Shloka 39
Dharma of the Renunciant: Alms Discipline, Meditation, and Expiations
एकमेव परं ब्रह्म विज्ञेयं तत्त्वमव्ययम् । स देवस्तु महादेवो नैतद्विज्ञाय बध्यते
ekameva paraṃ brahma vijñeyaṃ tattvamavyayam | sa devastu mahādevo naitadvijñāya badhyate
البراهمان الأعلى واحدٌ لا غير، حقيقةٌ غير فانية ينبغي إدراكها. ذلك الإله بعينه هو مهاديفا؛ ومن لم يعرف هذا بقي مقيّدًا.
Unspecified (verse presented without surrounding dialogue context)
Concept: Brahman is one, imperishable, and must be realized; ignorance of this keeps beings bound.
Application: Daily: contemplate the imperishable Self beyond roles; reduce reactive identity by remembering ‘one reality’ before action; pair japa with inquiry—‘Who is the knower?’—to loosen bondage.
Primary Rasa: shanta
Secondary Rasa: adbhuta
Type: celestial_realm
Visual Art Cues: {"scene_description":"A vast lotus of consciousness floats in a starless, luminous void; at its center a serene ascetic vision reveals a single, undivided Brahman as a pillar of light. Within that radiance, Mahādeva appears not as separate, but as a transparent form—matted locks and crescent moon rendered like light itself—signifying the One reality that dissolves bondage.","primary_figures":["Brahman as jyoti-stambha (pillar of light)","Mahādeva (Śiva) as luminous form","silent rishis/seekers in meditation"],"setting":"Celestial contemplative space with a cosmic lotus and subtle mandala geometry; no earthly landmarks, only the suggestion of svarga’s purity.","lighting_mood":"divine radiance","color_palette":["sapphire blue","lotus pink","moonstone white","gold leaf","smoky ash gray"],"tanjore_prompt":"Tanjore painting style: a central jyoti-stambha rising from a jeweled lotus, Mahādeva rendered as a translucent, blessing figure within the light; heavy gold leaf halos, rich crimson and emerald borders, gem-studded ornaments on the lotus petals, sacred Sanskrit seed-syllables embossed around the frame, traditional South Indian iconographic symmetry.","pahari_prompt":"Pahari miniature style: a quiet cosmic lotus-lake under a pale indigo sky, a slender pillar of light reflected in still waters; Mahādeva as a soft, ethereal presence, delicate brushwork, refined faces of meditating sages on a small bank, cool palette with lyrical minimalism and fine linework.","kerala_mural_prompt":"Kerala mural style: bold black outlines and flat natural pigments; a radiant central light-pillar with stylized lotus base, Mahādeva with characteristic large eyes and crescent moon, red-yellow-green dominance, temple-wall aesthetic with ornamental creepers framing the nondual theme.","pichwai_prompt":"Pichwai cloth painting style: a grand lotus mandala with concentric floral borders, peacocks and stylized clouds circling a central light-pillar; subtle inclusion of a small Śiva figure within the radiance to indicate unity, deep indigo background, gold detailing, intricate white floral filigree."}
Audio Atmosphere: {"recitation_mood":"meditative","suggested_raga":"Yaman","pace":"slow-meditative","voice_tone":"serene","sound_elements":["silence","soft tanpura drone","distant temple bell","conch shell (very faint)"]}
Sandhi Resolution Notes: ekam+eva→ekameva; tattvam+avyayam→tattvamavyayam; devaḥ+tu→devastu; mahādevaḥ+na→mahādevo na; na+etat→naitat; etat+vijñāya→etadvijñāya.
FAQs
It teaches non-duality: the Supreme Brahman is one imperishable reality, identified here with Mahādeva, and liberation depends on realizing this truth.
It explicitly equates Mahādeva with the Supreme Brahman, presenting Śiva not merely as a deity among many but as the Absolute reality to be realized.
“Bound” refers to continued bondage to saṃsāra—ignorance, karma, and repeated birth and death—caused by not realizing the one imperishable Brahman.