Garuda Purana — Moksha Sadhana Prakarana, Shloka 47
Jñāna-hetu-nirūpaṇa
On the Causes/Means of Knowledge
दैत्यानां मोहनार्थाय अंशे दुः खीव दृश्यते / तस्या दुः खादिकं किञ्चिन्नास्तिनास्त्येव सर्वथा
daityānāṃ mohanārthāya aṃśe duḥ khīva dṛśyate / tasyā duḥ khādikaṃ kiñcinnāstināstyeva sarvathā
لإضلال الدايتيّات (Daityas) تبدو—في جانبٍ منها فحسب—كأنّها مُبتلاةٌ بالحزن؛ لكنّ الحقيقة أنّه لا وجودَ للحزن ولا لشيءٍ من هذا القبيل فيها أبدًا—لا وجودَ له مطلقًا وبأيّ وجه.
Lord Vishnu (narrating to Garuda/Vinata-putra)
Concept: Apparent affliction is a partial, strategic appearance to delude hostile beings; in truth the divine principle is untouched by sorrow.
Vedantic Theme: Māyā/līlā: appearance without intrinsic modification (vikāra-rahitatva); distinction between empirical display and absolute nature.
Application: Do not judge ultimate reality by surface appearances; apply viveka when confronted with seeming contradictions in sacred narratives or in life events.
Primary Rasa: adbhuta
Secondary Rasa: shanta
Related Themes: Garuda Purana 3.12.46 (Bhāratī always knowledge and sorrowless)
FAQs
This verse shows that the Divine can assume an appearance (such as sorrow) for a specific cosmic purpose—here, to bewilder the Daityas—while remaining untouched by suffering in reality.
It states that She is only seen 'as if' sorrowful in a partial manifestation, but intrinsically no sorrow exists in Her at all—highlighting the Purāṇic theme that the Divine is beyond worldly afflictions.
Do not judge ultimate reality by surface appearances; cultivate discernment (viveka) and steadiness, remembering that temporary displays of emotion or hardship may not reflect the deeper truth.