Kāsa-bheda: The Fivefold Classification of Cough and Its Clinical Signs
दुः खस्पर्शेन शूलेन भेदपीडाहितापिना / पर्वभेदज्वरश्वासतृष्णावैस्वर्यकम्पवान्
duḥ khasparśena śūlena bhedapīḍāhitāpinā / parvabhedajvaraśvāsatṛṣṇāvaisvaryakampavān
Bị khổ bởi sự chạm đau và cơn đau nhói đâm—bởi những cơn đau như xé và cơn sốt nóng rát—người ấy chịu đau nhức rã rời các khớp, sốt, thở gấp khó nhọc, khát nước, mất tiếng và run rẩy.
Lord Vishnu (speaking to Garuda/Vinata-putra)
Dosha: Pitta
Concept: Multi-doṣic systemic crisis: śūla (pain), dāha (burning), jvara (fever), śvāsa (dyspnea), tṛṣṇā (thirst), vaisvarya (hoarseness/voice loss), kampa (tremor).
Vedantic Theme: Saṃsāra-duḥkha and the need for right living; body as instrument requiring care, not identity.
Application: Recognize red-flag cluster (fever + dyspnea + tremor + voice loss + severe pain) and seek urgent treatment; supportive care: hydration, rest, cooling/anti-inflammatory measures per physician.
Primary Rasa: karuna
Secondary Rasa: bibhatsa
Related Themes: Garuda Purana 1.149 (systemic symptom culmination; doṣa aggravation leading to jvara/śvāsa/tṛṣṇā)
This verse itemizes specific torments (pain, fever, thirst, breathlessness, trembling) to illustrate the tangible consequences of karma and the distress of the post-death condition described in the text.
It portrays the being’s experience as marked by intense sensory and bodily afflictions, reflecting the Garuda Purana’s narrative that the post-death journey includes suffering shaped by one’s actions.
Use it as a prompt for ethical restraint and compassionate conduct—reducing harmful actions (pāpa) that the tradition links with painful post-mortem consequences, and encouraging mindful living and dharmic choices.