Shloka 15

Atma-Jnana as the Direct Means to Moksha: Advaita, Maya, and the Three States

Devanagari script

कथमाकाशकल्पस्य गतिरागतिसंस्थिति / जाग्रत्स्वप्नसुषुप्तं च मायया परिकल्पितम्

Transliteration

kathamākāśakalpasya gatirāgatisaṃsthiti / jāgratsvapnasuṣuptaṃ ca māyayā parikalpitam

Translation

How are the movement, return, and abiding of that which is space-like to be understood? And how are the states of waking, dreaming, and deep sleep imagined by Māyā?

Word by Word

• कथम्: how
• कथम्: Sambandha (Interrogative)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: कथम् (अव्यय)
• Form: प्रश्न-अव्यय (interrogative adverb: how)

• आकाशकल्पस्य: of the sky-like (one)
• आकाशकल्पस्य: Sambandha (Genitive relation)
• Type: Noun
• Root: आकाश + कल्प (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी-विभक्ति (Genitive), एकवचन; आकाश-कल्प (sky-like)

• गतिः: movement
• गतिः: Karta (Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: गति (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative), एकवचन

• आगति: coming/return
• आगति: Sambandha (Compound member)
• Type: Noun
• Root: आगति (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (in compound-base usage), एकवचन; समासाङ्ग

• संस्थितिः: state/abiding
• संस्थितिः: Karta (Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: संस्थिति (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative), एकवचन; (समासे) आगतिसंस्थिति-इति तत्पुरुषसमासस्य उत्तरपदम्

• जाग्रत्स्वप्नसुषुप्तम्: waking, dream, and deep sleep (states)
• जाग्रत्स्वप्नसुषुप्तम्: Karma (Object/Predicate complement)
• Type: Noun
• Root: जाग्रत् + स्वप्न + सुषुप्त (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Nom./Acc.), एकवचन; इतरेतर-द्वन्द्व (three states)

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

• मायया: by illusion (māyā)
• मायया: Karana (Instrument)
• Type: Noun
• Root: माया (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति (Instrumental), एकवचन

• परिकल्पितम्: imagined/constructed
• परिकल्पितम्: Karma (Predicate adjective)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: परि + कल्पित (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Nom./Acc.), एकवचन; भूतकर्मणि-प्रत्यय (past passive participle) from √कॢप्/√कल्प् (to imagine/construct) with उपसर्ग परि

Speaker

Garuda (Vinata-putra) addressing Lord Vishnu

Philosophical Teaching

Concept: Ātman is ākāśa-kalpa (space-like, all-pervading); movement/return/abiding and waking-dream-sleep are māyā’s constructions.

Vedantic Theme: Avasthā-traya viveka (discrimination of three states); māyā as upādhi; changeless witness vs changing experiences.

Application: Contemplate the witness across waking/dream/sleep; treat ‘coming/going’ of thoughts and identities as appearances; stabilize attention in the unchanging background.

Verse Rasa

Primary Rasa: adbhuta

Secondary Rasa: shanta

Cross References

Related Themes: Garuda Purana jñāna passages on māyā and avasthā-traya near this section

Characters & Entities

• Māyā

FAQs

What is the importance of Māyā in this Garuda Purana verse?

The verse frames waking, dream, and deep sleep as experiences projected by Māyā, pointing to a deeper, space-like reality beyond changing mental states.

How does this verse explain the path of the soul?

By questioning how movement and rest occur for the space-like principle, it hints that the soul’s journeys and states are tied to subtle perception and conditioning rather than to the unchanging essence itself.

Practical application of this wisdom today?

Observe thoughts and states as passing constructions; cultivate steadiness, ethical living, and remembrance of the deeper Self beyond changing experiences.