Shloka 34

Devanagari script

माया च शुद्ध विद्या च ईश्वरश्च सदाशिवः / शक्तिः शिवश्च ताञ्ज्ञात्वा मुक्तो ज्ञानी शिवो भवेत्

Transliteration

māyā ca śuddha vidyā ca īśvaraśca sadāśivaḥ / śaktiḥ śivaśca tāñjñātvā mukto jñānī śivo bhavet

Translation

مَن عرفَ المايا والمعرفةَ الطاهرة المُحرِّرة (فِدْيا)، وعرفَ الإيشْفَرا وسَدَاشِيفا، وعرفَ الشَّكتي وشِيفا—فإذا أدركها على حقيقتها تحرَّر العارفُ وصار شِيفا، أي بلغ طبيعةَ شِيفا.

Word by Word

• माया: māyā (illusion/power)
• माया: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: माया (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1), एकवचन

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; समुच्चय

• शुद्धा: pure
• शुद्धा: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: शुद्ध (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1), एकवचन; विशेषणम् (विद्यायाः)

• विद्या: knowledge (vidyā)
• विद्या: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: विद्या (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1), एकवचन

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; समुच्चय

• ईश्वरः: Īśvara (the Lord)
• ईश्वरः: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ईश्वर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1), एकवचन

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; समुच्चय

• सदाशिवः: Sadāśiva
• सदाशिवः: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सदा + शिव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1), एकवचन; कर्मधारयः (सदा शिवः)

• शक्तिः: Śakti (power)
• शक्तिः: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शक्ति (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1), एकवचन

• शिवः: Śiva
• शिवः: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शिव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1), एकवचन

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; समुच्चय

• तान्: those (principles)
• तान्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2), बहुवचन; सर्वनाम

• ज्ञात्वा: having known
• ज्ञात्वा: Purvakala (Prior action/पूर्वकाल)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √ज्ञा (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त-अव्ययकृदन्त (absolutive/gerund): ‘having known’

• मुक्तः: liberated
• मुक्तः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: मुक्त (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक; √मुच्)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1), एकवचन; भूतकृदन्त (क्त)

• ज्ञानी: knower, wise person
• ज्ञानी: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ज्ञानिन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1), एकवचन; गुणवाचक-नाम

• शिवः: Śiva
• शिवः: Karta (Predicate nominative/विधेय)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शिव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1), एकवचन

• भवेत्: would become
• भवेत्: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √भू (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (optative), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपदम्

Speaker

Lord Vishnu (in dialogue to Garuda/Vinatā-putra)

Philosophical Teaching

Concept: Liberation through right knowledge (tattva-jñāna): discerning māyā and śuddha-vidyā, īśvara/sadāśiva, śakti/śiva; the knower becomes free and attains śiva-svarūpa.

Vedantic Theme: Aparokṣa-jñāna (direct realization) dissolves bondage; identity with the supreme reality once ignorance is removed.

Application: Study and contemplate the categories as experiential markers; practice mantra/meditation to move from identification with māyā-bound states to recognition of pure awareness; cultivate steady discernment and inner silence.

Verse Rasa

Primary Rasa: shanta

Secondary Rasa: adbhuta

Geographic Context

Type: inner realization (jñāna-bhūmi)

Cross References

Related Themes: Garuda Purana: mokṣa-oriented passages where knowledge is said to burn bondage; syncretic Śaiva-Vaiṣṇava metaphysics appears in some recensions

Characters & Entities

• Māyā
• Śuddha-vidyā
• Īśvara
• Sadāśiva
• Śakti
• Śiva

FAQs

What is the importance of Māyā and Śuddha-vidyā in Garuda Purana?

This verse frames liberation as discernment: understanding Māyā as the principle of manifestation/delusion and Śuddha-vidyā as pure, liberating insight that reveals reality beyond confusion.

How does this verse explain the path of the soul?

It presents the soul’s release not primarily through post-death rites here, but through realization of key divine principles (Īśvara–Sadāśiva, Śakti–Śiva); such knowledge culminates in mukti—identity with Śiva-nature.

Practical application of this wisdom today?

Cultivate discrimination between changing appearances (māyā) and stable truth (śuddha-vidyā) through study, contemplation, and ethical living—aiming for inner freedom rather than mere external outcomes.