Garuda Purana — Preta Kalpa, Shloka 24

An exposition on the fruits of charity and on entry into a body

Garbhotpatti, Piṇḍa-śarīra, and Antya-kāla-kriyā

Devanagari script

चतुर्दशे भवेन्मांसं मिश्रधातुसमन्वितम् / घनं मांसञ्च विंशाहे गर्भस्थो वर्धते क्रमात्

Transliteration

caturdaśe bhavenmāṃsaṃ miśradhātusamanvitam / ghanaṃ māṃsañca viṃśāhe garbhastho vardhate kramāt

Translation

Đến ngày thứ mười bốn, thịt hình thành, mang theo sự hòa trộn các thành phần của thân thể. Đến ngày thứ hai mươi, khối thịt ấy trở nên đặc và rắn. Như vậy, bào thai trong dạ mẹ phát triển dần dần, từng bước một.

Word by Word

• चतुर्दशे: on the fourteenth (day)
• चतुर्दशे: Adhikarana (Locus/अधिकरण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: चतुर्दशन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: (संख्याविशेषण) त्रिलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/सप्तमी), एकवचन; द्विगु-समासः (चतुर्दश=14)

• भवेत्: would become
• भवेत्: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: भू (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (Optative), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन; परस्मैपदम्

• मांसम्: flesh
• मांसम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मांस (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1st/2nd), एकवचन

• मिश्रधातुसमन्वितम्: endowed with mixed constituents (dhātus)
• मिश्रधातुसमन्वितम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: मिश्र (प्रातिपदिक) + धातु (प्रातिपदिक) + समन्वित (कृदन्त, क्त)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1st/2nd), एकवचन; क्त-प्रत्ययान्त (सम्+अन्वि/इ धातु से ‘समन्वित’), विशेषणम्

• घनम्: dense/solid
• घनम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: घन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1st/2nd), एकवचन; विशेषणम्

• मांसम्: flesh
• मांसम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मांस (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1st/2nd), एकवचन

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयबोधक-अव्यय (conjunction)

• विंशाहे: on the twentieth day
• विंशाहे: Adhikarana (Locus/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: विंशति (प्रातिपदिक) + अहन्/अह (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/सप्तमी), एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (विंशतेः अहः = twentieth day)

• गर्भस्थः: situated in the womb
• गर्भस्थः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: गर्भ (प्रातिपदिक) + स्थ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा), एकवचन; विशेषणम् (गर्भे स्थितः)

• वर्धते: grows
• वर्धते: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: वृध् (धातु)
• Form: लट् (Present), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन; आत्मनेपदम्

• क्रमात्: gradually, in sequence
• क्रमात्: Kriya-vishesana (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: क्रम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्ययीभावार्थे तसिल्-प्रत्ययान्त अव्यय (ablatival adverb: ‘in order/gradually’)

Speaker

Lord Vishnu (speaking to Garuda/Vinata-putra)

Philosophical Teaching

Concept: The body forms through sequential consolidation: mamsa arises and becomes ghana (dense) as mixed constituents integrate.

Vedantic Theme: Name-and-form (nāma-rūpa) crystallize progressively; the embodied condition is constructed and therefore non-ultimate.

Application: Use contemplation of bodily construction to reduce pride in form and cultivate equanimity toward aging and change.

Verse Rasa

Primary Rasa: adbhuta

Secondary Rasa: shanta

Geographic Context

Type: bodily-inner-space

Cross References

Related Themes: Garuda Purana 2.32.23–27 (continuous fetal development sequence)

Characters & Entities

• Garbha (embryo)
• Dhatus (bodily constituents)

FAQs

What is the importance of garbha (embryo) development in the Garuda Purana?

This verse emphasizes that bodily formation is sequential and governed by natural order (krama), supporting the Purana’s broader teaching that embodied life arises through lawful processes and is therefore ethically significant.

How does this verse explain the formation of the human body?

It states that by the 14th day flesh (māṁsa) appears with mixed bodily constituents (dhātus), and by the 20th day it becomes dense, indicating a gradual consolidation of the embryo’s physical structure.

Practical application of this wisdom today?

It encourages reverence for embodied life and mindful conduct, reminding practitioners that the human body develops through a delicate, step-by-step process and should be protected through dharmic living.