Shloka 91

Jñāna-hetu-nirūpaṇa

On the Causes/Means of Knowledge

Devanagari script

शंबरात्तु द्विगुणतो हिडिंबो न्यून उच्यते / बाणस्ततो ऽधमो ज्ञेयः स तु कीचकनामतः

Transliteration

śaṃbarāttu dviguṇato hiḍiṃbo nyūna ucyate / bāṇastato 'dhamo jñeyaḥ sa tu kīcakanāmataḥ

Translation

Kung ihahambing kay Śambara, si Hiḍimba ay sinasabing mas mababa nang makalawa; at higit pang mababa kaysa kanya si Bāṇa, na kilala rin sa pangalang Kīcaka.

Word by Word

• शंबरात्: from Śambara
• शंबरात्: Apadana (अपादान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शंबर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine (पुंलिङ्ग), Ablative (5th/पञ्चमी), Singular (एकवचन)

• तु: but/indeed
• तु: Sambandha/Discourse particle (सम्बन्ध/निपात)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तु (अव्यय)
• Form: Particle (निपात), contrast/emphasis

• द्विगुणतः: twofold (in comparison)
• द्विगुणतः: Adhikarana (अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: द्वि + गुण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Adverbial usage; Ablative-form in sense of comparison (तुलनार्थे पञ्चमी-प्राय), “by twofold measure”

• हिडिंबः: Hiḍimba
• हिडिंबः: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: हिडिंब (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine (पुंलिङ्ग), Nominative (1st/प्रथमा), Singular (एकवचन)

• न्यूनः: less/inferior
• न्यूनः: Karta-samānādhikaraṇa (कर्तृ-समानााधिकरण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: न्यून (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine (पुंलिङ्ग), Nominative (1st/प्रथमा), Singular (एकवचन); predicate adjective

• उच्यते: is said/called
• उच्यते: Kriya (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: वच् (धातु)
• Form: Present tense (लट्), Passive voice (कर्मणि प्रयोग), 3rd person (प्रथमपुरुष), Singular (एकवचन)

• बाणः: Bāṇa
• बाणः: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: बाण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine (पुंलिङ्ग), Nominative (1st/प्रथमा), Singular (एकवचन)

• ततः: thereafter/from that
• ततः: Adhikarana (अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ततः (अव्यय)
• Form: Adverb (क्रियाविशेषण), “thereafter/from that”

• अधमः: lowest/most inferior
• अधमः: Karta-samānādhikaraṇa (कर्तृ-समानााधिकरण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अधम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine (पुंलिङ्ग), Nominative (1st/प्रथमा), Singular (एकवचन); predicate adjective

• ज्ञेयः: to be known/should be known
• ज्ञेयः: Vidhi (विधि)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: ज्ञा (धातु) + य (कृत्)
• Form: Gerundive/obligatory participle (तव्यत्/यत्-प्रत्ययार्थ), Masculine (पुंलिङ्ग), Nominative (1st/प्रथमा), Singular (एकवचन)

• सः: he/that one
• सः: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Pronoun (सर्वनाम), Masculine (पुंलिङ्ग), Nominative (1st/प्रथमा), Singular (एकवचन)

• तु: indeed
• तु: Sambandha/Discourse particle (सम्बन्ध/निपात)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तु (अव्यय)
• Form: Particle (निपात), emphasis

• कीचक-नामतः: by the name ‘Kīcaka’
• कीचक-नामतः: Hetu/Prayojana (हेतु/प्रयोजन)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: कीचक + नामन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Ablative-form used adverbially (पञ्चमी-अव्ययीभाववत्), “by the name of Kīcaka / as called Kīcaka”

Speaker

Lord Vishnu (narrating to Garuda/Vinata-putra)

Philosophical Teaching

Concept: Names and reputations shift (Bāṇa also called Kīcaka), yet relative capacity is still judged by manifested qualities.

Vedantic Theme: Nāma-rūpa variability; identity in worldly narratives is fluid while guṇa-driven tendencies persist.

Application: Do not be misled by titles/aliases; assess character by consistent actions and qualities.

Verse Rasa

Primary Rasa: vira

Secondary Rasa: raudra

Cross References

Related Themes: Garuda Purana 3.12.88–92 (continuing comparative list)

Characters & Entities

• Śambara
• Hiḍimba
• Bāṇa
• Kīcaka

FAQs

What is the importance of naming beings like Śambara, Hiḍimba, and Bāṇa in the Garuda Purana?

This verse uses named tormentors as a graded scale to convey that sufferings in Yama’s domain are not uniform; they vary in intensity according to karmic weight.

How does this verse explain the path of the soul after death in the Garuda Purana?

In the Preta Kanda narrative, the departed soul encounters consequences arranged in levels; this verse highlights comparative gradations, implying karma determines the severity of post-death experiences.

Practical application of this wisdom today?

Treat actions as having measurable consequences: cultivate restraint, truthfulness, and dharmic conduct to avoid heavier karmic outcomes described as progressively harsher torments.