Shloka 26
Jñāna-hetu-nirūpaṇa
On the Causes/Means of Knowledge
तव स्वरूपे च जगत्स्वरूपे तवासमानं नास्ति विष्णो सदैव / यतस्तव प्राकृतो नास्ति देहो यतो ज्ञानं नास्ति नास्त्ये व नित्यम्
tava svarūpe ca jagatsvarūpe tavāsamānaṃ nāsti viṣṇo sadaiva / yatastava prākṛto nāsti deho yato jñānaṃ nāsti nāstye va nityam
In Deinem eigenen Wesen—und im Wesen des Universums selbst—gibt es niemals jemanden, der Dir gleich wäre, o Viṣṇu. Denn Du hast keinen materiellen (prakṛtischen) Leib; und wo Du bist, existiert Unwissenheit nicht—ja, sie existiert überhaupt nicht.
Garuda (Vinata-putra) praising Lord Vishnu
Concept: Vishnu is incomparable; He is not constituted by prakriti and is free from ignorance—His being is pure knowledge, and avidya has no locus in Him.
Vedantic Theme: Nirupadhika Ishvara: transcendence of prakritic limitation; knowledge as svarupa (jnana-svarupa) and the impossibility of avidya in the Supreme; hints of non-dual grounding of jagat in Brahman/Ishvara.
Application: Contemplate divine transcendence to loosen anthropomorphic limitation: in meditation, negate material attributes (neti-neti) while affirming Vishnu as consciousness-ground; use this to reduce fear and confusion born of ignorance.
Primary Rasa: shanta
Secondary Rasa: adbhuta
Related Themes: Garuda Purana (general): Vishnu-tattva sections describing the Lord as beyond prakriti and as the support of the cosmos
FAQs
This verse asserts Vishnu's transcendence: He is not limited by a body made of prakṛti, establishing Him as the supreme, incomparable reality beyond material conditions.
By contrasting the Supreme's freedom from ignorance and material embodiment with embodied beings, it frames after-death teachings as guidance for souls bound by prakṛti and ajñāna to seek liberation through right knowledge and devotion.
Cultivate discernment that the divine is beyond material form and ignorance; apply this through study, japa, and ethical living that reduces attachment to the body and strengthens devotion and clarity.