Shloka 6
Hari in the Primeval Waters: Prakṛti as Veil, the ‘Sleep’ Metaphor, and Brahmā’s Lotus-Channel Inquiry
अजां जहि महाभाग योग्यानां मुक्तिमावह / अजा तु प्रकृतिः प्रोक्ता चापरा प्रकृतिः परा
ajāṃ jahi mahābhāga yogyānāṃ muktimāvaha / ajā tu prakṛtiḥ proktā cāparā prakṛtiḥ parā
Ó nobre, destrói “Ajā” (o Não‑Nascido) e traz a libertação aos buscadores qualificados. “Ajā” é dita ser Prakṛti (a Natureza); e Prakṛti é ensinada como dupla: inferior (aparā) e superior (parā).
Lord Vishnu (in instruction to Garuda/Vinata-putra)
Concept: Ajā as prakṛti; prakṛti is twofold—aparā (lower, binding) and parā (higher, liberating/illumining). Liberation comes by 'destroying' (transcending) the binding nature for qualified seekers.
Vedantic Theme: Discrimination between lower nature (guṇa-mayī, saṃsāra-hetu) and higher principle leading to release; prakṛti as upādhi to be sublated by knowledge/devotion.
Application: Cultivate viveka: identify binding impulses (guṇa-driven) as aparā prakṛti; practice japa, meditation, and ethical restraint to weaken identification with nature and turn toward the parā (sattva/daivī) orientation.
Primary Rasa: shanta
Secondary Rasa: adbhuta
Related Themes: Garuda Purana (general): mokṣa/ātma-viveka passages in Brahma-khaṇḍa style sections; prakṛti-puruṣa discussions in didactic chapters
FAQs
In this verse, Ajā is identified with Prakṛti (Nature), the binding principle that must be overcome for liberation; understanding Ajā clarifies what must be transcended on the path to moksha.
It frames liberation as the overcoming of Prakṛti—especially its binding, lower aspect—so that the qualified aspirant is freed from material conditioning and attains release.
Cultivate discernment between higher and lower impulses (parā vs. aparā), reduce attachment to sensory-driven habits, and pursue steady practice (self-control, study, contemplation) aimed at freedom from compulsive nature.