Shloka 65

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

Devanagari script

गन्धको गन्धपाषाणो रसः पारद उच्यते / ताम्रमौदुम्बरं शुल्बं विद्यान्म्लेच्छमुखं तथा

Transliteration

gandhako gandhapāṣāṇo rasaḥ pārada ucyate / tāmramaudumbaraṃ śulbaṃ vidyānmlecchamukhaṃ tathā

Translation

گندھک کو ‘گندھک’ اور ‘گندھ-پاشان’ (خوشبودار پتھر) کہا جاتا ہے، اور پارہ ‘رس’ یا ‘پارَد’ کے نام سے معروف ہے۔ تانبہ ‘تامْر’ ہے؛ ‘اودُمبَر’ اس کا دوسرا نام؛ ‘شُلب’ بھی سمجھو—اور ‘ملیچھمُکھ’ نام بھی (اصطلاحی مترادف) ہے۔

Word by Word

• गन्धकः: gandhaka (sulphur)
• गन्धकः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: गन्धक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• गन्धपाषाणः: gandha-stone (name for sulphur)
• गन्धपाषाणः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: गन्ध + पाषाण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष (गन्धस्य पाषाणः)

• रसः: rasa (essence; here mercury)
• रसः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: रस (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• पारदः: pārada (mercury)
• पारदः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पारद (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• उच्यते: is called
• उच्यते: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: वच् (धातु)
• Form: लट् (present), आत्मनेपद, प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; कर्मणि प्रयोग (passive)

• ताम्रमौदुम्बरम्: audumbara copper (a kind of copper)
• ताम्रमौदुम्बरम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ताम्र + औदुम्बर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; कर्मधारय (औदुम्बरं ताम्रम्)

• शुल्बम्: śulba (copper)
• शुल्बम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शुल्ब (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• विद्यात्: one should know/identify
• विद्यात्: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: विद् (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (optative), परस्मैपद, प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन

• म्लेच्छमुखम्: mleccha-mukha (name)
• म्लेच्छमुखम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: म्लेच्छ + मुख (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष (म्लेच्छस्य मुखम्)

• तथा: likewise/also
• तथा: Adverbial (Prakāra/प्रकार)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तथा (अव्यय)
• Form: प्रकारार्थक-अव्यय (adverb)

Speaker

Lord Vishnu (in instruction to Garuda)

Philosophical Teaching

Concept: Powerful substances require unambiguous terminology; multiple names point to properties, origins, or technical lineages.

Vedantic Theme: Right knowledge as a prerequisite for right action (jñāna leading to karma-yoga in applied domains).

Application: When texts say gandhaka/gandha-pāṣāṇa or rasa/pārada, treat them as the same standardized substances; recognize copper synonyms (tāmra/audumbara/śulba/mleccha-mukha) to avoid procurement mistakes.

Verse Rasa

Primary Rasa: adbhuta

Secondary Rasa: shanta

Cross References

Related Themes: Garuda Purana 1.204 (pārada, gandhaka, tāmra synonymy within rasadravya lists)

Characters & Entities

• Lord Vishnu
• Garuda

FAQs

What is the importance of naming mercury (pārada/rasa) and sulphur (gandhaka) in the Garuda Purana?

This verse preserves technical vocabulary used in traditional rasashastra/metallurgy, clarifying that ‘rasa’ and ‘pārada’ denote mercury and that ‘gandhaka/gandha-pāṣāṇa’ denote sulphur—helpful for correctly reading ritual-medical or alchemical passages.

How does this verse relate to Garuda Purana teachings beyond afterlife topics?

It shows the text also functions as a compendium of practical knowledge, including technical nomenclature for substances (metals/minerals) that appear in traditional disciplines like Ayurveda and alchemical processing.

Practical application of this wisdom today?

Use it as a glossary: when studying classical Hindu texts on medicines or metallurgy, recognize these synonyms to avoid misidentifying substances—especially mercury and sulphur, which require careful, expert handling.