Shloka 33

Aśva–Gaja Āyurveda: Marks, Defects, Wounds, Doṣa-Therapy, and Protective Rites

Devanagari script

गजायुर्वेदमाख्यास्ये उक्ताः कल्पा गजे हिताः / गजे चतुर्गुणा मात्रास्ताभिर्गजरुगर्दनः

Transliteration

gajāyurvedamākhyāsye uktāḥ kalpā gaje hitāḥ / gaje caturguṇā mātrāstābhirgajarugardanaḥ

Translation

今当宣说象之阿育吠陀之学——诸方药已被传授，皆为大象之利。于象而言，剂量当为四倍；凭此诸量，象之诸疾得以缓解。

Word by Word

• गजायुर्वेदम्: the elephant-Ayurveda (elephant medicine)
• गजायुर्वेदम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: गज (प्रातिपदिक) + आयुर्वेद (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन; ‘गजानाम् आयुर्वेदः’ (elephant-medicine)

• आख्यास्ये: I shall explain
• आख्यास्ये: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: आ-√ख्या (ख्याने) (धातु)
• Form: लृट् (Simple Future), उत्तमपुरुष (1st person), एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• उक्ताः: stated
• उक्ताः: Visheshana (Adjective/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: √वच् (वचने) (धातु) + क्त (कृदन्त)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), बहुवचन; क्त-प्रत्ययान्त; ‘said/declared’

• कल्पाः: formulas/procedures
• कल्पाः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कल्प (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), बहुवचन

• गजे: for/in the elephant
• गजे: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: गज (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/Locative), एकवचन

• हिताः: beneficial
• हिताः: Visheshana (Adjective/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: हित (कृदन्त; √धा (धारणे) + क्त, ‘placed/beneficial’)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), बहुवचन; विशेषण

• गजे: in/for the elephant
• गजे: Adhikarana (Scope/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: गज (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/Locative), एकवचन

• चतुर्गुणाः: fourfold
• चतुर्गुणाः: Visheshana (Adjective/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: चतुर् (प्रातिपदिक; संख्या) + गुण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), बहुवचन; ‘चतुर्गुणाः’ = fourfold

• मात्राः: measures/doses
• मात्राः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मात्रा (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), बहुवचन

• ताभिः: by those (measures)
• ताभिः: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/Instrumental), बहुवचन; सर्वनाम

• गजरुगर्दनः: destroyer of elephants’ diseases
• गजरुगर्दनः: Karta (Predicate noun/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: गज (प्रातिपदिक) + रुग्/रोग (प्रातिपदिक) + अर्दन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; ‘गजरुग्-अर्दनः’ = elephant-disease-destroyer

Speaker

Lord Vishnu (teaching Garuda/Vinata-putra)

Philosophical Teaching

Concept: Appropriate adaptation of general remedies to species-specific needs (fourfold dosage for elephants).

Vedantic Theme: Dharma as loka-saṅgraha: sustaining beings through context-sensitive action.

Application: When applying a protocol to a different body/scale, adjust dosage proportionally; treat according to the patient’s nature (prakṛti) and size.

Verse Rasa

Primary Rasa: adbhuta

Secondary Rasa: shanta

Cross References

Related Themes: Garuda Purana 1.201.32 (baseline dosing); Garuda Purana 1.201.34-36 (ritual/mantra adjuncts for elephant ailments)

Characters & Entities

• Gaja (Elephant)

FAQs

What is the importance of Gajāyurveda in the Garuda Purana?

This verse frames a dedicated section on elephant-care, stating that specific formulations are taught for elephants and that their dosage rules differ from humans, showing the text’s applied Ayurvedic scope.

What does “fourfold dose” mean in this verse?

It indicates that, for elephants, the standard medicinal measure is taken as quadruple, reflecting the animal’s larger body size and therapeutic requirements.

Practical application of this wisdom today?

Use it as a traditional guideline that dosage must be species- and body-size-specific; in practice, apply this principle under qualified veterinary supervision rather than literal self-prescription.