Shloka 1

Atma-Jnana as the Direct Means to Moksha: Advaita, Maya, and the Three States

Devanagari script

नाम पञ्चत्रिंशदुत्तरद्विशततमो ऽध्यायः श्रीभगवानुवाच / आत्मज्ञानं प्रवक्ष्यामि शृणु नारद तत्त्वतः / अद्वैतं साङ्ख्यमित्याहुर्योगस्तत्रैकचित्तता

Transliteration

nāma pañcatriṃśaduttaradviśatatamo 'dhyāyaḥ śrībhagavānuvāca / ātmajñānaṃ pravakṣyāmi śṛṇu nārada tattvataḥ / advaitaṃ sāṅkhyamityāhuryogastatraikacittatā

Translation

Demikian bermulanya bab ke-236. Tuhan Yang Maha Mulia bersabda: “Aku akan mengajarkan pengetahuan tentang Ātman; dengarlah, wahai Nārada, menurut hakikatnya. Ia disebut Advaita (tidak-dua) dan juga disebut Sāṅkhya; dan Yoga, dalam konteks itu, ialah ketunggalan tumpuan minda.”

Word by Word

• नाम: (entitled)
• नाम: Sambandha (Discourse marker/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: नाम (अव्यय)
• Form: पदपूरण/उपपद-अव्यय (quotative/labeling particle) — ‘named/called’

• पञ्चत्रिंशदुत्तरद्विशततमः: two-hundred-thirty-fifth
• पञ्चत्रिंशदुत्तरद्विशततमः: Visheshana (Adjectival modifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: पञ्चत्रिंशत् + उत्तर + द्विशत + तम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा), एकवचन — क्रमवाचक-विशेषण; ‘the 235th’ (200+35)

• अध्यायः: chapter
• अध्यायः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अध्याय (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा), एकवचन

• श्रीभगवान्: the Blessed Lord
• श्रीभगवान्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: श्री + भगवान् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा), एकवचन — ‘the venerable Lord’

• उवाच: said
• उवाच: Kriya (Verb/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: वच् (धातु)
• Form: लिट् (Perfect), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन — ‘said/spoke’

• आत्मज्ञानम्: Self-knowledge
• आत्मज्ञानम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: आत्मन् + ज्ञान (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/द्वितीया), एकवचन — ‘knowledge of the Self’

• प्रवक्ष्यामि: I will explain
• प्रवक्ष्यामि: Kriya (Verb/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: प्र + वच् (धातु)
• Form: लृट् (Simple Future), उत्तमपुरुष (1st person), एकवचन — ‘I shall explain’

• शृणु: listen
• शृणु: Kriya (Verb/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: श्रु (धातु)
• Form: लोट् (Imperative), मध्यमपुरुष (2nd person), एकवचन — ‘hear!’

• नारद: O Nārada
• नारद: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नारद (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन (Vocative/सम्बोधन), एकवचन

• तत्त्वतः: truly
• तत्त्वतः: Sambandha (Adverbial/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तत्त्वतस् (अव्यय)
• Form: क्रियाविशेषण-अव्यय (adverb) — ‘in truth/according to reality’

• अद्वैतम्: non-duality
• अद्वैतम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अद्वैत (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/द्वितीया), एकवचन — ‘non-duality’

• साङ्ख्यम्: Sāṅkhya
• साङ्ख्यम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: साङ्ख्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/द्वितीया), एकवचन — ‘Sāṅkhya’

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

• आहुः: they say
• आहुः: Kriya (Verb/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: अह्/ब्रू (धातु)
• Form: लट् (Present), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), बहुवचन — ‘they say’

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

• तत्र: therein
• तत्र: Sambandha (Adverbial/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तत्र (अव्यय)
• Form: देश/प्रसङ्ग-अव्यय (locative adverb) — ‘there/in that (system)’

• एकचित्तता: one-pointedness
• एकचित्तता: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: एक + चित्तता (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा), एकवचन — ‘one-pointedness of mind’

Speaker

Śrī Bhagavān (the Blessed Lord, traditionally Lord Viṣṇu)

Philosophical Teaching

Concept: Atma-jnana is taught as Advaita; Sankhya is framed as non-dual discrimination; Yoga is defined as ekacittata (one-pointed mind).

Vedantic Theme: Shravana as the gateway to aparoksha-jnana; integration of sankhya-viveka with yogic concentration under Advaita.

Application: Adopt disciplined listening (shravana) to non-dual teaching; train attention to one-pointedness to stabilize insight.

Verse Rasa

Primary Rasa: shanta

Secondary Rasa: adbhuta

Cross References

Related Themes: Garuda Purana 1.235.54 (Vedanta-shravana as means); Garuda Purana 1.236.2 (advaita-yoga frees; karma destroyed by bodha); Garuda Purana 1.236.3 (sad-vichara; jnana-vairagya)

Characters & Entities

• Nārada

FAQs

What is the importance of Ātma-jñāna (Self-knowledge) in the Garuda Purana?

This verse frames Ātma-jñāna as the core teaching to be heard “tattvataḥ” (in truth), implying it is a direct means to right understanding that supports liberation-oriented practice.

How does this verse explain the relationship between Advaita, Sāṅkhya, and Yoga?

It presents them as complementary lenses: Advaita as the truth of non-duality, Sāṅkhya as discriminative understanding, and Yoga as the practical discipline of ekacittatā—steady one-pointed mind.

Practical application of this wisdom today?

Study the Self (ātma-vicāra) with clarity, and support it with daily one-pointed attention practices—such as meditation or japa—to stabilize the mind (ekacittatā).