Shloka 16
एभिः परिच्छन्नतनुं पीठभूतं तदात्मकम् / अनन्तं विन्सेत्पश्चात्पूर्वकायोन्नतं स्थितम्
ebhiḥ paricchannatanuṃ pīṭhabhūtaṃ tadātmakam / anantaṃ vinsetpaścātpūrvakāyonnataṃ sthitam
Enveloped by these constituents, the embodied one becomes a supporting seat (pīṭha) and takes on their very nature; thereafter one should seek the Infinite (Ananta), abiding and raised above the former body.
Lord Vishnu (in dialogue with Garuda/Vinata-putra)
Concept: Having assumed the nature of the placed constituents, the embodied basis is recognized; then one seeks the Ananta—abiding beyond and ‘above’ the prior bodily identification.
Vedantic Theme: Neti-neti movement from upādhi (body/constructed supports) toward the limitless; shift from deha-abhimāna to the unbounded ground of being.
Application: In meditation, acknowledge the body as support, then gently release identification and rest attention in the sense of the limitless (ananta) beyond form.
Primary Rasa: shanta
Secondary Rasa: adbhuta
Type: inner yogic locus (body as pīṭha/ādhāra)
Related Themes: Garuda Purana 1.11.17-19 (lotus and mandala ascent elaborated)
FAQs
This verse frames liberation as turning from identification with the body’s constituents to seeking the Infinite reality that stands beyond bodily limitation.
It implies the soul becomes ‘covered’ by bodily factors and takes on their nature, but spiritual progress requires rising beyond that former bodily identity toward the abiding Infinite.
Practice dis-identification from body-based impulses through self-inquiry, ethical living, and remembrance of the higher Self—so awareness is anchored beyond transient physical conditions.