Shloka 12

Atma-Jnana as the Direct Means to Moksha: Advaita, Maya, and the Three States

Devanagari script

यदा सर्वे विमुच्यन्ते कामा येस्यहृदि स्थिताः / तदामृतत्वमाप्नोति जीवन्नेव न संशयः

Transliteration

yadā sarve vimucyante kāmā yesyahṛdi sthitāḥ / tadāmṛtatvamāpnoti jīvanneva na saṃśayaḥ

Translation

إذا انحلّت كلُّ الرغبات الساكنة في القلب انحلالًا تامًّا، فحينئذٍ—وهو لا يزال حيًّا—ينال الخلود (أمرتَتفا)؛ ولا ريب في ذلك.

Word by Word

• यदा: when
• यदा: Avyaya (Time/काल)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: यदा (अव्यय)
• Form: कालवाचक अव्यय (temporal adverb/conjunction)

• सर्वे: all
• सर्वे: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सर्व (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), बहुवचन

• विमुच्यन्ते: are released
• विमुच्यन्ते: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: वि+मुच् (धातु)
• Form: लट् (Present), आत्मनेपद, प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), बहुवचन; कर्मणि/मध्यवाच्यभाव (are released)

• कामाः: desires
• कामाः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: काम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), बहुवचन

• यस्य: whose
• यस्य: Shashthi-sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th/Genitive), एकवचन; सम्बन्धसूचक सर्वनाम (relative pronoun)

• हृदि: in the heart
• हृदि: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: हृद्/हृदय (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/Locative), एकवचन

• स्थिताः: situated
• स्थिताः: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: स्था (धातु) → स्थित (कृदन्त/प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), बहुवचन; भूतकृदन्त (क्त)

• तदा: then
• तदा: Avyaya (Time/काल)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तदा (अव्यय)
• Form: कालवाचक अव्यय (then)

• अमृतत्वम्: immortality
• अमृतत्वम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अमृतत्व (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन

• आप्नोति: attains
• आप्नोति: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: आप् (धातु)
• Form: लट् (Present), परस्मैपद, प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन

• जीवन्: while living
• जीवन्: Kriya-visheshana (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: जीव् (धातु) → जीवत् (कृदन्त)
• Form: वर्तमानकृदन्त (शतृ), पुंलिङ्ग प्रथमा एकवचन; क्रियाविशेषणरूपेण (while living)

• एव: indeed
• एव: Avyaya (Particle/निपात)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एव (अव्यय)
• Form: निपात (emphatic particle)

• न: no / not
• न: Avyaya (Negation/निषेध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: न (अव्यय)
• Form: निषेध-निपात (negation)

• संशयः: doubt
• संशयः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: संशय (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन

Speaker

Lord Vishnu (speaking to Garuda/Vinata-putra)

Philosophical Teaching

Concept: Complete relinquishment of heart-dwelling desires yields amṛtatva (deathlessness) while living—jīvanmukti.

Vedantic Theme: Kāma as expression of avidyā; cessation of desire as sign of realization; jīvanmukti as freedom from saṃsāric compulsion despite embodiment.

Application: Practice desire-awareness and letting-go; cultivate contentment (santoṣa), discrimination, and meditation; replace craving with devotion or inquiry until desires exhaust.

Verse Rasa

Primary Rasa: shanta

Secondary Rasa: adbhuta

Cross References

Related Themes: Garuda Purana jñāna-vairāgya sequence culminating in desirelessness (contextual).

Characters & Entities

• Jiva
• Kama

FAQs

What is the importance of desirelessness (kāma-kṣaya) in the Garuda Purana?

This verse states that releasing all heart-bound desires is the direct condition for attaining amṛtatva—liberation-like deathlessness—while still alive.

How does this verse explain the path of the soul?

It points to inner purification as the key factor: the soul’s freedom is achieved by dropping binding desires, rather than by external status, indicating a jīvanmukta-oriented path.

Practical application of this wisdom today?

Practice restraint and discernment: identify recurring cravings, reduce attachment-driven actions, and cultivate contentment and devotion so desires lose their grip on the heart.