Shloka 53

Mukti-tattva Upadeśa: Knowledge as the Direct Cause of Liberation

Devanagari script

निद्राभीमैथुनाहाराः सर्वेषां प्राणिनां समाः / ज्ञानवान्मानवः प्रोक्तो ज्ञानहीनः पशुः स्मृतः

Transliteration

nidrābhīmaithunāhārāḥ sarveṣāṃ prāṇināṃ samāḥ / jñānavānmānavaḥ prokto jñānahīnaḥ paśuḥ smṛtaḥ

Translation

Dormir, temer, unirse sexualmente y comer son comunes a todos los seres vivos. Humano se llama al que posee conocimiento; al falto de conocimiento se le recuerda como no mejor que una bestia.

Word by Word

• निद्रा-भी-मैथुन-आहाराः: sleep, fear, sex, and food
• निद्रा-भी-मैथुन-आहाराः: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: निद्रा (प्रातिपदिक) + भी (प्रातिपदिक) + मैथुन (प्रातिपदिक) + आहार (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन; समाहार/इतरेतर-द्वन्द्व (चाराणां समुच्चयः)

• सर्वेषाम्: of all
• सर्वेषाम्: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/षष्ठी)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सर्व (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुं/नपुंसक, षष्ठी (genitive/षष्ठी), बहुवचन; विशेषण

• प्राणिनाम्: of living beings
• प्राणिनाम्: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/षष्ठी)
• Type: Noun
• Root: प्राणिन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी, बहुवचन

• समाः: equal/common
• समाः: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन; विशेषण (निद्रादीन् विशेषयति)

• ज्ञानवान्: knowledgeable
• ज्ञानवान्: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: ज्ञानवत् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; विशेषण

• मानवः: a human
• मानवः: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मानव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• प्रोक्तः: is said/called
• प्रोक्तः: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Verb
• Root: प्र-वच् (धातु)
• Form: भूतकाले क्त-प्रत्ययान्त कृदन्त (past passive participle); पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• ज्ञान-हीनः: devoid of knowledge
• ज्ञान-हीनः: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: ज्ञान (प्रातिपदिक) + हीन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष (ज्ञानस्य हीनः)

• पशुः: an animal
• पशुः: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पशु (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• स्मृतः: is considered/remembered as
• स्मृतः: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Verb
• Root: स्मृ (धातु)
• Form: भूतकाले क्त-प्रत्ययान्त कृदन्त (past passive participle); पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

Speaker

Lord Vishnu (speaking to Garuda/Vainateya)

Philosophical Teaching

Concept: Basic instincts are shared by all beings; what makes a human truly human is jñāna (discriminative knowledge).

Vedantic Theme: Viveka-jñāna distinguishes puruṣa from prakṛti; ignorance (avidyā) reduces one to instinct-bound existence.

Application: Commit to svādhyāya (study), satsanga, and reflective practice; measure life not by pleasure metrics but by growth in understanding and virtue.

Verse Rasa

Primary Rasa: shanta

Secondary Rasa: vira

Cross References

Related Themes: Garuda Purana: recurring contrast of jñāna vs ajñāna as the divider between uplift and downfall (thematic)

Characters & Entities

• Pranins (all living beings)

FAQs

What is the importance of knowledge (jñāna) in the Garuda Purana?

This verse states that ordinary instincts are shared by all beings, but jñāna is what distinguishes a true human, implying that spiritual and ethical understanding is central to dharma and a meaningful life.

How does this verse relate to the soul’s journey described in the Garuda Purana?

In the Preta Kanda’s after-death framework, right understanding and dharmic living shape one’s karmic outcomes; the verse underscores cultivating knowledge as preparation for what follows death.

Practical application of this wisdom today?

Go beyond instinct-driven living by pursuing learning, self-reflection, and dharmic conduct—using knowledge to guide choices in food, sexuality, fear responses, and daily discipline.