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Shloka 96

Jñāna-hetu-nirūpaṇa

On the Causes/Means of Knowledge

Devanagari script

त्रिरिकस्तु समो ज्ञेयस्तत्समः पौरुकस्मृतः / वेतः स एव विज्ञेयः पूर्वजन्मनि सत्तम

Transliteration

tririkastu samo jñeyastatsamaḥ paurukasmṛtaḥ / vetaḥ sa eva vijñeyaḥ pūrvajanmani sattama

Translation

‘त्रिरिक’ हा सम (स्तराचा) जाणावा; त्याच्यासमान ‘पौरुक’ असे स्मरणात आहे. तोच ‘वेत’ म्हणूनही ओळखावा—जो पूर्वजन्मी ‘सत्तम’ होता.

Word by Word
त्रिरिकःTririka (name)
त्रिरिकः:
Karta (कर्ता)
TypeNoun
Rootत्रिरिक (प्रातिपदिक)
Formपुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन
तुbut/indeed
तु:
Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/connector)
TypeIndeclinable
Rootतु (अव्यय)
Formनिपात/अव्यय (particle), विरोध/विशेषार्थे ‘but/indeed’
समःequal
समः:
Karta (कर्ता)
TypeAdjective
Rootसम (प्रातिपदिक)
Formपुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; विशेषण
ज्ञेयःshould be known (as)
ज्ञेयः:
Vidhi/Predicate (विधेय)
TypeAdjective
Rootज्ञा (धातु) + यत् (कृत्)
Formयत्-प्रत्ययान्त कृदन्त (gerundive/‘to be known’), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन
तत्-समःequal to him/that one
तत्-समः:
Karta (कर्ता)
TypeAdjective
Rootतत् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक) + सम (प्रातिपदिक)
Formतत्पुरुष-समास; पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; ‘तस्य समः’
पौरुकःPauruka (name)
पौरुकः:
Karta (कर्ता)
TypeNoun
Rootपौरुक (प्रातिपदिक)
Formपुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन
स्मृतःis said/called
स्मृतः:
Vidhi/Predicate (विधेय)
TypeAdjective
Rootस्मृ (धातु) + क्त (कृत्)
Formक्त-प्रत्ययान्त भूतकर्मणि कृदन्त (past passive participle), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; ‘called/remembered’
वेतःVeta (name)
वेतः:
Karta (कर्ता)
TypeNoun
Rootवेत (प्रातिपदिक)
Formपुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन
सःhe
सः:
Karta (कर्ता)
TypeNoun
Rootतद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
Formपुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; सर्वनाम
एवindeed/only
एव:
Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/particle)
TypeIndeclinable
Rootएव (अव्यय)
Formअव्यय (emphatic particle)
विज्ञेयःshould be recognized (as)
विज्ञेयः:
Vidhi/Predicate (विधेय)
TypeAdjective
Rootवि + ज्ञा (धातु) + यत् (कृत्)
Formयत्-प्रत्ययान्त कृदन्त (gerundive), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन
पूर्व-जन्मनिin a former birth
पूर्व-जन्मनि:
Adhikarana (अधिकरण)
TypeNoun
Rootपूर्व (प्रातिपदिक) + जन्मन् (प्रातिपदिक)
Formतत्पुरुष-समास; नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/Locative), एकवचन; अधिकरण
सत्तमO best of beings
सत्तम:
Sambodhana (सम्बोधन)
TypeNoun
Rootसत्तम (प्रातिपदिक)
Formपुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन (8th/Vocative), एकवचन
Speaker

Lord Vishnu (narrating to Garuda/Vinata-putra in the Garuda Purana dialogue frame)

Philosophical Teaching

Concept: Continuity across births and the paradox of identity: the same being may be known by different names and may carry latent virtue from prior lives.

Vedantic Theme: Saṃskāra and karma-vāsanā persist across embodiments; nāma-rūpa shift while the causal continuity remains.

Application: Treat present character as malleable: cultivate good saṃskāras through repetition (japa, study, service), trusting that virtue can re-emerge and stabilize.

Verse Rasa

Primary Rasa: adbhuta

Secondary Rasa: shanta

Cross References

Related Themes: Garuda Purana teachings on rebirth, saṃskāra, and continuity of karma (conceptual parallel)

Characters & Entities
V
Vishnu
G
Garuda
T
Tririka
P
Pauruka
V
Veta

FAQs

This verse highlights continuity across births: a being may be known by different names, yet is recognized by the karmic-spiritual status carried from a former life.

By stating that the same individual is known as different figures and is ‘best among the good’ from a prior birth, it implies that merit and spiritual standing persist and shape one’s post-death recognition and trajectory.

Cultivate dharma and punya consistently—your character and merit outlast a single lifetime and influence how you are ‘known’ by the results of karma.

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