Home›Garuda Purana›Preta Kalpa›Adhyaya 12›Shloka 3
←Previous Verse
Next Verse→

Garuda Purana — Preta Kalpa, Shloka 3

Jīva-yonis (84 Lakhs), Rarity of Human Birth, Sense-Restraint, Craving, and Śraddhā-based Dharma

Devanagari script

एकविंशतिलक्षाणि अण्डजाः परिकीर्तिताः / स्वेदजाश्च तथा प्रोक्ता उद्भिज्जाश्च क्रमेण तु

Transliteration

ekaviṃśatilakṣāṇi aṇḍajāḥ parikīrtitāḥ / svedajāśca tathā proktā udbhijjāśca krameṇa tu

Translation

Kinh điển tuyên thuyết rằng loài hữu tình sinh từ trứng có hai mươi mốt lakh; cũng vậy, loài sinh từ mồ hôi được nói đến, và loài sinh từ cây cỏ nảy mầm (udbhijja) nữa—mỗi loại theo thứ tự của mình.

Word by Word
ekaviṃśatilakṣāṇitwenty-one lakhs (2.1 million)
ekaviṃśatilakṣāṇi:
Karma (Object/कर्म)
TypeNoun
Rooteka (प्रातिपदिक) + viṃśati (प्रातिपदिक) + lakṣa (प्रातिपदिक)
Formनपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1/2), बहुवचन; द्विगुसमास (संख्यापूर्वक-समाहार/परिमाणवाचक)
aṇḍajāḥegg-born beings
aṇḍajāḥ:
Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
TypeNoun
Rootaṇḍaja (प्रातिपदिक)
Formपुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1), बहुवचन
parikīrtitāḥare proclaimed/are stated
parikīrtitāḥ:
Kriya (Predicate/क्रिया)
TypeVerb
Rootpari + kīrt (धातु) → parikīrtita (कृदन्त, क्त)
Formभूतकर्मणि कृदन्त (past passive participle, क्त); पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1), बहुवचन; कर्मणि प्रयोगार्थे ‘are declared/are enumerated’
svedajāḥsweat-born beings
svedajāḥ:
Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
TypeNoun
Rootsvedaja (प्रातिपदिक)
Formपुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1), बहुवचन
caand
ca:
Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
TypeIndeclinable
Rootca (अव्यय)
Formसमुच्चयबोधक अव्यय (conjunction)
tathālikewise
tathā:
Kriya-visheshana (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
TypeIndeclinable
Roottathā (अव्यय)
Formअव्यय; प्रकार/समुच्चयार्थ (adverb: likewise/so)
proktāḥare said/are called
proktāḥ:
Kriya (Predicate/क्रिया)
TypeVerb
Rootpra + vac (धातु) → prokta (कृदन्त, क्त)
Formभूतकर्मणि कृदन्त (past passive participle, क्त); पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1), बहुवचन; ‘are said/are called’
udbhijjāḥsprout-born beings (plants etc.)
udbhijjāḥ:
Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
TypeNoun
Rootud + bhij (धातु) → udbhijja (प्रातिपदिक)
Formपुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1), बहुवचन
caand
ca:
Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
TypeIndeclinable
Rootca (अव्यय)
Formसमुच्चयबोधक अव्यय (conjunction)
krameṇain order/ क्रमशः
krameṇa:
Kriya-visheshana (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
TypeIndeclinable
Rootkrama (प्रातिपदिक)
Formतृतीया-एकवचनरूपेण अव्ययीभाव (instrumental used adverbially): क्रमेन = क्रमशः (in order)
tuindeed/but
tu:
Sambandha (Discourse particle/सम्बन्ध)
TypeIndeclinable
Roottu (अव्यय)
Formअव्यय; विरोध/अनुनयार्थ (particle: but/indeed)
Speaker

Lord Vishnu (speaking to Garuda)

Philosophical Teaching

Concept: Yoni-bheda (four modes of birth) and the immensity of embodied life as a backdrop for spiritual discernment.

Vedantic Theme: Jagat-vaicitrya (variegated manifestation) under niyati/ṛta; embodiment as a field for karma and knowledge.

Application: Cultivate humility and vigilance: recognize the rarity of favorable embodiment and use it for self-discipline and dharma rather than mere consumption.

Verse Rasa

Primary Rasa: adbhuta

Secondary Rasa: shanta

Cross References

Related Themes: Garuda Purana (didactic sections on yoni-bheda and human-durlabhatva in adjacent verses)

Characters & Entities
G
Garuda
V
Vishnu

FAQs

This verse organizes life into traditional categories of birth, framing creation as an ordered system; it supports the Purana’s broader teaching that embodied existence spans many forms and conditions.

By listing multiple birth-types, it implies transmigration across diverse embodiments; the soul may take different forms according to karmic conditions, reinforcing the Purana’s afterlife-and-rebirth worldview.

Seeing life as varied yet ordered encourages compassion and ethical restraint toward all beings, supporting dharmic conduct and mindful karma in daily life.

←Previous Verse
Next Verse→