Shloka 23

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

Devanagari script

यथाग्निरग्नौ संक्षिप्तस्तथात्मा परमात्मनि / ब्रह्मरूपं महापुण्यमोमित्येकाक्षरं जपेत्

Transliteration

yathāgniragnau saṃkṣiptastathātmā paramātmani / brahmarūpaṃ mahāpuṇyamomityekākṣaraṃ japet

Translation

Sebagaimana api larut ke dalam api, demikianlah ātman individu dihimpunkan ke dalam Paramātman. Maka hendaklah seseorang mengulang japa suku kata tunggal “Oṃ”, bunyi yang amat berpahala dan bersifat Brahman.

Word by Word

• यथा: just as
• यथा: Sambandha (Comparative marker)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: यथा (अव्यय)
• Form: उपमानवाचक-अव्यय (comparative particle: ‘as/just as’)

• अग्निः: fire
• अग्निः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अग्नि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा), एकवचन

• अग्नौ: in fire
• अग्नौ: Adhikarana (Locative/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अग्नि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/सप्तमी), एकवचन

• संक्षिप्तः: is merged/absorbed
• संक्षिप्तः: Kriya (Predicate)
• Type: Verb
• Root: सम्-क्षिप् (धातु)
• Form: कृदन्त-क्त (past passive participle), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; ‘placed/merged/contracted’

• तथा: so
• तथा: Sambandha (Connector)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तथा (अव्यय)
• Form: प्रकारवाचक-अव्यय (adverb: ‘so/likewise’)

• आत्मा: the self
• आत्मा: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: आत्मन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा), एकवचन

• परमात्मनि: in the Supreme Self
• परमात्मनि: Adhikarana (Locative/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: परम (प्रातिपदिक) + आत्मन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/सप्तमी), एकवचन; कर्मधारयसमासः (परमः आत्मा)

• ब्रह्म-रूपम्: having the form of Brahman
• ब्रह्म-रूपम्: Visheshana (Qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: ब्रह्मन् (प्रातिपदिक) + रूप (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/द्वितीया), एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (ब्रह्मणः रूपम्) विशेषणम् (एकाक्षरम् इत्यस्य)

• महा-पुण्यम्: greatly meritorious
• महा-पुण्यम्: Visheshana (Qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: महा (प्रातिपदिक) + पुण्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/द्वितीया), एकवचन; कर्मधारयः (महच्च तत् पुण्यम्) विशेषणम्

• ओम्: Om
• ओम्: Karma (Object/utterance)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ओम् (अव्यय/प्रणव)
• Form: प्रणव-शब्दः; उद्धरणरूपेण (quoted syllable)

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

• एक-अक्षरम्: the single syllable
• एक-अक्षरम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: एक (प्रातिपदिक) + अक्षर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/द्वितीया), एकवचन; कर्मधारयः (एकं च तत् अक्षरम्)

• जपेत्: should repeat/chant
• जपेत्: Kriya (Action)
• Type: Verb
• Root: जप् (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (optative), परस्मैपद, प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन

Speaker

Lord Vishnu (in dialogue to Garuda/Vinata-putra)

Philosophical Teaching

Concept: Laya (absorption): as fire into fire, so ātman into Paramātman; Oṃ as ekākṣara-japa leading to Brahma-rūpa awareness.

Vedantic Theme: Non-dual tendency (abheda-bhāva) expressed through upāsanā: nāma/śabda as a doorway to nirguṇa realization.

Application: Practice Oṃ-japa with meaning: begin with audible repetition, move to mental japa; contemplate ‘I’ dissolving into pure awareness; end with silent resting after each Oṃ.

Verse Rasa

Primary Rasa: shanta

Secondary Rasa: adbhuta

Geographic Context

Type: inner realization-space (ātman–paramātman union)

Cross References

Related Themes: Garuda Purana 1.226.24-25 (A-U-M; half-mātrā; nirguṇa)

Characters & Entities

• Atman
• Paramatman
• Brahman
• Om (Pranava)

FAQs

What is the importance of Om (Pranava) in this Garuda Purana verse?

The verse presents Om as the single-syllable expression of Brahman and recommends its japa as a highly meritorious practice oriented toward realization of the Supreme Self.

How does this verse explain the path of the soul?

It uses the analogy of fire merging into fire to describe the soul’s ultimate consummation—absorption of the individual self into the Paramatman—indicating a moksha-centered culmination rather than continued transmigration.

Practical application of this wisdom today?

Practice steady Om-japa with contemplation that the inner self is not separate from the Supreme Reality; let this reduce fear, ego-clinging, and cultivate dharmic living aligned with liberation.