Shloka 5

Oṣadhi-nāma-nirdeśa: Paryāya (Synonyms) of Herbs, Minerals, and Classical Measures

Devanagari script

व्याघ्री तु बृहती कृष्णा हंसपादी मधुस्त्रवा / धामनी कण्टकारी स्यात्क्षुद्रा सिंही निदिग्धिका

Transliteration

vyāghrī tu bṛhatī kṛṣṇā haṃsapādī madhustravā / dhāmanī kaṇṭakārī syātkṣudrā siṃhī nidigdhikā

Translation

‘วยาฆรี’ ยังเรียกว่า พฤหตี กฤษณา หังสปาที มธุสฺตรวา ธามนี และ กัณฏการี; อีกทั้งเป็นที่รู้จักในนาม กษุทรา สิงหี และ นิดิกฺธิกา.

Word by Word

• व्याघ्री: Vyāghrī (plant)
• व्याघ्री: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: व्याघ्री (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; नाम (औषधिनाम)

• तु: indeed/but
• तु: Sambandha (Particle)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तु (अव्यय)
• Form: विरोध/विशेषार्थक-अव्यय (but/indeed)

• बृहती: Bṛhatī (plant)
• बृहती: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: बृहती (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; नाम (औषधिनाम)

• कृष्णा: Kṛṣṇā (plant)
• कृष्णा: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कृष्णा (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; नाम (औषधिनाम)

• हंसपादी: Haṃsapādī ("swan-foot" plant)
• हंसपादी: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: हंस + पादी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (हंसस्य पादी)

• मधुस्त्रवा: Madhustravā ("honey-flowing" plant)
• मधुस्त्रवा: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मधु + स्त्रवा (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; तत्पुरुषः (मधु स्त्रवति इति/मधु-स्त्रवा)

• धामनी: Dhāmanī (plant)
• धामनी: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: धामनी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; नाम (औषधिनाम)

• कण्टकारी: Kaṇṭakārī (thorny plant)
• कण्टकारी: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कण्टक + आरी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; तत्पुरुषः (कण्टकयुक्ता/कण्टक-आरी)

• स्यात्: is/should be (called)
• स्यात्: Kriya (Predicate/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: अस् (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (Optative), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• क्षुद्रा: Kṣudrā (plant)
• क्षुद्रा: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: क्षुद्रा (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; नाम (औषधिनाम)

• सिंही: Siṃhī (plant)
• सिंही: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सिंही (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; नाम (औषधिनाम)

• निदिग्धिका: Nidigdhikā (plant)
• निदिग्धिका: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: निदिग्धिका (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; नाम (औषधिनाम)

Speaker

Lord Vishnu (in instruction to Garuda, within a catalog-style section)

Philosophical Teaching

Concept: Many epithets describe one medicinal entity; descriptive naming encodes observed properties.

Vedantic Theme: Nāma-rūpa plurality over a functional unity in worldly practice.

Application: When encountering any of these names (Bṛhatī, Kṛṣṇā, Haṃsapādī, Madhustravā, Dhāmanī, Kaṇṭakārī, Kṣudrā, Siṃhī, Nidigdikā), treat them as referring to Vyāghrī in the given context.

Verse Rasa

Primary Rasa: shanta

Cross References

Related Themes: Garuda Purana 1.204 (herb synonymy; Vyāghrī/Kaṇṭakārī cluster)

Characters & Entities

• Garuda
• Vishnu

FAQs

What is the importance of listing herb synonyms in the Garuda Purana?

This verse preserves multiple regional and descriptive names for the same medicinal plant, helping practitioners correctly identify the herb across traditions and vocabularies.

How does this verse relate to Garuda Purana teachings on ritual or afterlife?

While not an afterlife verse, it belongs to a practical, instructional register of the text—supporting dharmic living through health knowledge that complements ritual life and daily discipline.

Practical application of this wisdom today?

Use it as a cross-reference when reading Ayurvedic or Sanskrit sources: these synonyms indicate that ‘Vyāghrī’ may appear under several names, reducing misidentification in study or traditional practice.