Shloka 8

Dhyāna of Hari and the Procedure of Āditya/Sūrya Worship

Devanagari script

अहङ्कारविहीनं वै बुद्धिधर्ंमविवर्जितम् / प्राणेन रहितं चैव ह्यपानेन विवर्जितम्

Transliteration

ahaṅkāravihīnaṃ vai buddhidharṃmavivarjitam / prāṇena rahitaṃ caiva hyapānena vivarjitam

Translation

Wahrlich, es ist ohne Ichgefühl (ahaṅkāra), der Funktionen von Intellekt (buddhi) und Dharma beraubt; und es ist ohne prāṇa und ebenso des apāna entbehrend.

Word by Word

• अहङ्कार-विहीनम्: devoid of ego
• अहङ्कार-विहीनम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अहङ्कार (प्रातिपदिक) + विहीन (कृदन्त/प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1/2), एकवचन; विशेषण (neuter nom/acc sg adjective)

• वै: indeed
• वै: Sambandha/Discourse particle (निपात)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: वै (अव्यय)
• Form: निपात (particle/emphasis)

• बुद्धि-धर्म-विवर्जितम्: deprived of the qualities of intellect
• बुद्धि-धर्म-विवर्जितम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: बुद्धि (प्रातिपदिक) + धर्म (प्रातिपदिक) + विवर्जित (कृदन्त; वि+वृज्/वर्ज्)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1/2), एकवचन; विशेषण (neuter nom/acc sg adjective)

• प्राणेन: by/with prāṇa (vital breath)
• प्राणेन: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: प्राण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3), एकवचन (instrumental sg)

• रहितम्: bereft (of)
• रहितम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: रहित (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1/2), एकवचन; विशेषण

• च: and
• च: Connector (समुच्चय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयबोधक अव्यय (conjunction)

• एव: just/indeed
• एव: Emphasis (अवधारण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एव (अव्यय)
• Form: अवधारणार्थक अव्यय (emphatic/limiting particle)

• हि: for/indeed
• हि: Discourse particle (निपात)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: हि (अव्यय)
• Form: निपात (particle; causal/emphatic)

• अपानेन: by/with apāna (downward breath)
• अपानेन: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अपान (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3), एकवचन (instrumental sg)

• विवर्जितम्: deprived/void of
• विवर्जितम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: विवर्जित (कृदन्त; वि+वृज्/वर्ज्)
• Form: भूतकृदन्त (past passive participle), नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1/2), एकवचन; विशेषण

Speaker

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

Philosophical Teaching

Concept: Deha as insentient and functionless when separated from prāṇa-vāyus; ego and buddhi-dharma are not the Self.

Vedantic Theme: Neti-neti and deha-ātma-bhrānti-nivṛtti (removal of body-as-self error).

Application: Contemplate the difference between awareness and bodily functions; use as a meditation on impermanence to reduce ego-reactivity.

Verse Rasa

Primary Rasa: shanta

Secondary Rasa: karuna

Cross References

Related Themes: Garuda Purana (Pretakalpa/Preta-khanda): descriptions of the jīva’s separation from prāṇa and the inert body after death; Garuda Purana: teachings on subtle body and vāyus in ritual/vidyā sections

FAQs

What is the importance of prāṇa and apāna in the Garuda Purana’s description of death?

This verse highlights that at death the embodied condition loses the vital currents (prāṇa and apāna), indicating cessation of life-functions and the transition away from normal embodied agency.

How does this verse explain the path of the soul after death?

By stating the loss of ego-sense and functional intellect/dharma along with prāṇa-apāna, the verse frames death as a withdrawal of operative faculties—setting the stage for the jīva’s onward journey in a subtler condition described later in the dialogue.

Practical application of this wisdom today?

It encourages non-attachment to ego and bodily identity, and supports disciplined living (dharma) and breath-awareness, remembering that life-functions are impermanent and ethically lived life matters beyond the body.