Shloka 33

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

Devanagari script

नित्यशुद्धबुद्धंमुक्तमहामानन्दमद्वयम् / अहं ब्रह्म परं ज्योतिर्ज्ञानरूपो विमुक्तये

Transliteration

nityaśuddhabuddhaṃmuktamahāmānandamadvayam / ahaṃ brahma paraṃ jyotirjñānarūpo vimuktaye

Translation

Ever pure, ever conscious, liberated, of great bliss, and non-dual—‘I am Brahman’, the supreme Light, whose very nature is Knowledge—(this contemplation is) for complete release.

Word by Word

• नित्य: eternal
• नित्य: Samasa-member (compound component)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: नित्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग; एकवचन; प्रथमा (1st/Nominative); समासपूर्वपदम्

• शुद्ध: pure
• शुद्ध: Samasa-member (compound component)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: शुद्ध (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग; एकवचन; प्रथमा (1st/Nominative); समासपूर्वपदम्

• बुद्ध: awakened, conscious
• बुद्ध: Samasa-member (compound component)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: बुद्ध (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग; एकवचन; प्रथमा (1st/Nominative); समासपूर्वपदम्

• मुक्त: liberated
• मुक्त: Samasa-member (compound component)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: मुक्त (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग; एकवचन; प्रथमा (1st/Nominative); समासपूर्वपदम्

• महामानन्द: great bliss
• महामानन्द: Samasa-member (compound component)
• Type: Noun
• Root: महा (अव्यय/उपसर्गसदृश-पूर्वपद) + आनन्द (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग; एकवचन; प्रथमा (1st/Nominative); समासः—कर्मधारयः (महान् आनन्दः)

• अद्वयम्: non-dual
• अद्वयम्: Visheshana (Adjectival qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अद्वय (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग; एकवचन; प्रथमा (1st/Nominative); विशेषणम् (ब्रह्म/ज्योतिः)

• अहम्: I
• अहम्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अहम् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सर्वनाम; एकवचन; प्रथमा (1st/Nominative)

• ब्रह्म: Brahman
• ब्रह्म: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ब्रह्मन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग; एकवचन; प्रथमा (1st/Nominative) (समानााधिकरणम्)

• परम्: supreme
• परम्: Visheshana (Adjectival qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: पर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग; एकवचन; प्रथमा (1st/Nominative); विशेषणम्

• ज्योतिः: light
• ज्योतिः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ज्योतिस् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग; एकवचन; प्रथमा (1st/Nominative)

• ज्ञान: knowledge
• ज्ञान: Samasa-member (compound component)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ज्ञान (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग; एकवचन; प्रथमा (1st/Nominative); समासपूर्वपदम्

• रूपः: having the form/nature of knowledge
• रूपः: Visheshana (Adjectival qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: रूप (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; एकवचन; प्रथमा (1st/Nominative); समासः—षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (ज्ञानस्य रूपः)

• विमुक्तये: for liberation
• विमुक्तये: Sampradana (Recipient/Purpose/सम्प्रदान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वि + मुच् (धातु) + क्तिन् (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग; चतुर्थी (4th/Dative); एकवचन; क्तिन्-प्रत्ययान्त भाववाचक-शब्दः

Speaker

Lord Vishnu (teaching Garuda/Vinata-putra)

Philosophical Teaching

Concept: The Self is eternally pure-conscious-free, great bliss, non-dual; Brahman-realization as knowledge itself grants vimukti.

Vedantic Theme: Sat-cit-ānanda and advaita; jñāna as svarūpa and as sādhana; liberation as recognition (pratyabhijñā) rather than production.

Application: Use the verse as a daily affirmation after meditation: recall purity (śuddha), awareness (buddha), freedom (mukta), bliss (mahānanda), non-duality (advaya); align actions with this identity to weaken saṃskāras.

Verse Rasa

Primary Rasa: shanta

Secondary Rasa: adbhuta

Cross References

Related Themes: Garuda Purana 1.226.31-32 (aham brahma, upādhi-negation); Garuda Purana 1.226.34 (aṣṭāṅga yoga as mokṣada)

Characters & Entities

• Brahman

FAQs

What is the importance of 'Aham Brahma' in Garuda Purana?

This verse presents the realization 'I am Brahman' as a direct liberating contemplation: recognizing the Self as eternally pure, conscious, blissful, and non-dual leads to vimukti (complete release).

How does this verse explain the path of the soul?

It points to jñāna (Self-knowledge) rather than external identity as the means to transcend bondage—seeing the true Self as the supreme light dissolves fear and limitation associated with embodied existence.

Practical application of this wisdom today?

Use the statement as a meditation: contemplate inner awareness as pure, non-dual, and knowledge itself; let this reduce attachment, anxiety, and harmful actions, supporting a dharmic life oriented toward liberation.