Shloka 24

Jñāna-hetu-nirūpaṇa

On the Causes/Means of Knowledge

Devanagari script

गोविन्द नित्याव्यय चित्सुपूर्ण तव प्रसादान्नास्ति शतेषु तन्ममयेये हि देवाश्च शरीरधारिणस्ते ज्ञानहीना विषयेषु निष्ठाः

Transliteration

govinda nityāvyaya citsupūrṇa tava prasādānnāsti śateṣu tanmamayeye hi devāśca śarīradhāriṇaste jñānahīnā viṣayeṣu niṣṭhāḥ

Translation

おおゴーヴィンダよ——常住にして不滅、清浄なる覚知として円満なる御方よ——汝の恩寵なくしては、たとえ幾百の中にあっても、その悟りは我に起こらぬ。身を帯びる一切の存在、たとえデーヴァであっても、しばしば真智を欠き、感官の対象に没入している。

Word by Word

• गोविन्द: O Govinda
• गोविन्द: सम्बोधन
• Type: Noun
• Root: गोविन्द (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; सम्बोधन, एकवचन

• नित्य: eternal
• नित्य: सम्बोधन-विशेषण
• Type: Adjective
• Root: नित्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; सम्बोधन, एकवचन (सम्बोधन-विशेषण)

• अव्यय: imperishable
• अव्यय: सम्बोधन-विशेषण
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अव्यय (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; सम्बोधन, एकवचन (सम्बोधन-विशेषण)

• चित्सुपूर्ण: completely full of consciousness
• चित्सुपूर्ण: सम्बोधन-विशेषण
• Type: Adjective
• Root: चित्-सु-पूर्ण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; सम्बोधन, एकवचन; तत्पुरुष-समास (चित्-सम्बन्धेन सुपूर्णः)

• तव: your
• तव: सम्बन्ध
• Type: Noun
• Root: त्वद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठी, एकवचन

• प्रसादात्: from grace
• प्रसादात्: अपादान
• Type: Noun
• Root: प्रसाद (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; पञ्चमी, एकवचन

• न: not
• न: निषेध
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: न (अव्यय)
• Form: निषेध-अव्यय

• अस्ति: is/exists
• अस्ति: क्रिया
• Type: Verb
• Root: अस् (धातु)
• Form: लट् (Present), परस्मैपद; प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन

• शतेषु: among hundreds
• शतेषु: अधिकरण
• Type: Noun
• Root: शत (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग; सप्तमी, बहुवचन

• तत्: that
• तत्: कर्ता/प्रत्यय (contextual)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग; प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; सर्वनाम (here: subject/predicate ‘that’)

• मम: my/of me
• मम: सम्बन्ध
• Type: Noun
• Root: अस्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठी, एकवचन

• ये: who/which
• ये: कर्ता (of following clause)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा, बहुवचन; सम्बन्धवाचक सर्वनाम (relative pronoun)

• हि: indeed/for
• हि: हेतु/अवधारण
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: हि (अव्यय)
• Form: निपात (emphatic/causal particle)

• देवाः: gods
• देवाः: कर्ता
• Type: Noun
• Root: देव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा, बहुवचन

• च: and
• च: समुच्चय
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चय-अव्यय

• शरीरधारिणः: embodied (bearing bodies)
• शरीरधारिणः: कर्ता-विशेषण (qualifier of देवाः)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: शरीर-धारिन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा, बहुवचन; तत्पुरुष-समास (शरीरं धारयन्ति)

• ते: they
• ते: कर्ता
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा, बहुवचन; सर्वनाम

• ज्ञानहीनाः: devoid of knowledge
• ज्ञानहीनाः: कर्ता-विशेषण
• Type: Adjective
• Root: ज्ञान-हीन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा, बहुवचन; तत्पुरुष-समास (ज्ञानात् हीनाः)

• विषयेषु: in sense-objects
• विषयेषु: अधिकरण
• Type: Noun
• Root: विषय (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; सप्तमी, बहुवचन

• निष्ठाः: steadfast/attached
• निष्ठाः: प्रत्यय/विधेय (predicate noun)
• Type: Noun
• Root: निष्ठा (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग; प्रथमा, बहुवचन

Speaker

Garuda (Vinata-putra), addressing Lord Vishnu (Govinda)

Philosophical Teaching

Concept: Realization is rare and depends on Govinda’s prasada; embodiment—even in divine/celestial forms—can coincide with ajnana and fixation on vishayas.

Vedantic Theme: Avidya as the root of outward-turned consciousness; anugraha as the catalyst for aparoksha-jnana; samsara persists across lokas when identification with body and objects remains.

Application: Treat spiritual insight as grace-supported: intensify sadhana (japa, satsanga, svadhyaya) while reducing sense-indulgence; do not romanticize status (even ‘deva-like’ success) as proof of wisdom.

Verse Rasa

Primary Rasa: karuna

Secondary Rasa: shanta

Cross References

Related Themes: Garuda Purana (general): teachings that even high births/lokas do not guarantee moksha without Vishnu-bhakti and jnana; Garuda Purana (general): critiques of vishaya-asakti as bondage

Characters & Entities

• Govinda
• Devas

FAQs

What is the importance of Vishnu’s grace in the Garuda Purana?

This verse states that true realization is not attained merely by status or effort; it arises through Govinda’s prasāda (grace), which awakens genuine knowledge and detachment.

How does this verse explain spiritual bondage even among devas?

It emphasizes that embodiment itself can sustain attachment: even devas, as body-bearing beings, may lack liberating knowledge and stay fixed in sense-enjoyments (viṣayas).

Practical application of this wisdom today?

Cultivate devotion and humility, seek inner knowledge, and consciously reduce dependence on sense-pleasures—treating spiritual progress as grace-supported, not ego-driven.