Shloka 100

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

Devanagari script

धर्मज्ञानप्रसूनस्य स्वर्गमोक्षफलस्य च / तापत्रयादिसन्तप्तश्छायां मोक्षतरोः श्रयेत्

Transliteration

dharmajñānaprasūnasya svargamokṣaphalasya ca / tāpatrayādisantaptaśchāyāṃ mokṣataroḥ śrayet

Translation

A árvore da mokṣa floresce com o dharma e o verdadeiro conhecimento, e dá como frutos o céu e a libertação derradeira. Quem é abrasado pelas três aflições e semelhantes deve refugiar-se à sombra dessa árvore de libertação.

Word by Word

• dharma-jñāna-prasūnasya: of the flower of dharma and knowledge
• dharma-jñāna-prasūnasya: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/Genitive)
• Type: Noun
• Root: dharma (प्रातिपदिक) + jñāna (प्रातिपदिक) + prasūna (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग (Neuter), षष्ठी (Genitive/सम्बन्ध), एकवचन (Singular); तत्पुरुष-श्रृङ्खला: 'of the flower (prasūna) of dharma and knowledge'

• svarga-mokṣa-phalasya: of the fruit of heaven and liberation
• svarga-mokṣa-phalasya: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/Genitive)
• Type: Noun
• Root: svarga (प्रातिपदिक) + mokṣa (प्रातिपदिक) + phala (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग (Neuter), षष्ठी (Genitive/सम्बन्ध), एकवचन (Singular); तत्पुरुष: 'of the fruit of heaven and liberation'

• ca: and
• ca: Samuccaya (समुच्चय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ca (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयार्थक-अव्यय (conjunction: 'and')

• tāpa-traya-ādi-santaptaḥ: tormented by the threefold sufferings, etc.
• tāpa-traya-ādi-santaptaḥ: Karta (कर्ता/Subject)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: tāpa (प्रातिपदिक) + traya (प्रातिपदिक) + ādi (अव्यय/प्रातिपदिक) + santapta (सन्तप्त, कृदन्त)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग (Masculine), प्रथमा (Nominative), एकवचन (Singular); भूतकृदन्त (past passive participle) √tap (तप्) उपसर्ग सम्: 'santapta' = 'tormented'; तत्पुरुष: 'tormented by the threefold sufferings etc.'

• chāyām: shade
• chāyām: Karma (कर्म/Object)
• Type: Noun
• Root: chāyā (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग (Feminine), द्वितीया (Accusative/कर्म), एकवचन (Singular)

• mokṣa-taroḥ: of the tree of liberation
• mokṣa-taroḥ: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/Genitive)
• Type: Noun
• Root: mokṣa (प्रातिपदिक) + taru (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग (Masculine), षष्ठी (Genitive/सम्बन्ध), एकवचन (Singular); तत्पुरुष: 'of the tree of liberation'

• śrayet: should resort to
• śrayet: Kriyā (क्रिया/Verb)
• Type: Verb
• Root: śri (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (Optative), आत्मनेपद, प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन (Singular)

Speaker

Lord Vishnu (speaking to Garuda/Vinata-putra)

Philosophical Teaching

Concept: Mokṣa is approached as a living 'tree' nourished by dharma and jñāna; taking refuge in it cools the burning of saṃsāric afflictions.

Vedantic Theme: Tāpatraya-nivṛtti through jñāna grounded in dharma; liberation as the cessation of suffering and establishment in the Self.

Application: Cultivate ethical living (dharma) and discriminative insight (jñāna); when distressed by mental/physical/worldly pains, turn to study, contemplation, and renunciation-oriented practice as refuge.

Verse Rasa

Primary Rasa: shanta

Secondary Rasa: karuna

Cross References

Related Themes: Garuda Purana 2.49.101-104 (guru-upadeśa, antakāla-vairāgya, final duty of tattvajña)

Characters & Entities

• Vishnu
• Garuda
• Svarga
• Moksha

FAQs

What is the importance of dharma and jñāna in the Garuda Purana’s path to moksha?

This verse presents dharma and true knowledge as the very “blossoms” that lead to the fruits of higher states—svarga and ultimately moksha—making them foundational disciplines for liberation.

How does this verse explain relief from suffering (tāpa-traya)?

It says that those burned by the threefold afflictions should seek refuge in the “shade” of the moksha-tree—i.e., adopt a liberation-oriented life grounded in dharma and spiritual insight.

Practical application of this wisdom today?

Live ethically (dharma), cultivate discernment and study (jñāna), and respond to stress and hardship by aligning daily choices with long-term spiritual freedom rather than short-term impulses.