Shloka 5
Pañcopāsanā: Viṣṇu-ādhāra invocation and the kalā-s of Sadyojāta, Vāmadeva, Tatpuruṣa, and Īśāna
मनोन्मनी अघोरा च तथा मोहा क्षुधा कलाः / निद्रा मृत्युश्च माया च (८)अष्टसंख्या भयङ्कर
manonmanī aghorā ca tathā mohā kṣudhā kalāḥ / nidrā mṛtyuśca māyā ca (8)aṣṭasaṃkhyā bhayaṅkara
مانونمانِي، وأغورَا، وكذلك موهَا؛ والجوع، وكالَا (قوة التقييد)؛ والنوم، والموت، ومايا—هذه الثمانية، المخيفة في طبيعتها، تُعَدُّ جماعةً ثُمانية.
Lord Vishnu (narrating to Garuda)
Concept: Aṣṭaka of binding forces—delusion, hunger, sleep, death, māyā etc.—as experiential knots that obscure awareness.
Vedantic Theme: Avidyā–māyā and saṃsāra-lakṣaṇa; recognition of upādhis that veil the Self.
Application: Use as a contemplative checklist in self-observation (kṣudhā/nidrā/mohā etc.) to cultivate vairāgya and vigilance.
Primary Rasa: bhayanaka
Secondary Rasa: bibhatsa
Related Themes: Garuda Purana (Brahma-khaṇḍa) thematic parallels: lists of doṣa/kleśa and māyā-bondage in adjacent adhyāyas on mantra and tattva (contextual).
FAQs
This verse lists eight inner forces/states that bind and frighten the embodied being—highlighting how delusion, hunger, sleep, death, and māyā dominate the jīva’s experience and obstruct clarity.
By naming these binding states, the text implies that the soul’s journey is shaped not only by external punishments or realms but also by inner compulsions (moha, nidrā, māyā, etc.) that condition perception and suffering.
Cultivate vigilance against delusion and compulsive states—through dharma, self-discipline, and remembrance—so that hunger, sleep, and fear do not rule the mind and decision-making.