Shloka 123

Mukti-tattva Upadeśa: Knowledge as the Direct Cause of Liberation

Devanagari script

पराशरमुनिः प्राप तस्माद्व्यासस्ततो ह्यहम् / मया तु भवतां प्रोक्तं परं गुह्यं हरेरिदम्

Transliteration

parāśaramuniḥ prāpa tasmādvyāsastato hyaham / mayā tu bhavatāṃ proktaṃ paraṃ guhyaṃ hareridam

Translation

Sang resi Parāśara menerimanya; daripadanya Vyāsa menerimanya, dan kemudian benar-benar sampai kepadaku. Dan aku kini telah menyatakan kepada kalian rahsia tertinggi ini, ajaran Hari (Viṣṇu).

Word by Word

• parāśara-muniḥ: the sage Parāśara
• parāśara-muniḥ: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: parāśara (प्रातिपदिक) + muni (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Puṃliṅga, Prathamā, Ekavacana; karmadhāraya: 'Parāśara who is a sage'

• prāpa: obtained/received
• prāpa: Kriyā (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: pra-āp (धातु)
• Form: Luṅ (लुङ्, aorist), Prathama-puruṣa, Ekavacana; upasarga: pra-

• tasmāt: from him/therefrom
• tasmāt: Apādāna (अपादान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tad (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Puṃliṅga, Pañcamī, Ekavacana (ablative of pronoun)

• vyāsaḥ: Vyāsa
• vyāsaḥ: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: vyāsa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Puṃliṅga, Prathamā, Ekavacana

• tataḥ: then/from there
• tataḥ: Kāla/Deśa-adhikaraṇa (adverbial)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: tataḥ (अव्यय)
• Form: Avyaya; adverb (क्रियाविशेषण)

• hi: indeed
• hi: Sambandha (narrative particle)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: hi (अव्यय)
• Form: Avyaya; particle (निपात) of emphasis/indeed

• aham: I
• aham: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: asmad (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Sarvanāma (सर्वनाम), Prathamā, Ekavacana

• mayā: by me
• mayā: Karaṇa (करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: asmad (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Sarvanāma, Tṛtīyā (3rd/तृतीया), Ekavacana

• tu: and/but
• tu: Sambandha (discourse particle)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: tu (अव्यय)
• Form: Avyaya; conjunction/particle (निपात) 'but/and'

• bhavatām: of you (hon.) / for you
• bhavatām: Sampradāna (सम्प्रदान, beneficiary expressed via genitive)
• Type: Noun
• Root: bhavat (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Puṃliṅga (honorific), Ṣaṣṭhī (6th), Bahuvacana (plural)

• proktam: told/spoken
• proktam: Kriyā-viśeṣaṇa / Karma (predicate of idam)
• Type: Verb
• Root: pra-vac (धातु)
• Form: Kṛdanta: Past passive participle (क्त/ktá), Napuṃsaka, Prathamā/Dvitīyā, Ekavacana; 'spoken/told'

• param: supreme
• param: Viśeṣaṇa (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: para (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Napuṃsaka, Dvitīyā, Ekavacana; qualifies 'guhyam/idam'

• guhyam: secret
• guhyam: Viśeṣaṇa (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: guhya (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Napuṃsaka, Dvitīyā, Ekavacana; 'secret'

• hareḥ: of Hari
• hareḥ: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/षष्ठी)
• Type: Noun
• Root: hari (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Puṃliṅga, Ṣaṣṭhī, Ekavacana

• idam: this (teaching)
• idam: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: idam (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Napuṃsaka, Prathamā/Dvitīyā, Ekavacana; here as object of 'proktam' (understood)

Speaker

Lord Vishnu (Hari) to Garuda (Vinata-putra)

Philosophical Teaching

Concept: The ‘parama-guhya’ teaching of Hari is entrusted through lineage; secrecy implies eligibility (adhikāra) and transformative potency.

Vedantic Theme: Guhya-jñāna and adhikāra-bheda; liberation-oriented instruction safeguarded by tradition.

Application: Approach profound teachings with preparation (ethics, discipline, devotion); keep vows of confidentiality where tradition requires; practice with sincerity.

Verse Rasa

Primary Rasa: shanta

Secondary Rasa: adbhuta

Cross References

Related Themes: Garuda Purana: repeated designation of certain teachings as ‘guhya’ and ‘parama’ (especially those tied to Viṣṇu and liberation)

Characters & Entities

• Parashara
• Vyasa
• Hari (Vishnu)

FAQs

What is the importance of the teacher–disciple lineage in the Garuda Purana?

This verse establishes authenticity by tracing the teaching through Parāśara and Vyāsa to the present speaker, presenting it as a reliable, traditionally transmitted revelation.

How does this verse relate to Garuda Purana teachings on death and the afterlife?

By calling the instruction the “supreme secret of Hari,” it frames the ensuing Preta Kanda material—often used for death rites and post-death guidance—as sacred, authoritative, and meant to be heard with seriousness.

Practical application of this wisdom today?

Approach Garuda Purana topics (death rites, ethics, and post-death teachings) with reverence and careful study, recognizing them as part of a disciplined tradition rather than casual folklore.