Shloka 28

Devanagari script

यौवने तिमिरान्धश्च यः पश्यति स मुक्तिभाक् / आधानान्मृत्युमाप्नोति बालो वा स्थविरो युवा

Transliteration

yauvane timirāndhaśca yaḥ paśyati sa muktibhāk / ādhānānmṛtyumāpnoti bālo vā sthaviro yuvā

Translation

Even if one is ‘blind in the darkness’ of youth, whoever truly comes to see Reality becomes fit for liberation. For death may arrive suddenly and seize anyone—child, elder, or youth.

Word by Word

• यौवने: in youth
• यौवने: Adhikarana (Locative/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यौवन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/अधिकरण), एकवचन

• तिमिरान्धः: blind with darkness
• तिमिरान्धः: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: तिमिर-अन्ध (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; कर्मधारयः (तिमिरेण अन्धः)

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

• यः: who
• यः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; सम्बन्धवाचक-सर्वनाम (relative pronoun)

• पश्यति: sees
• पश्यति: Kriya (Predicate/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √पश् (धातु)
• Form: लट् (Present), परस्मैपद, प्रथमपुरुष (3rd), एकवचन

• सः: he
• सः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; निर्देशवाचक-सर्वनाम (correlative pronoun)

• मुक्तिभाक्: one who attains liberation
• मुक्तिभाक्: Kartṛ-predicative (Subject complement/कर्तृपूरक)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मुक्ति-भाज् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; समासः तत्पुरुषः (मुक्तिं भजते/भाक्)

• आधानात्: from conception/impregnation (beginning)
• आधानात्: Apadana (Ablative/अपादान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: आधान (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, पञ्चमी (5th/अपादान), एकवचन

• मृत्युम्: death
• मृत्युम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मृत्यु (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/कर्म), एकवचन

• आप्नोति: reaches/attains
• आप्नोति: Kriya (Predicate/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: आ-√आप् (धातु)
• Form: लट् (Present), परस्मैपद, प्रथमपुरुष (3rd), एकवचन; उपसर्गः आ-

• बालः: a child
• बालः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: बाल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• वा: or
• वा: Sambandha (Alternative marker/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: वा (अव्यय)
• Form: विकल्पार्थक-निपात (disjunctive particle ‘or’)

• स्थविरः: an old man
• स्थविरः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: स्थविर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• युवा: a youth
• युवा: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: युवन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; ‘युवन्’ शब्दस्य प्रथमा-एकवचन रूपम् (युवा)

Speaker

Lord Vishnu (in instruction to Garuda/Vinatā-putra)

Philosophical Teaching

Concept: Even amid youthful delusion, one who truly ‘sees’ reality becomes eligible for liberation; death is unpredictable and can seize anyone at any age.

Vedantic Theme: Kāla-anityatā (impermanence) and the necessity of viveka (discriminative seeing) for mokṣa; readiness (mumukṣutva).

Application: Do not postpone practice: establish daily disciplines (japa, study, ethical restraint) now; keep death-awareness (maraṇa-smṛti) to prioritize essentials.

Verse Rasa

Primary Rasa: vira

Secondary Rasa: bhayanaka

Geographic Context

Type: human life-span (childhood–youth–old age)

Cross References

Related Themes: Garuda Purana: repeated emphasis on sudden death and the need for preparation through dharma and devotion (common Pretakalpa framing, though this verse is general)

Characters & Entities

• Mṛtyu

FAQs

What is the importance of spiritual urgency in Garuda Purana?

This verse stresses that death is unpredictable for all ages, so one should awaken to truth and practice dharma now rather than postponing spiritual life.

How does this verse explain the path of the soul?

By highlighting sudden death, it implies the need to live with right understanding and preparation; such clear ‘seeing’ is said to make one fit for liberation rather than being driven into fearful post-death states.

Practical application of this wisdom today?

Do not rely on age or ‘later’; cultivate daily self-discipline, remembrance of mortality, ethical conduct, and sincere spiritual practice so life is lived with readiness and clarity.