Shloka 25

Jñāna-hetu-nirūpaṇa

On the Causes/Means of Knowledge

Devanagari script

येये देवा विषयेषु निष्ठास्तेते देवा बहिरर्थभावाः / येये देवा बहिरर्थभावा मोक्षा दन्ये प्रलपन्तः सदैव

Transliteration

yeye devā viṣayeṣu niṣṭhāstete devā bahirarthabhāvāḥ / yeye devā bahirarthabhāvā mokṣā danye pralapantaḥ sadaiva

Translation

Jene Götter, die in Sinnesobjekten verhaftet bleiben, sind wahrlich ‘Götter’, deren Blick nach außen auf das Äußere gerichtet ist. Und jene ‘Götter’ mit äußerer Gesinnung schwätzen unablässig von einer Befreiung (mokṣa), die „anderswo“ liege—jenseits ihres Zugriffs.

Word by Word

• ये: those who
• ये: कर्ता
• Type: Noun
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा, बहुवचन; सम्बन्धवाचक सर्वनाम

• ये: (indeed) who
• ये: कर्ता
• Type: Noun
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा, बहुवचन; द्विरुक्ति (emphatic repetition)

• देवाः: gods
• देवाः: कर्ता
• Type: Noun
• Root: देव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा, बहुवचन

• विषयेषु: in sense-objects
• विषयेषु: अधिकरण
• Type: Noun
• Root: विषय (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; सप्तमी, बहुवचन

• निष्ठाः: steadfast/attached
• निष्ठाः: प्रत्यय/विधेय
• Type: Noun
• Root: निष्ठा (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग; प्रथमा, बहुवचन

• ते: they
• ते: कर्ता
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा, बहुवचन

• ते: (those very)
• ते: कर्ता
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा, बहुवचन; द्विरुक्ति (emphatic)

• देवाः: are gods
• देवाः: प्रत्यय/विधेय (predicate noun)
• Type: Noun
• Root: देव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा, बहुवचन

• बहिरर्थभावाः: having outward/object-oriented disposition
• बहिरर्थभावाः: प्रत्यय-विशेषण (predicate adjective)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: बहिर्-अर्थ-भाव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा, बहुवचन; तत्पुरुष-समास (बहिः अर्थः एव भावः येषाम्)

• ये: those who
• ये: कर्ता
• Type: Noun
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा, बहुवचन

• ये: (indeed) who
• ये: कर्ता
• Type: Noun
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा, बहुवचन; द्विरुक्ति

• देवाः: gods
• देवाः: कर्ता
• Type: Noun
• Root: देव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा, बहुवचन

• बहिरर्थभावाः: outwardly object-minded
• बहिरर्थभावाः: कर्ता-विशेषण
• Type: Adjective
• Root: बहिर्-अर्थ-भाव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा, बहुवचन

• मोक्षादन्ये: others than liberation / different from liberation
• मोक्षादन्ये: कर्ता
• Type: Adjective
• Root: मोक्षात् अन्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा, बहुवचन; पञ्चमी-तत्पुरुषार्थे (मोक्षात् = Ablative ‘from liberation’) + अन्ये (others)

• प्रलपन्तः: prattling/talking
• प्रलपन्तः: कर्ता-विशेषण (qualifier of ‘others’)
• Type: Verb
• Root: प्र-लप् (धातु) + शतृ (प्रत्यय)
• Form: वर्तमानकाले कृदन्त (present active participle, शतृ); पुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा, बहुवचन

• सदा: always
• सदा: कालाधिकरण
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: सदा (अव्यय)
• Form: कालवाचक-अव्यय (always)

• एव: indeed/only
• एव: अवधारण
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एव (अव्यय)
• Form: अवधारण-अव्यय

Speaker

Lord Vishnu (speaking to Garuda/Vinata-putra)

Philosophical Teaching

Concept: Outward orientation (bahir-artha-bhava) is bondage; mere discourse about moksha is futile without inward turning and realization.

Vedantic Theme: Distinction between paroksha-vada (talk) and aparoksha-anubhava (direct realization); necessity of antarmukhatva and vairagya for liberation.

Application: Audit one’s ‘spiritual talk’ versus practice: reduce performative discourse; cultivate inwardness through meditation, japa, and sense-restraint; prioritize direct sadhana over identity/status.

Verse Rasa

Primary Rasa: shanta

Secondary Rasa: bibhatsa

Cross References

Related Themes: Garuda Purana (general): warnings against hypocrisy and mere verbal religiosity; Garuda Purana (general): emphasis on vairagya and bhakti as real means to moksha

Characters & Entities

• Devas
• Moksha

FAQs

What is the importance of vairagya (dispassion) in the Garuda Purana?

This verse stresses that fixation on sense-objects creates an outward-turned mindset, which prevents genuine liberation; vairagya is implied as the corrective that turns awareness inward toward moksha.

How does this verse explain the path of the soul toward moksha?

It distinguishes outward attachment (viṣaya-niṣṭhā) from authentic liberation, implying that mere talk or status—even among devas—does not grant moksha without inner turning away from external objects.

Practical application of this wisdom today?

Reduce compulsive sense-indulgence, cultivate inner discipline (japa, meditation, self-study), and treat ‘spiritual talk’ as secondary to lived detachment and ethical conduct.