Shloka 74

Devanagari script

इदं ज्ञानमिदं ज्ञेयमिति चिन्तासमाकुलाः / पठन्त्यहर्निशं शास्त्रं परतत्त्वपराङ्मुखाः

Transliteration

idaṃ jñānamidaṃ jñeyamiti cintāsamākulāḥ / paṭhantyaharniśaṃ śāstraṃ paratattvaparāṅmukhāḥ

Translation

مضطربون بأفكار مثل: «هذا هو العلم، وهذا ما ينبغي أن يُعلَم»، يقرؤون الشاسترا ليلًا ونهارًا، ومع ذلك يظلون معرضين عن الحقيقة العليا (para-tattva).

Word by Word

• इदम्: this
• इदम्: विशेषण (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: इदम् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (Nominative, 1st), एकवचन; निर्देश-सर्वनाम

• ज्ञानम्: knowledge
• ज्ञानम्: प्रधानेन विधेय (Predicate nominal/विधेय)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ज्ञान (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (Nominative, 1st), एकवचन

• इदम्: this
• इदम्: विशेषण (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: इदम् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (Nominative, 1st), एकवचन; निर्देश-सर्वनाम

• ज्ञेयम्: what is to be known
• ज्ञेयम्: प्रधानेन विधेय (Predicate nominal/विधेय)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ज्ञा (धातु) + यत् (कृदन्त)
• Form: कृदन्त (भविष्यत्कर्मणि/gerundive—तव्यत्/यत्-प्राय), नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (Nominative, 1st), एकवचन; ‘ज्ञातव्यम्’

• इति: thus
• इति: सम्बन्ध (Quotative/इति)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: इति (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; वाक्य-समाप्ति/उद्धरण-चिह्न (quotative particle)

• चिन्तासमाकुलाः: agitated by thoughts
• चिन्तासमाकुलाः: कर्ता (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: चिन्ता + समाकुल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (Nominative, 1st), बहुवचन; समासः—चिन्तया समाकुलाः (तृतीया-तत्पुरुष)

• पठन्ति: read/recite
• पठन्ति: क्रिया (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: पठ् (धातु)
• Form: लट् (Present), परस्मैपद, प्रथमपुरुष (3rd), बहुवचन

• अहर्निशम्: day and night
• अहर्निशम्: कालाधिकरण (Temporal adverb/काल)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अहन् + निशा (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्ययीभाव-समास; क्रियाविशेषण (adverb) ‘अहश्च निशा च’ = day and night

• शास्त्रम्: scripture/treatise
• शास्त्रम्: कर्म (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शास्त्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (Accusative, 2nd), एकवचन

• परतत्त्वपराङ्मुखाः: turned away from the supreme reality
• परतत्त्वपराङ्मुखाः: कर्ता (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: पर + तत्त्व + पराङ्मुख (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (Nominative, 1st), बहुवचन; समासः—परतत्त्वे पराङ्मुखाः (सप्तमी/उपपद-तत्पुरुष)

Speaker

Lord Vishnu (in dialogue with Garuda/Vinata-putra)

Philosophical Teaching

Concept: Obsessive conceptualization of ‘knowledge vs object of knowledge’ can obstruct realization; reading day and night is futile if one remains turned away from the Supreme Reality.

Vedantic Theme: From parokṣa (indirect) to aparokṣa (direct) knowledge; overcoming vṛtti-jāla (net of mental modifications); śāstra as pointer to Brahman, not an end in itself.

Application: Balance study with silence, meditation, and self-inquiry; after reading, sit to assimilate (nididhyāsana); reduce compulsive categorization and return to the immediate awareness that scriptures indicate.

Verse Rasa

Primary Rasa: karuna

Secondary Rasa: shanta

Cross References

Related Themes: 2.49.70: tattva-jñāna as direct cause; 2.49.72: swept by śāstra currents; 2.49.73: crow-chatter learning

FAQs

What is the importance of paratattva (Supreme Reality) in Garuda Purana?

This verse stresses that the goal of study is direct orientation to paratattva; without that, even constant scriptural reading remains spiritually incomplete.

How does this verse explain the path of the soul?

It implies that liberation depends on inner realization of the highest truth, not only conceptual distinctions of “knowledge” and “knowable,” which can keep the mind restless and outward-turned.

Practical application of this wisdom today?

Study sacred texts with a contemplative aim—reduce argumentative overthinking, apply the teaching in conduct and meditation, and keep the focus on realizing the highest truth.