Shloka 8
Yājñavalkya on the Sources of Dharma and the Saṁskāras of the Twice-Born
इज्याचारो दमो ऽहिंसा दानं स्वाध्यायकर्म च / अयं च परमो धर्मो यद्योगेनात्मदर्शनम्
ijyācāro damo 'hiṃsā dānaṃ svādhyāyakarma ca / ayaṃ ca paramo dharmo yadyogenātmadarśanam
Worshipful conduct, self-restraint, ahiṃsā (non-violence), charity, and the practice of svādhyāya—sacred study—are dharma as well; yet the supreme dharma is that by which, through yoga, one attains the direct vision of the Self (Ātman).
Lord Vishnu (speaking to Garuda/Vinata-putra)
Concept: All virtues support dharma, but the supreme dharma is yogic realization—direct vision of the Self.
Vedantic Theme: Ātma-sākṣātkāra and the hierarchy of dharmas culminating in liberation-oriented yoga.
Application: Maintain yama-like virtues (ahiṃsā, dama, dāna, svādhyāya) and add a steady yoga/meditation discipline aimed at Self-inquiry and direct experience.
Primary Rasa: shanta
Secondary Rasa: adbhuta
Related Themes: Garuda Purana (Dharma/Ācāra sections): lists of sadācāra, yama-niyama, and mokṣa-oriented teachings in adjacent adhyāyas
FAQs
It lists core dharmic disciplines—worship, restraint, non-violence, charity, and scriptural study—while declaring Self-realization through yoga as the supreme dharma.
It points beyond external merit to inner liberation: the soul’s highest good is direct knowledge of the Self attained through yoga, which culminates in moksha.
Live with restraint and non-violence, give in charity, maintain regular sacred study, and add a steady yoga/meditation practice aimed at inner realization—not merely ritual performance.