Shloka 25

Mahāyoga: Detachment from ‘I/Mine’, Aṣṭāṅga Practice, Oṁkāra and Aham-Brahmāsmi Contemplation

Devanagari script

निर्गुणा योगिगम्याद्यार्धमात्रा परा स्थिता / गान्धारीति च विज्ञेया गान्धारस्वरसंश्रया / इत्येतदक्षरं ब्रह्म परमोङ्कारसंज्ञितम्

Transliteration

nirguṇā yogigamyādyārdhamātrā parā sthitā / gāndhārīti ca vijñeyā gāndhārasvarasaṃśrayā / ityetadakṣaraṃ brahma paramoṅkārasaṃjñitam

Translation

Jene höchste Wirklichkeit ist eigenschaftslos (nirguṇa), nur von Yogins erreichbar, und verweilt als die uranfängliche «Halb‑Mātrā». Sie ist als «Gāndhārī» zu erkennen, ruhend auf dem Ton Gāndhāra. Dies ist die unvergängliche Brahman‑Silbe, bekannt als der transzendente Oṃkāra.

Word by Word

• निर्गुणा: without qualities
• निर्गुणा: Visheshana (Qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: निर् (उपसर्ग) + गुण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा), एकवचन; नञ्/निर्-प्रयोगेण ‘गुणरहित’ विशेषणम् (अर्धमात्रा इत्यस्य)

• योगि-गम्या: attainable by yogis
• योगि-गम्या: Visheshana (Qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: योगिन् (प्रातिपदिक) + गम्य (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; चतुर्थी/षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषार्थः (योगिभिः गम्या/योगिनां गम्या) = ‘accessible to yogis’

• आद्या: primordial/first
• आद्या: Visheshana (Qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: आद्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; विशेषण

• अर्ध-मात्रा: the half-mātrā (half measure)
• अर्ध-मात्रा: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अर्ध (प्रातिपदिक) + मात्रा (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा), एकवचन; कर्मधारय/तत्पुरुषार्थः (अर्धा मात्रा)

• परा: supreme
• परा: Visheshana (Qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: पर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; विशेषण

• स्थिता: abides/is established
• स्थिता: Kriya (Predicate)
• Type: Verb
• Root: स्था (धातु)
• Form: कृदन्त-क्त (past passive participle), स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; ‘स्थित’ = ‘is situated/abides’

• गान्धारी: (as) ‘Gāndhārī’
• गान्धारी: Karta (Subject complement)
• Type: Noun
• Root: गान्धारी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; नाम (a designation)

• इति: thus
• इति: Sambandha (Quotative marker)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: इति (अव्यय)
• Form: उद्धरण-समाप्त्यर्थक-अव्यय (quotative particle)

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Connector)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयबोधक-निपात (conjunction)

• विज्ञेया: should be known
• विज्ञेया: Kriya (Injunctive predicate)
• Type: Verb
• Root: वि-ज्ञा (धातु)
• Form: कृदन्त-तव्यत् (gerundive/future passive participle), स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; ‘should be known’

• गान्धार-स्वर-संश्रया: resting on the Gāndhāra note
• गान्धार-स्वर-संश्रया: Visheshana (Qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: गान्धार (प्रातिपदिक) + स्वर (प्रातिपदिक) + संश्रय (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; बहुपद-तत्पुरुषः (गान्धारस्य स्वरस्य संश्रया) विशेषणम् (अर्धमात्रा/गान्धारी)

• इति: thus
• इति: Sambandha (Quotative marker)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: इति (अव्यय)
• Form: उद्धरण-समाप्त्यर्थक-अव्यय (quotative particle)

• एतत्: this
• एतत्: Visheshana (Qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: एतद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; सर्वनाम-विशेषण (अक्षरम् इत्यस्य)

• अक्षरम्: the imperishable syllable
• अक्षरम्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अक्षर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा), एकवचन

• ब्रह्म: Brahman
• ब्रह्म: Samānādhikaraṇa (Apposition)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ब्रह्मन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा), एकवचन; समानााधिकरण-निर्देशः (apposition to अक्षरम्)

• परम-ओङ्कार-संज्ञितम्: called the supreme Oṃkāra
• परम-ओङ्कार-संज्ञितम्: Visheshana (Qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: परम (प्रातिपदिक) + ओङ्कार (प्रातिपदिक) + संज्ञित (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा), एकवचन; बहुपद-तत्पुरुषः (परमः ओङ्कारः यस्य संज्ञा/संज्ञितम्) = ‘designated as the supreme Oṃkāra’

Speaker

Lord Vishnu (in dialogue with Garuda/Vainateya)

Philosophical Teaching

Concept: The supreme reality is nirguṇa, yogi-accessible, abiding as the primordial half-mātrā beyond A-U-M; identified with Gāndhārī, resting on the Gāndhāra swara; this is Akṣara Brahman, Paramoṅkāra.

Vedantic Theme: Turiya/ardha-mātrā as transcendence of waking-dream-sleep and guṇas; nāda as upāya leading to nirvikalpa awareness.

Application: After completing A-U-M japa, rest in the ‘after-sound’ silence (ardha-mātrā): attend to subtle inner resonance (nāda) without grasping; let attention dissolve into quiet witnessing.

Verse Rasa

Primary Rasa: adbhuta

Secondary Rasa: shanta

Geographic Context

Type: sonic-metaphysical locus (ardha-mātrā; nāda)

Cross References

Related Themes: Garuda Purana 1.226.23-24 (Oṃ-japa; A-U-M; guṇas)

Characters & Entities

• Brahman
• Om (Omkara)
• Yogins

FAQs

What is the importance of Omkāra (Om) in the Garuda Purana?

This verse identifies Om as the imperishable Brahman-syllable—transcendent, nirguṇa, and directly realizable through yogic insight—making it a central support for contemplation of the Absolute.

How does this verse explain the path of realization?

It frames realization as yogi-accessible knowledge: by focusing on the subtle ‘ardhamātrā’ aspect of Om and its refined sound-principle, one approaches the nirguṇa, supreme reality.

Practical application of this wisdom today?

Use Om-japa or silent contemplation, emphasizing the subtle “after-sound” (ardhamātrā) beyond A-U-M, as a daily practice to cultivate steadiness, inwardness, and discernment of the transcendent.