Shloka 34

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

Devanagari script

सूत उवाच / इत्यष्टाङ्गो मया योग उक्तः शौनक मुक्तिदः / नित्यनैमित्तिकं गत्वा लयं प्राकृतबन्धनाः

Transliteration

sūta uvāca / ityaṣṭāṅgo mayā yoga uktaḥ śaunaka muktidaḥ / nityanaimittikaṃ gatvā layaṃ prākṛtabandhanāḥ

Translation

Sūta berkata: “Demikianlah telah kuajarkan Yoga beranggota lapan, wahai Śaunaka—yang menganugerahkan mokṣa. Dengan menunaikan kewajipan harian dan kewajipan berkala, ikatan semula jadi yang lahir daripada Prakṛti pun luluh menuju laya (lenyapnya belenggu).”

Word by Word

• सूतः: Sūta
• सूतः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सूत (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; एकवचन; प्रथमा (1st/Nominative)

• उवाच: said
• उवाच: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: वच् (धातु)
• Form: लिट् (Perfect); प्रथमपुरुष; एकवचन; परस्मैपदम्

• इति: thus
• इति: Sambandha (Discourse marker/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: इति (अव्यय)
• Form: उद्धरण-समाप्तिसूचक-अव्यय (quotative particle)

• अष्टाङ्गः: eight-limbed
• अष्टाङ्गः: Visheshana (Adjectival qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अष्ट (संख्या-प्रातिपदिक) + अङ्ग (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; एकवचन; प्रथमा (1st/Nominative); समासः—द्विगुः (अष्ट अङ्गानि यस्य)

• मया: by me
• मया: Karana (Instrument/Agentive means/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अस्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सर्वनाम; तृतीया (3rd/Instrumental); एकवचन

• योगः: yoga
• योगः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: योग (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; एकवचन; प्रथमा (1st/Nominative)

• उक्तः: taught, stated
• उक्तः: Kriya (Predicative participle/विधेय)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: वच् (धातु) + क्त (कृदन्त)
• Form: भूतकर्मणि कृदन्त (क्त-प्रत्ययान्त); पुंलिङ्ग; एकवचन; प्रथमा (1st/Nominative); विधेय-विशेषणम् (योगः)

• शौनक: O Śaunaka
• शौनक: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शौनक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; एकवचन; सम्बोधन (8th/Vocative)

• मुक्तिदः: giver of liberation
• मुक्तिदः: Visheshana (Adjectival qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: मुक्ति (प्रातिपदिक) + द (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; एकवचन; प्रथमा (1st/Nominative); समासः—षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (मुक्तेः दः/दाता)

• नित्य: daily, constant
• नित्य: Samasa-member (compound component)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: नित्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग; एकवचन; द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative); समासपूर्वपदम्

• नैमित्तिकम्: daily and occasional (duties)
• नैमित्तिकम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: नैमित्तिक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग; एकवचन; द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative); समासः—द्वन्द्वः (नित्यं च नैमित्तिकं च)

• गत्वा: having gone
• गत्वा: Kriya (Adverbial action/पूर्वक्रिया)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: गम् (धातु) + त्वा (कृदन्त)
• Form: क्त्वान्त-अव्यय (absolutive/gerund); पूर्वकालिक-क्रिया

• लयम्: dissolution, absorption
• लयम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: लय (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; एकवचन; द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative)

• प्राकृत: material, natural
• प्राकृत: Samasa-member (compound component)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: प्राकृत (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग/पुंलिङ्ग; समासपूर्वपदम्

• बन्धनाः: material bonds
• बन्धनाः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: बन्धन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; बहुवचन; प्रथमा (1st/Nominative); समासः—कर्मधारय/तत्पुरुषसदृशः (प्राकृतानि बन्धनानि)

Speaker

Sūta

Philosophical Teaching

Concept: Aṣṭāṅga-yoga as mokṣa-giving; nitya and naimittika duties purify and lead to laya (cessation) of prakṛti-born bondage.

Vedantic Theme: Sādhana-catuṣṭaya support through karma-yoga and yoga; guṇa-kṣaya leading to abidance in the Self.

Application: Adopt a structured practice: yama-niyama with meditation; maintain daily duties (ethical living, worship, service) and occasional rites (life-cycle/seasonal) as purification, not as egoic merit-accumulation.

Verse Rasa

Primary Rasa: shanta

Secondary Rasa: vira

Geographic Context

Type: forest-āśrama/sattra site

Cross References

Related Themes: Garuda Purana 1.226.31-33 (jñāna affirmations); Garuda Purana 1.226.35 (danger of relapse through ajñāna)

Characters & Entities

• Sūta
• Śaunaka

FAQs

What is the importance of Ashtanga Yoga in Garuda Purana?

This verse frames aṣṭāṅga-yoga as “muktida” (liberation-giving), presenting it as a direct means to dissolve material (prākṛta) bondage.

How does this verse explain the path of the soul?

It indicates that liberation involves dissolving the bonds of Prakṛti through disciplined practice—Yoga supported by nitya (daily) and naimittika (occasional) prescribed duties that purify and steady the seeker.

Practical application of this wisdom today?

Maintain consistent daily spiritual discipline (ethical living, meditation, prayer) and perform occasional duties/rites responsibly; together they reduce attachment and support inner freedom.