Shloka 44

Brahma-vidyā through Yoga: Restraint, Pranava Japa, and Samādhi leading to Mokṣa

Devanagari script

हरिं संस्थाप्य देहाब्जे ध्यायन्यो गी च भक्तिभाक् / आत्मानमात्मना केचित्पश्यन्ति ध्यानचक्षुषः

Transliteration

hariṃ saṃsthāpya dehābje dhyāyanyo gī ca bhaktibhāk / ātmānamātmanā kecitpaśyanti dhyānacakṣuṣaḥ

Translation

Having established Hari within the lotus of the body—the heart—the yogin, endowed with devotion, meditates; and some, with the eye of contemplation, behold the Self by the Self.

Word by Word

• हरिम्: Hari (Vishnu)
• हरिम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: हरि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन

• संस्थाप्य: having स्थापित/placed
• संस्थाप्य: Kriya (Attendant action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: सम् + स्था (धातु) → संस्थाप्य (कृदन्त)
• Form: क्त्वान्त (Absolutive/Gerund), अव्ययभाव (indeclinable verbal), पूर्वक्रिया (prior action)

• देह-अब्जे: in the body-lotus
• देह-अब्जे: Adhikarana (Locus/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: देह (प्रातिपदिक) + अब्ज (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष (‘lotus of the body’), नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी, एकवचन

• ध्यायन्: meditating
• ध्यायन्: Karta (Agent/कर्ता)
• Type: Verb
• Root: ध्यै (धातु) → ध्यायन् (कृदन्त)
• Form: वर्तमानकृदन्त (शतृ), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; क्रियाविशेषणभावे

• योगी: a yogin
• योगी: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: योगिन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चय-अव्यय (conjunction)

• भक्ति-भाक्: possessed of devotion
• भक्ति-भाक्: Karta (Qualifier of subject/कर्ता-विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: भक्ति (प्रातिपदिक) + भाज् (धातु) → भाक् (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: उपपद-तत्पुरुष (‘possessing devotion’), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; विशेषणम्

• आत्मानम्: the Self
• आत्मानम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: आत्मन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन

• आत्मना: by the Self
• आत्मना: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: आत्मन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/करण), एकवचन

• केचित्: some (people)
• केचित्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: क (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सर्वनाम (pronoun), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन; ‘क’ + ‘चित्’ (अव्यय-प्रत्यय)

• पश्यन्ति: see
• पश्यन्ति: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: पश् (धातु)
• Form: लट् (Present), प्रथमपुरुष, बहुवचन, परस्मैपदम्

• ध्यान-चक्षुषः: with meditative vision
• ध्यान-चक्षुषः: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ध्यान (प्रातिपदिक) + चक्षुस् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तृतीया-तत्पुरुष/करणार्थ (‘with the eye of meditation’), नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया, बहुवचन (Vedic/poetic usage: -uṣaḥ as instr. pl.)

Speaker

Lord Vishnu (speaking to Garuda/Vinata-putra)

Philosophical Teaching

Concept: Bhakti-yukta yoga: installing Hari in the heart and meditating leads to inner vision where ātman is realized by ātman.

Vedantic Theme: Antaryāmin (inner ruler) and ātma-jñāna; bhakti as a purifier that ripens into direct realization (aparokṣa-anubhava).

Application: Practice īṣṭa-devatā dhyāna: visualize Hari seated in the heart-lotus; combine nāma-smaraṇa with silent witnessing until ‘dhyāna-cakṣuḥ’ (inner clarity) arises.

Verse Rasa

Primary Rasa: shanta

Secondary Rasa: adbhuta

Geographic Context

Type: inner sacred locus (hṛdaya-puṇḍarīka)

Cross References

Related Themes: Garuda Purana 1.235.43 (praṇava-dhyāna); Garuda Purana 1.235.45-47 (jñāna/yoga; ekacittatā; liberated yogin)

Characters & Entities

• Hari
• Atman

FAQs

What is the importance of establishing Hari in the heart-lotus in the Garuda Purana?

This verse presents inner installation of Hari (Viṣṇu) in the dehābja (heart-lotus) as a direct meditative method where devotion and yoga combine, leading toward Self-realization and liberation-oriented insight.

How does this verse explain the path of the soul according to the Garuda Purana?

It points to a liberating path: through bhakti-filled meditation, one gains dhyāna-cakṣu (contemplative vision) and realizes the Ātman—an insight that transcends fear of post-death states by rooting awareness in the Self.

Practical application of this wisdom today?

Practice daily heart-centered meditation on Viṣṇu/Hari with devotion, cultivating steady attention (dhyāna) and ethical living; the aim is inner clarity—seeing the Self through the Self rather than being driven by anxiety about death or afterlife.