Shloka 108

Jñāna-hetu-nirūpaṇa

On the Causes/Means of Knowledge

Devanagari script

मूलेष्वंशावतारेषु रुद्रादीना महाप्रभो / बुद्धिर्विनश्यते यस्मात्तस्माच्छिन्ना हि ते ऽखिलाः

Transliteration

mūleṣvaṃśāvatāreṣu rudrādīnā mahāprabho / buddhirvinaśyate yasmāttasmācchinnā hi te 'khilāḥ

Translation

Ô Seigneur tout-puissant, parmi la source racine et les incarnations partielles—telles Rudra et les autres—puisque leur discernement s’obscurcit, c’est pourquoi tous sont dits « tranchés », c’est-à-dire limités et non pleinement reliés à la conscience parfaite.

Word by Word

• मूलेषु: in the roots; in the original sources
• मूलेषु: Adhikarana (अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मूल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Neuter, Locative (7th/सप्तमी), Plural

• अंश-अवतारेषु: in the partial incarnations
• अंश-अवतारेषु: Adhikarana (अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अंश (प्रातिपदिक) + अवतार (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Locative (7th/सप्तमी), Plural; ‘in partial incarnations’

• रुद्र-आदीनाम्: of Rudra and others
• रुद्र-आदीनाम्: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: रुद्र (प्रातिपदिक) + आदि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Genitive (6th/षष्ठी), Plural; ‘of Rudra and others’

• महाप्रभो: O great lord
• महाप्रभो: Sambodhana (सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: महाप्रभु (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Vocative (8th/सम्बोधन), Singular

• बुद्धिः: intellect; understanding
• बुद्धिः: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: बुद्धि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Feminine, Nominative (1st/प्रथमा), Singular

• विनश्यते: perishes; is destroyed
• विनश्यते: Kriya (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: वि-नश् (धातु)
• Form: Present tense (लट्), Ātmanepada, 3rd person, Singular

• यस्मात्: because of which; since
• यस्मात्: Hetu (हेतु)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Pronoun, Ablative (5th/पञ्चमी), Singular; causal sense ‘because of which/wherefore’

• तस्मात्: therefore
• तस्मात्: Hetu (हेतु)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Pronoun, Ablative (5th/पञ्चमी), Singular; correlative ‘therefore’

• छिन्नाः: cut off; severed
• छिन्नाः: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Verb
• Root: छिद् (धातु)
• Form: Past passive participle (क्त), Feminine, Nominative, Plural; agrees with ‘akhilāḥ’

• हि: indeed; for
• हि: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: हि (अव्यय)
• Form: Particle (निपात), explanatory/emphatic

• ते: your; of you
• ते: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: युष्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Pronoun, Genitive (6th/षष्ठी), Singular (or Dative 4th singular by form; here best as Genitive ‘of you’)

• अखिलाः: all; entire
• अखिलाः: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अखिल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Feminine, Nominative, Plural; qualifies an implied feminine plural noun (e.g., बुद्धयः/संज्ञाः)

Speaker

Garuda (Vinata-putra), addressing Lord Vishnu

Philosophical Teaching

Concept: Aṃśa-avatāras (e.g., Rudra) are limited in full divine awareness; their buddhi can be obscured, hence they are termed 'chinna' (not fully continuous with complete omniscience).

Vedantic Theme: Tāratamya (gradation) and upādhi-limitation: the Supreme’s fullness vs. conditioned manifestations; distinction between īśvara-svarūpa and delegated powers.

Application: Cultivate discernment in theology: place ultimate reliance on the Supreme (Hari/Nārāyaṇa) rather than treating empowered beings as equal to the root source.

Verse Rasa

Primary Rasa: shanta

Secondary Rasa: adbhuta

Cross References

Related Themes: Garuda Purana 3.12.109-110 (unbroken devotion to the Supreme; dependence on Him); Garuda Purana 3.13.1-2 (the Lord’s directive to Brahmā; supremacy in creation-order)

Characters & Entities

• Rudra

FAQs

What is the importance of aṁśāvatāra (partial incarnation) in the Garuda Purana?

This verse highlights that partial manifestations (aṁśāvatāras) can be described as limited because their buddhi (full discernment/complete awareness) is not expressed in an unrestricted way like the root source (mūla).

How does this verse explain spiritual hierarchy in the Garuda Purana?

It distinguishes the mūla (root/source) from aṁśa-avatāras such as Rudra, implying a gradation where some beings function with constrained or obscured discernment, and thus are termed ‘chinna’ (limited).

Practical application of this wisdom today?

Cultivate buddhi (clear discernment) through dharmic living and disciplined practice, and avoid blindly absolutizing limited authorities—seek the highest principle (mūla) behind all manifestations.