Shloka 52

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

Devanagari script

ध्यानाग्निना च मेधावी लभते परमां गतिम् / मन्थनाद्दृश्यते ह्यग्निस्तद्वद्ध्यानेन वै हरिः

Transliteration

dhyānāgninā ca medhāvī labhate paramāṃ gatim / manthanāddṛśyate hyagnistadvaddhyānena vai hariḥ

Translation

By the fire of meditation, the wise attain the supreme goal. As fire becomes visible through churning, so too Hari (Vishnu) is realized through meditation.

Word by Word

• ध्यानाग्निना: by the fire of meditation
• ध्यानाग्निना: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ध्यान-अग्नि (प्रातिपदिक; ध्यान + अग्नि)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/Instrumental), एकवचन; करण—‘by the fire of meditation’

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

• मेधावी: the intelligent one
• मेधावी: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मेधाविन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन

• लभते: attains
• लभते: Kriya (Predicate/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √लभ् (धातु)
• Form: लट् (Present), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन; आत्मनेपद

• परमाम्: supreme
• परमाम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: परम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन; विशेषण (गति-विशेषण)

• गतिम्: state, goal
• गतिम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: गति (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन

• मन्थनात्: from churning
• मन्थनात्: Hetu (Cause/हेतु)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मन्थन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, पञ्चमी (5th/Ablative), एकवचन; हेतौ—‘from/through churning’

• दृश्यते: is seen, appears
• दृश्यते: Kriya (Predicate/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √दृश् (धातु)
• Form: लट् (Present), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन; आत्मनेपद; कर्मणि—‘is seen/appears’

• हि: indeed
• हि: Sambandha (Particle/निपात)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: हि (अव्यय)
• Form: निपात (particle: emphasis/reason ‘indeed/for’)

• अग्निः: fire
• अग्निः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अग्नि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन

• तद्वत्: likewise
• तद्वत्: Prakara (Manner/प्रकार)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम) + वत् (तद्धित)
• Form: उपमानवाचक अव्यय (adverb: ‘likewise/in the same way’)

• ध्यानेन: by meditation
• ध्यानेन: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ध्यान (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/Instrumental), एकवचन

• वै: indeed, certainly
• वै: Sambandha (Particle/निपात)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: वै (अव्यय)
• Form: निपात (particle: emphasis ‘certainly/indeed’)

• हरिः: Hari (Vishnu)
• हरिः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: हरि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन

Speaker

Lord Vishnu (speaking to Garuda/Vinata-putra)

Philosophical Teaching

Concept: Dhyāna is an inner fire that reveals Hari; sustained practice makes the divine manifest, as latent fire appears through friction.

Vedantic Theme: Upāsanā leading to sākṣātkāra; the ‘latent’ reality becomes evident when the mind is churned into one-pointedness; saguna-to-nirguna trajectory implied by ‘paramā gati’.

Application: Commit to daily dhyāna on Hari (form, qualities, or nāma); use a steady method (breath + mantra) and persist until ‘pratyakṣa-like’ clarity arises.

Verse Rasa

Primary Rasa: adbhuta

Secondary Rasa: shanta

Cross References

Related Themes: Garuda Purana 1.235.49-51 (yoga, restraint, brahma-absorption)

Characters & Entities

• Hari
• Vishnu
• Garuda

FAQs

What is the importance of meditation (dhyāna) in the Garuda Purana?

This verse presents dhyāna as a transformative “fire” that burns ignorance and leads the wise to the supreme destination (paramā gati), making God-realization possible.

How does this verse explain the path to realizing Hari (Vishnu)?

It uses the analogy of fire revealed by churning: just as latent fire appears through effort, Hari is directly realized when sustained meditation brings the hidden truth into clear experience.

Practical application of this wisdom today?

Practice steady daily meditation with ethical living and devotion; the verse emphasizes consistent inner effort as the method by which clarity, detachment, and God-realization arise.