Shloka 27

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

Devanagari script

अहं ब्रह्म परं ज्योतिः पृथिव्या मलवर्जितम् / अहं ब्रह्म परं ज्योतिर्वाय्वाकाशविवर्जितम्

Transliteration

ahaṃ brahma paraṃ jyotiḥ pṛthivyā malavarjitam / ahaṃ brahma paraṃ jyotirvāyvākāśavivarjitam

Translation

Aku ialah Brahman—Cahaya Tertinggi—tidak ternoda oleh kekotoran unsur bumi. Aku ialah Brahman—Cahaya Tertinggi—melampaui dan tidak tersentuh oleh angin dan akasa (eter) juga.

Word by Word

• अहम्: I
• अहम्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अस्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सर्वनाम; एकवचन, प्रथमा/द्वितीया; लिङ्ग-अनियत

• ब्रह्म: Brahman
• ब्रह्म: Samānādhikaraṇa (Predicate)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ब्रह्मन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन

• परम्: supreme
• परम्: Viśeṣaṇa
• Type: Adjective
• Root: पर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; विशेषण

• ज्योतिः: light
• ज्योतिः: Samānādhikaraṇa (Predicate)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ज्योतिस् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• पृथिव्या: by/with earth (earth-element)
• पृथिव्या: Karaṇa / Instrument (करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पृथिवी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग (Feminine), तृतीया विभक्ति (Instrumental), एकवचन (Singular)

• मलवर्जितम्: free from impurity
• मलवर्जितम्: Viśeṣaṇa
• Type: Adjective
• Root: मल (प्रातिपदिक) + वर्जित (वर्ज् धातु, क्त; कृदन्त)
• Form: समास: मल-तत्पुरुष (मलेन वर्जितम्/मलात् वर्जितम्); क्त-प्रत्ययान्त विशेषण; नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन

• अहम्: I
• अहम्: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: अस्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सर्वनाम; एकवचन, प्रथमा/द्वितीया

• ब्रह्म: Brahman
• ब्रह्म: Samānādhikaraṇa
• Type: Noun
• Root: ब्रह्मन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन

• परम्: supreme
• परम्: Viśeṣaṇa
• Type: Adjective
• Root: पर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; विशेषण

• ज्योतिः: light
• ज्योतिः: Samānādhikaraṇa
• Type: Noun
• Root: ज्योतिस् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• वाय्वाकाशविवर्जितम्: devoid of air and ether
• वाय्वाकाशविवर्जितम्: Viśeṣaṇa
• Type: Adjective
• Root: वायु (प्रातिपदिक) + आकाश (प्रातिपदिक) + विवर्जित (वर्ज् धातु, क्त; कृदन्त)
• Form: समास: वायु+आकाश (द्वन्द्व) → वाय्वाकाश; ततः तृतीया-तत्पुरुषार्थक विशेषण: (वाय्वाकाशाभ्याम्) विवर्जितम्; क्त-प्रत्ययान्त; नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन

Speaker

Lord Vishnu (teaching Garuda/Vinata-putra in a doctrinal context)

Philosophical Teaching

Concept: Brahman is untainted by the ‘impurities’ (mala) associated with earth and is beyond vayu and akasha; the Self is not a product of elements.

Vedantic Theme: Panchabhuta-atiita Atman; asanga (non-contact); adhyasa of elemental body negated.

Application: Practice bhuta-viveka: observe sensations as elemental phenomena and reaffirm ‘I am the Light beyond earth/air/ether’; reduce attachment to bodily cleanliness/uncleanliness anxieties by shifting identity to the witness.

Verse Rasa

Primary Rasa: shanta

Secondary Rasa: adbhuta

Cross References

Related Themes: Garuda Purana 1.226.26, 1.226.28-30 (series of negations: body, elements, senses, prana)

Characters & Entities

• Brahman
• Jyoti (Supreme Light)
• Prithivi (earth element)
• Vayu (air element)
• Akasha (ether/space element)

FAQs

What is the importance of describing Brahman as the 'supreme Light' in the Garuda Purana?

This verse frames Brahman as self-luminous consciousness (paraṃ jyotiḥ), not a material light, emphasizing the Absolute as the source and witness of all experience and the basis for liberation.

How does this verse relate to the soul’s journey beyond elemental existence?

By stating Brahman is untouched by earth, air, and ether, the verse points to a reality beyond the elemental and subtle-material layers that bind embodied beings—guiding the seeker toward identification with the transcendent Self rather than the perishable tattvas.

Practical application of this wisdom today?

Use it as a contemplation: detach from bodily and environmental identities, cultivate inner purity, and meditate on the Self as untainted awareness—supporting ethical living and steadiness in the face of change.