Shloka 70

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

Devanagari script

तस्मान्नित्यादिकं कर्म लोकरञ्जनकारकम् / मोक्षस्य कारणं साक्षातत्त्वज्ञान खगेश्वर

Transliteration

tasmānnityādikaṃ karma lokarañjanakārakam / mokṣasya kāraṇaṃ sākṣātattvajñāna khageśvara

Translation

ດັ່ງນັ້ນ ໂອ ຂະເຄເຊວະຣະ (ຈອມແຫ່ງນົກ) ກຳມະປະຈຳວັນ ແລະ ພິທີກຳທີ່ຄວນເຮັດເພື່ອຄວາມສຸກສະຫງົບຂອງໂລກ ບໍ່ແມ່ນເຫດໂດຍກົງໃຫ້ໄດ້ໂມກສະ; ເຫດໂດຍກົງແມ່ນ ຕັດຕະວະ-ຍານ (ຄວາມຮູ້ແທ້ແຫ່ງສະພາວະ)។

Word by Word

• तस्मात्: therefore/from that
• तस्मात्: Hetu/Apadana (हेतु/अपादान/Cause-Source)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम/प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग/नपुंसकलिङ्ग, पञ्चमी (5th/Ablative), एकवचन; सर्वनाम

• नित्य-आदिकम्: (duties) beginning with daily (nitya) rites
• नित्य-आदिकम्: Visheshana (विशेषण/Qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: नित्य (प्रातिपदिक) + आदि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन; समासः—तत्पुरुषः (नित्यं च आदिः च—'beginning with daily [rites]')

• कर्म: action/ritual duty
• कर्म: Karma (कर्म/Object)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कर्मन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन

• लोक-रञ्जन-कारकम्: that which pleases the world
• लोक-रञ्जन-कारकम्: Visheshana (विशेषण/Qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: लोक (प्रातिपदिक) + रञ्जन (प्रातिपदिक) + कारक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन; समासः—तत्पुरुषः (लोकस्य रञ्जनं करोति इति)

• मोक्षस्य: of liberation
• मोक्षस्य: Shashthi-sambandha (षष्ठी-सम्बन्ध/Possessive)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मोक्ष (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th/Genitive), एकवचन

• कारणम्: the cause
• कारणम्: Karta/Predicate-noun (कर्ता/विधेय)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कारण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन

• साक्षात्: directly
• साक्षात्: Kriya-visheshaṇa (क्रियाविशेषण/Adverbial)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: साक्षात् (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; क्रियाविशेषण/निपात (indeclinable: directly/manifestly)

• तत्त्व-ज्ञानम्: knowledge of reality
• तत्त्व-ज्ञानम्: Karta/Predicate-noun (कर्ता/विधेय)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तत्त्व (प्रातिपदिक) + ज्ञान (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; समासः—तत्पुरुषः (तत्त्वस्य ज्ञानम्)

• खग-ईश्वर: O lord of birds
• खग-ईश्वर: Sambodhana (सम्बोधन/Vocative)
• Type: Noun
• Root: खग (प्रातिपदिक) + ईश्वर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन (8th/Vocative), एकवचन; समासः—तत्पुरुषः (खगानाम् ईश्वरः)

Speaker

Lord Vishnu (addressing Garuda)

Philosophical Teaching

Concept: Tattva-jñāna is the direct (sākṣāt) cause of mokṣa; obligatory actions meant for social/world harmony are not direct liberators.

Vedantic Theme: Jñāna-kāraṇatva of mokṣa; karma as indirect purifier (sādhana) rather than immediate cause; distinction between vyavahāra (loka-saṅgraha) and paramārtha (liberation).

Application: Perform daily duties as loka-saṅgraha and mind-purification, but prioritize śravaṇa–manana–nididhyāsana on tattva; regularly examine ‘What is the direct means to freedom?’ and allocate time to contemplative study and meditation.

Verse Rasa

Primary Rasa: shanta

Cross References

Related Themes: Garuda Purana (Preta/Moksha sections): recurring contrast of karma vs jñāna as direct means; Adjacent verses 2.49.71–74: critique of mere system-learning and logicians without paramārtha

Characters & Entities

• Garuda (Khageshvara)

FAQs

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

This verse states that tattva-jñāna is the direct (sākṣāt) cause of mokṣa, placing liberating insight above merely performing obligatory duties.

Does the Garuda Purana reject daily rituals (nitya-karma) as useless?

No. The verse acknowledges nitya and prescribed duties as beneficial for the world (loka-rañjana), but clarifies they are not the immediate cause of liberation without true knowledge.

Practical application of this wisdom today?

Do your duties responsibly and ethically, but also cultivate self-inquiry and study of truth (tattva) through scripture, reflection, and disciplined living—so practice leads toward liberation, not only social merit.