Shloka 27

The Greatness of Avimukta (Kāśī/Vārāṇasī) and the Doctrine of Liberation-in-One-Life

Devanagari script

अपुनर्मरणानां हि सा गतिर्मोक्षकांक्षिणाम् । यां प्राप्य कृतकृत्यः स्यादिति मन्यंति पंडिताः

Transliteration

apunarmaraṇānāṃ hi sā gatirmokṣakāṃkṣiṇām | yāṃ prāpya kṛtakṛtyaḥ syāditi manyaṃti paṃḍitāḥ

Translation

Sesungguhnya, itulah tujuan para pencari mokṣa—keadaan yang tidak kembali lagi kepada kematian. Setelah mencapainya, seseorang menjadi kṛtakṛtya, yakni sempurna segala kewajiban; demikianlah para pandita menyatakan.

Word by Word

• अपुनर्मरणानाम्: of the non-returning (no rebirth) ones
• अपुनर्मरणानाम्: सम्बन्ध (Sambandha/Genitive relation with गति: 'of those who have no return to death')
• Type: Noun
• Root: अ-पुनर्-मरण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तत्पुरुष-समास (नञ्/अव्यय-पूर्वपद: 'non-returning death' → 'no re-death/ no rebirth'); नपुंसकलिङ्ग (Neuter abstract/collective), षष्ठी-विभक्ति (Genitive, 6th), बहुवचन (Plural)

• हि: indeed/for
• हि: सम्बन्ध (Sambandha/particle; no kāraka)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: हि (अव्यय)
• Form: निपात (explanatory/emphatic particle)

• सा: that
• सा: कर्ता (Kartā/Subject; equational with गति: 'that is the path')
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग (Feminine), प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative, 1st), एकवचन (Singular); सर्वनाम (pronoun)

• गतिः: path/goal
• गतिः: कर्ता (Kartā/Subject complement)
• Type: Noun
• Root: गति (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग (Feminine), प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative, 1st), एकवचन (Singular)

• मोक्ष-काङ्क्षिणाम्: of those who desire liberation
• मोक्ष-काङ्क्षिणाम्: सम्बन्ध (Sambandha/Genitive relation with गति)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मोक्ष (प्रातिपदिक) + काङ्क्षिन् (प्रातिपदिक; from √काङ्क्ष्)
• Form: तत्पुरुष-समास (कर्मधारय/षष्ठीभाव: 'desiring mokṣa'); पुंलिङ्ग (Masculine), षष्ठी-विभक्ति (Genitive, 6th), बहुवचन (Plural)

• याम्: which (path/goal)
• याम्: कर्म (Karma/Object of प्राप्य)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग (Feminine), द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative, 2nd), एकवचन (Singular); सम्बन्धक (relative pronoun) referring to गतिम् (understood)

• प्राप्य: having attained
• प्राप्य: पूर्वकाल (Pūrvakāla/preceding action)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √प्र-आप् (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त (absolutive/gerund), अव्ययभाव (indeclinable verbal form)

• कृत-कृत्यः: fulfilled, having done what must be done
• कृत-कृत्यः: कर्ता (Kartā/Subject of स्यात्)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: कृत (कृदन्त; √कृ धातु) + कृत्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: कर्मधारय-समास ('one whose duty is done' / 'accomplished'); पुंलिङ्ग (Masculine), प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative, 1st), एकवचन (Singular)

• स्यात्: would be/should become
• स्यात्: क्रिया (Kriyā/Verb)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √अस् (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (Optative), परस्मैपद (Parasmaipada), प्रथम-पुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन (Singular)

• इति: thus
• इति: सम्बन्ध (Sambandha/particle; no kāraka)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: इति (अव्यय)
• Form: उद्धरण-निपात (quotative particle)

• मन्यन्ति: think/consider
• मन्यन्ति: क्रिया (Kriyā/Verb)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √मन् (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार (Present), आत्मनेपद (Ātmanepada), प्रथम-पुरुष (3rd person), बहुवचन (Plural)

• पण्डिताः: the learned (people)
• पण्डिताः: कर्ता (Kartā/Subject of मन्यन्ति)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पण्डित (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग (Masculine), प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative, 1st), बहुवचन (Plural)

Speaker

Unspecified (narratorial/teaching voice within the Adhyaya context)

Verse Rasa

Primary Rasa: shanta

Geographic Context

Type: celestial_realm

Sandhi Resolution Notes

Sandhi Resolution Notes: गतिर्मोक्षकांक्षिणाम् = गतिः + मोक्षकाङ्क्षिणाम्; स्यादिति = स्यात् + इति; मन्यंति = मन्यन्ति (orthographic/phonetic variant in transmission)

FAQs

What does this verse say is the goal of one who seeks moksha?

It identifies the supreme goal as a state of non-return to death (no further cycle of mortality), which the wise regard as the true destination of liberation-seekers.

What is meant by kṛtakṛtya in this verse?

Kṛtakṛtya means “one who has done what needed to be done”—a person who, upon attaining liberation, is considered fully complete and fulfilled, with no remaining obligation or unfinished purpose.

Does the verse prioritize heaven (svarga) or liberation (moksha)?

Even though it appears in the Svarga-khaṇḍa, the verse clearly prioritizes moksha: the highest attainment is described as freedom from returning to death, not merely enjoyment in heaven.