Shloka 25

Mahāyoga: Detachment from ‘I/Mine’, Aṣṭāṅga Practice, Oṁkāra and Aham-Brahmāsmi Contemplation

Devanagari script

निर्गुणा योगिगम्याद्यार्धमात्रा परा स्थिता / गान्धारीति च विज्ञेया गान्धारस्वरसंश्रया / इत्येतदक्षरं ब्रह्म परमोङ्कारसंज्ञितम्

Transliteration

nirguṇā yogigamyādyārdhamātrā parā sthitā / gāndhārīti ca vijñeyā gāndhārasvarasaṃśrayā / ityetadakṣaraṃ brahma paramoṅkārasaṃjñitam

Translation

その至上の実在は無属性（ニルグナ）で、ヨーギーのみが到達し得、原初の「半マートラー」として住する。ガーンダーラ音に依るゆえ「ガーンダーリー」と知るべきである。これこそ不壊のブラフマンの音節、超越のオームカーラと名づけられる。

Word by Word

• निर्गुणा: without qualities
• निर्गुणा: Visheshana (Qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: निर् (उपसर्ग) + गुण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा), एकवचन; नञ्/निर्-प्रयोगेण ‘गुणरहित’ विशेषणम् (अर्धमात्रा इत्यस्य)

• योगि-गम्या: attainable by yogis
• योगि-गम्या: Visheshana (Qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: योगिन् (प्रातिपदिक) + गम्य (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; चतुर्थी/षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषार्थः (योगिभिः गम्या/योगिनां गम्या) = ‘accessible to yogis’

• आद्या: primordial/first
• आद्या: Visheshana (Qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: आद्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; विशेषण

• अर्ध-मात्रा: the half-mātrā (half measure)
• अर्ध-मात्रा: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अर्ध (प्रातिपदिक) + मात्रा (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा), एकवचन; कर्मधारय/तत्पुरुषार्थः (अर्धा मात्रा)

• परा: supreme
• परा: Visheshana (Qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: पर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; विशेषण

• स्थिता: abides/is established
• स्थिता: Kriya (Predicate)
• Type: Verb
• Root: स्था (धातु)
• Form: कृदन्त-क्त (past passive participle), स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; ‘स्थित’ = ‘is situated/abides’

• गान्धारी: (as) ‘Gāndhārī’
• गान्धारी: Karta (Subject complement)
• Type: Noun
• Root: गान्धारी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; नाम (a designation)

• इति: thus
• इति: Sambandha (Quotative marker)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: इति (अव्यय)
• Form: उद्धरण-समाप्त्यर्थक-अव्यय (quotative particle)

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

• विज्ञेया: should be known
• विज्ञेया: Kriya (Injunctive predicate)
• Type: Verb
• Root: वि-ज्ञा (धातु)
• Form: कृदन्त-तव्यत् (gerundive/future passive participle), स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; ‘should be known’

• गान्धार-स्वर-संश्रया: resting on the Gāndhāra note
• गान्धार-स्वर-संश्रया: Visheshana (Qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: गान्धार (प्रातिपदिक) + स्वर (प्रातिपदिक) + संश्रय (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; बहुपद-तत्पुरुषः (गान्धारस्य स्वरस्य संश्रया) विशेषणम् (अर्धमात्रा/गान्धारी)

• इति: thus
• इति: Sambandha (Quotative marker)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: इति (अव्यय)
• Form: उद्धरण-समाप्त्यर्थक-अव्यय (quotative particle)

• एतत्: this
• एतत्: Visheshana (Qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: एतद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; सर्वनाम-विशेषण (अक्षरम् इत्यस्य)

• अक्षरम्: the imperishable syllable
• अक्षरम्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अक्षर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा), एकवचन

• ब्रह्म: Brahman
• ब्रह्म: Samānādhikaraṇa (Apposition)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ब्रह्मन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा), एकवचन; समानााधिकरण-निर्देशः (apposition to अक्षरम्)

• परम-ओङ्कार-संज्ञितम्: called the supreme Oṃkāra
• परम-ओङ्कार-संज्ञितम्: Visheshana (Qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: परम (प्रातिपदिक) + ओङ्कार (प्रातिपदिक) + संज्ञित (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा), एकवचन; बहुपद-तत्पुरुषः (परमः ओङ्कारः यस्य संज्ञा/संज्ञितम्) = ‘designated as the supreme Oṃkāra’

Speaker

Lord Vishnu (in dialogue with Garuda/Vainateya)

Philosophical Teaching

Concept: The supreme reality is nirguṇa, yogi-accessible, abiding as the primordial half-mātrā beyond A-U-M; identified with Gāndhārī, resting on the Gāndhāra swara; this is Akṣara Brahman, Paramoṅkāra.

Vedantic Theme: Turiya/ardha-mātrā as transcendence of waking-dream-sleep and guṇas; nāda as upāya leading to nirvikalpa awareness.

Application: After completing A-U-M japa, rest in the ‘after-sound’ silence (ardha-mātrā): attend to subtle inner resonance (nāda) without grasping; let attention dissolve into quiet witnessing.

Verse Rasa

Primary Rasa: adbhuta

Secondary Rasa: shanta

Geographic Context

Type: sonic-metaphysical locus (ardha-mātrā; nāda)

Cross References

Related Themes: Garuda Purana 1.226.23-24 (Oṃ-japa; A-U-M; guṇas)

Characters & Entities

• Brahman
• Om (Omkara)
• Yogins

FAQs

What is the importance of Omkāra (Om) in the Garuda Purana?

This verse identifies Om as the imperishable Brahman-syllable—transcendent, nirguṇa, and directly realizable through yogic insight—making it a central support for contemplation of the Absolute.

How does this verse explain the path of realization?

It frames realization as yogi-accessible knowledge: by focusing on the subtle ‘ardhamātrā’ aspect of Om and its refined sound-principle, one approaches the nirguṇa, supreme reality.

Practical application of this wisdom today?

Use Om-japa or silent contemplation, emphasizing the subtle “after-sound” (ardhamātrā) beyond A-U-M, as a daily practice to cultivate steadiness, inwardness, and discernment of the transcendent.