• रक्तैकलोचनः: with one bloodshot eye
• रक्तैकलोचनः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: रक्त (प्रातिपदिक) + एक (प्रातिपदिक) + लोचन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; तत्पुरुषः (रक्तं च एकं च लोचनं यस्य)

• शुष्कास्यः: with a dry mouth
• शुष्कास्यः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: शुष्क (प्रातिपदिक) + आस्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; कर्मधारयः (शुष्कम् आस्यम् यस्य)

• प्रलपन्: babbling, raving
• प्रलपन्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: प्र + लप् (धातु)
• Form: वर्तमानकृदन्त (शतृ), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; ‘प्रलपन्’ = प्रलपनशीलः

• दीनः: wretched, miserable
• दीनः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: दीन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• नष्टच्छायः: whose complexion/lustre is lost
• नष्टच्छायः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: नष्ट (कृदन्त/प्रातिपदिक) + छाया (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; तत्पुरुषः (नष्टा छाया यस्य)

• विचेतनः: unconscious, senseless
• विचेतनः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: वि + चेतन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; ‘विचेतन’ = अचेतन/निर्बुद्धि

Speaker

Lord Vishnu (speaking to Garuda/Vinata-putra)

Pretakalpa Layer

Afterlife Stage: Yamaloka Journey

Philosophical Teaching

Concept: Impermanence of the body and the urgency of right orientation of mind at the time of death.

Vedantic Theme: Dehātmabhrānti-nivṛtti (discriminating Self from body) and smaraṇa at antakāla.

Application: Use these signs to prompt timely spiritual preparation—japa, prayer, settling duties, and cultivating vairāgya.

Verse Rasa

Primary Rasa: bhayanaka

Secondary Rasa: karuna

Cross References

Related Themes: Garuda Purana Pretakalpa: maraṇa-lakṣaṇa and antakāla-smaraṇa passages (adjacent verses in 1.150)

FAQs

What is the importance of describing such signs in the Garuda Purana?

This verse functions as a diagnostic description of end-of-life/preta-like symptoms, indicating the collapse of vitality and awareness as the person approaches death, prompting timely spiritual and ritual preparation.

How does this verse explain the path of the soul?

By portraying loss of radiance (chāyā) and senselessness, it suggests the weakening of embodied consciousness before transition, a prelude to the soul’s post-death journey described in the Preta Kanda.

Practical application of this wisdom today?

Use it as a reminder to prepare early—maintain ethical living, remembrance of the divine, and (where practiced) arrange appropriate last rites support—rather than waiting until awareness and strength decline.