Shloka 8

Śvāsa-nidāna: Etiology, Types, Symptom Progression, and Fatal Prognosis

Devanagari script

करोति तीव्रवेगञ्च श्वासं प्राणोपतापिनम् / प्रताम्येत्तस्य वेगेनष्ठीवनान्ते क्षणं सुखी

Transliteration

karoti tīvravegañca śvāsaṃ prāṇopatāpinam / pratāmyettasya vegenaṣṭhīvanānte kṣaṇaṃ sukhī

Translation

他开始以猛烈急速之势喘息，此息折磨生命之风（普拉那 prāṇa）；为其冲势所压而昏厥，唯至末了——吐出痰涎之后——方得片刻安舒。

Word by Word

• करोति: does; produces
• करोति: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: कृ (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार (Present), परस्मैपद, प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन (Singular)

• तीव्र: intense
• तीव्र: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: तीव्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग (Neuter), द्वितीया (Accusative), एकवचन; समासपूर्वपदत्वेन (as prior member)

• वेगम्: speed; force
• वेगम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वेग (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग (Masculine), द्वितीया (Accusative), एकवचन

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

• श्वासम्: breath; respiration
• श्वासम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: श्वास (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग (Masculine), द्वितीया (Accusative), एकवचन

• प्राणोपतापिनम्: afflicting the vital airs
• प्राणोपतापिनम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: प्राण + उपतापिन् (प्रातिपदिक); उप-तप् (धातु) + इन् (प्रत्यय)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग (Masculine), द्वितीया (Accusative), एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (prāṇānām upatāpī = afflicting the vital breaths)

• प्रताम्येत्: would faint; becomes exhausted
• प्रताम्येत्: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: प्र-तम् (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (Optative), आत्मनेपद, प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन

• तस्य: of him/it; its
• तस्य: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठी (Genitive), एकवचन; सर्वनाम (pronoun)

• वेगेन: by the force
• वेगेन: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वेग (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग (Masculine), तृतीया (Instrumental), एकवचन

• ष्ठीवनान्ते: at the end of expectoration
• ष्ठीवनान्ते: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ष्ठीवन + अन्त (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग (Masculine), सप्तमी (Locative), एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (ṣṭhīvanasya antaḥ = at the end of spitting)

• क्षणम्: for a moment
• क्षणम्: Kaaladhikarana (Time/कालाधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: क्षण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग (Masculine), द्वितीया (Accusative), एकवचन; कालवाचक (time-extent)

• सुखी: comfortable; relieved
• सुखी: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सुखिन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग (Masculine), प्रथमा (Nominative), एकवचन; भाववाचक-विशेषण (predicative adjective)

Speaker

Lord Vishnu (in dialogue with Garuda/Vinata-putra)

Medical Ayurveda

Dosha: Kapha

Philosophical Teaching

Concept: Clinical observation of prāṇa-vāyu disturbance and episodic relief after expelling obstructive matter.

Vedantic Theme: Deha-asvatantratā (the body’s vulnerability) prompting vairāgya toward the perishable.

Application: Recognize severe dyspnea with fainting as urgent; reduce triggers, seek treatment, and cultivate detachment and remembrance amid bodily crisis.

Verse Rasa

Primary Rasa: karuna

Secondary Rasa: bhayanaka

Cross References

Related Themes: Garuda Purana 1.150 (asthma/śvāsa-kāsa section)

Characters & Entities

• Prana (vital airs)

FAQs

What is the importance of describing intense breathing at death in the Garuda Purana?

This verse highlights a recognized end-of-life sign: disturbance of prāṇa (vital airs), showing how the departing process can involve distress, fainting, and brief, intermittent relief.

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

By describing prāṇa being “tormented” and the person fainting, it indicates the body’s systems losing stability as the jīva prepares to separate from the gross body—an early marker of the transition toward the preta condition discussed in the Preta Kanda.

Practical application of this wisdom today?

It encourages compassionate care at the end of life—reducing panic, offering calm support, and remembering dharmic preparations (prayer, remembrance, and appropriate rites) rather than treating the final distress as meaningless.