Shloka 16

Mahāyoga: Detachment from ‘I/Mine’, Aṣṭāṅga Practice, Oṁkāra and Aham-Brahmāsmi Contemplation

Devanagari script

प्रथमे नजयेत्स्वप्नं मध्यमेन च वेपथुम् / विपाकं हि तृतीयेन जातान्दोषास्त्वनुक्रमात्

Transliteration

prathame najayetsvapnaṃ madhyamena ca vepathum / vipākaṃ hi tṛtīyena jātāndoṣāstvanukramāt

Translation

في المرحلة الأولى لا ينبغي أن يدع النوم يغلبه؛ وفي المرحلة الوسطى عليه أن يقهر الارتجاف؛ وفي المرحلة الثالثة يُنضِج العيوب الناشئة إلى تمام عاقبتها (فيباكا)، فيتسلّط عليها على الترتيب.

Word by Word

• प्रथमे: in the first (stage)
• प्रथमे: Adhikarana (Locative/अधिकरण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: प्रथम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे/नपुंसकलिङ्गे, सप्तमी (7th/सप्तमी), एकवचन; विशेषणरूपेण (locative of stage: "in the first")

• न: not
• न: Sambandha (Particle/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: न (अव्यय)
• Form: निषेधार्थक-अव्यय (negative particle)

• जयेत्: should overcome
• जयेत्: Kriya (Verb/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: जि (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (Optative), परस्मैपद, प्रथमपुरुष (3rd), एकवचन; "should conquer/overcome"

• स्वप्नम्: sleep, dream-state
• स्वप्नम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: स्वप्न (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे, द्वितीया (2nd/द्वितीया), एकवचन; कर्मपदम्

• मध्यमेन: by the middle (stage)
• मध्यमेन: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: मध्यम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे/नपुंसकलिङ्गे, तृतीया (3rd/तृतीया), एकवचन; करणभावे (instrumental: "by the middle")

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

• वेपथुम्: trembling
• वेपथुम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वेपथु (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे, द्वितीया (2nd/द्वितीया), एकवचन; कर्मपदम्

• विपाकम्: maturation, fruition
• विपाकम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: विपाक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे, द्वितीया (2nd/द्वितीया), एकवचन; कर्मपदम्

• हि: indeed
• हि: Sambandha (Particle/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: हि (अव्यय)
• Form: निपात (emphatic/causal particle)

• तृतीयेन: by the third (stage)
• तृतीयेन: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: तृतीय (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे/नपुंसकलिङ्गे, तृतीया (3rd/तृतीया), एकवचन; करणभावे (instrumental: "by the third")

• जातान्: arisen, produced
• जातान्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: जात (जन्-धातोः क्त-प्रत्ययान्त कृदन्त)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे, द्वितीया (2nd/द्वितीया), बहुवचन; भूतकर्मणि क्त-प्रत्यय (past passive participle) विशेषणम्

• दोषाः: faults, defects
• दोषाः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: दोष (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे, प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा), बहुवचन; कर्तृपदम्

• तु: but
• तु: Sambandha (Particle/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तु (अव्यय)
• Form: निपात (contrastive particle)

• अनुक्रमात्: in sequence, successively
• अनुक्रमात्: Apadana (Source/अपा दान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अनुक्रम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे, पञ्चमी (5th/पञ्चमी), एकवचन; अपादानभावे (ablative: "in due order/sequence")

Speaker

Lord Viṣṇu (teaching Garuḍa, Vinatā-putra)

Philosophical Teaching

Concept: Gradual yogic training: overcoming sleep (tamas), trembling (instability), and systematically mastering arising doṣas/obstacles through their understood maturation (vipāka).

Vedantic Theme: Antaḥkaraṇa-śuddhi and guṇa-vijaya as preparation for steadiness leading toward liberation-oriented contemplation.

Application: Use staged practice: first cultivate wakeful attention, then stabilize the body-breath to remove tremor, then observe and neutralize recurring obstacles by understanding their triggers and consequences.

Verse Rasa

Primary Rasa: shanta

Cross References

Related Themes: Garuda Purana 1.226.17-20 (asana, pranava-dharana, guna-nirodha, pratyahara, pranayama/dharana)

Characters & Entities

• Vishnu
• Garuda

FAQs

What is the importance of conquering sleep (svapna) in the Garuda Purana?

This verse frames drowsiness as an early obstacle in disciplined practice and advises mastering it first so the mind becomes fit for steadiness and higher progress.

How does this verse explain a step-by-step path of inner mastery?

It presents a sequence: first resist sleep, then steady the body-mind against trembling, and finally handle the remaining faults by letting their causes and results become clear and resolved in order.

Practical application of this wisdom today?

Build progressive discipline: regulate sleep, train calm breathing to reduce shaking/anxiety, and track recurring lapses (doṣas) so they can be corrected one by one.