Shloka 8

Gītā-sāra: The Self as Witness and the Inner Ascent into Brahman

Devanagari script

मनोबुद्धिरहङ्कारमव्यक्तं पुरुषं तथा / प्रसंख्याय परंव्याप्तो विमुक्तो बन्धवैर्भवेत्

Transliteration

manobuddhirahaṅkāramavyaktaṃ puruṣaṃ tathā / prasaṃkhyāya paraṃvyāpto vimukto bandhavairbhavet

Translation

മനം, ബുദ്ധി, അഹങ്കാരം, അവ്യക്തപ്രകൃതി, പുരുഷൻ എന്നിവയെ സമ്യക് വിവേചിച്ച് സർവ്വവ്യാപിയായ പരബ്രഹ്മത്തിൽ വ്യാപ്തനായവൻ എല്ലാ ബന്ധങ്ങളിൽ നിന്നുമൊഴിഞ്ഞ് മോക്ഷം പ്രാപിക്കുന്നു।

Word by Word

• मनः: mind
• मनः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मनस् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन

• बुद्धिः: intellect
• बुद्धिः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: बुद्धि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन

• अहङ्कारम्: ego-sense
• अहङ्कारम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अहङ्कार (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन

• अव्यक्तम्: the unmanifest (prakṛti)
• अव्यक्तम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अव्यक्त (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन

• पुरुषम्: the person/self (puruṣa)
• पुरुषम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पुरुष (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन

• तथा: thus; likewise
• तथा: Sambandha/Modifier (सम्बन्ध/विशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तथा (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय, क्रियाविशेषण (adverb)

• प्रसंख्याय: having analyzed/enumerated
• प्रसंख्याय: Kriya (Adverbial action/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Verb
• Root: प्र-सम्-ख्या (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त (absolutive/gerund), अव्ययभाव; ‘having enumerated/considered’

• परम्: supreme
• परम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: पर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन; विशेषण

• व्याप्तः: pervaded; all-pervading
• व्याप्तः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Verb
• Root: वि-आप् (धातु) + क्त (प्रत्यय)
• Form: क्त-प्रत्ययान्त कृदन्त (past passive participle), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन

• विमुक्तः: liberated
• विमुक्तः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Verb
• Root: वि-मुच् (धातु) + क्त (प्रत्यय)
• Form: क्त-प्रत्ययान्त कृदन्त (past passive participle), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन

• बन्धवैः: by/with relatives
• बन्धवैः: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: बन्धु (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/Instrumental), बहुवचन

• भवेत्: would become; should be
• भवेत्: Kriya (Predicate/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: भू (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (Optative), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन

Speaker

Lord Vishnu (speaking to Garuda/Vainateya)

Philosophical Teaching

Concept: Tattva-viveka of antahkarana (manas-buddhi-ahamkara), avyakta (prakriti) and purusha leading to Brahma-vyapti and moksha.

Vedantic Theme: Discrimination of kshetra/kshetrajna and ascent from prakriti to purusha to the Supreme; bondage ends with identification in Brahman.

Application: Daily contemplation: observe mind/intellect/ego as objects; meditate on the witnessing Self; cultivate non-identification and rest in the all-pervading Supreme.

Verse Rasa

Primary Rasa: shanta

Secondary Rasa: adbhuta

Cross References

Related Themes: Garuda Purana 1.237.9-12 (progressive laya/nyasa of tattvas; aham brahma; jnana-yajna superiority)

Characters & Entities

• Purusha
• Avyakta
• Manas
• Buddhi
• Ahamkara
• Param (Supreme)

FAQs

What is the importance of Sankhya-style discernment in the Garuda Purana?

This verse presents liberation as arising from precise discrimination of mind, intellect, ego, prakṛti (the unmanifest), and puruṣa, culminating in establishment in the Supreme.

How does this verse explain the path of the soul toward moksha?

It indicates that bondage is sustained by misidentification with inner instruments (mind/intellect/ego); when these are analyzed and distinguished from puruṣa and then rooted in the Supreme, the soul becomes free.

Practical application of this wisdom today?

Practice daily self-inquiry: notice thoughts (manas), judgments (buddhi), and ‘I’-claims (ahaṅkāra) as objects of awareness, cultivating detachment and steadiness in the higher Self.