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Shloka 9

Dhyāna of Hari as the Nirguṇa Witness (Ātman), and the Attainment of Viṣṇu’s Realm

Devanagari script

तत्साक्षी तन्नियन्ता च परमानन्दरूपकः / जाग्रत्स्वप्नसुषुप्तिस्थस्तत्साक्षी तद्विवर्जितः

Transliteration

tatsākṣī tanniyantā ca paramānandarūpakaḥ / jāgratsvapnasuṣuptisthastatsākṣī tadvivarjitaḥ

Translation

स तस्य साक्षी नियन्ता च परमानन्दरूपकः। जाग्रत्स्वप्नसुषुप्तिषु स्थितोऽपि साक्षी, तैर्विवर्जितः॥

Word by Word
तत्that
तत्:
Sambandha (Genitival relation/सम्बन्ध)
TypeAdjective
Rootतद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
Formनपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; समासाङ्ग
साक्षीwitness (of that)
साक्षी:
Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
TypeNoun
Rootसाक्षिन् (प्रातिपदिक)
Formपुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; तत्-साक्षी = तस्य साक्षी (Tatpurusha: ‘witness of that’)
तत्that
तत्:
Sambandha (Genitival relation/सम्बन्ध)
TypeAdjective
Rootतद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
Formनपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; समासाङ्ग
नियन्ताcontroller (of that)
नियन्ता:
Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
TypeNoun
Rootनियन्तृ (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक; नि + √यम् (धातु) ‘to restrain, govern’ कर्तृ-प्रत्यय)
Formपुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; तत्-नियन्ता = तस्य नियन्ता (Tatpurusha: ‘controller of that’)
चand
च:
Sambandha (Connector/समुच्चय)
TypeIndeclinable
Rootच (अव्यय)
Formसमुच्चय-अव्यय (conjunction)
परमsupreme
परम:
Sambandha (Genitival relation/सम्बन्ध)
TypeAdjective
Rootपरम (प्रातिपदिक)
Formसमासाङ्ग
आनन्दbliss
आनन्द:
Sambandha (Genitival relation/सम्बन्ध)
TypeNoun
Rootआनन्द (प्रातिपदिक)
Formसमासाङ्ग
रूपकःone whose form is supreme bliss
रूपकः:
Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
TypeNoun
Rootरूपक (प्रातिपदिक)
Formपुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; परमानन्द-रूपकः = परमानन्दस्य रूपकः/रूपः (Tatpurusha: ‘having the form of supreme bliss’)
जाग्रत्waking state
जाग्रत्:
Adhikarana (Locus/अधिकरण)
TypeNoun
Rootजाग्रत् (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक; √जागृ (धातु) ‘to be awake’ शतृ)
Formसमासाङ्ग; अवस्था-नाम (state-name)
स्वप्नdream state
स्वप्न:
Adhikarana (Locus/अधिकरण)
TypeNoun
Rootस्वप्न (प्रातिपदिक)
Formसमासाङ्ग; अवस्था-नाम
सुषुप्तिdeep sleep state
सुषुप्ति:
Adhikarana (Locus/अधिकरण)
TypeNoun
Rootसुषुप्ति (प्रातिपदिक)
Formस्त्रीलिङ्ग; समासाङ्ग; अवस्था-नाम
स्थःabiding in
स्थः:
Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
TypeAdjective
Rootस्थ (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक; √स्था (धातु) ‘to stand’ क्त/निष्ठा-प्रयोगः)
Formपुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; जाग्रत्स्वप्नसुषुप्ति-स्थः = तासु अवस्थासु स्थितः (Tatpurusha: ‘present in waking, dream, deep sleep’)
तत्that
तत्:
Sambandha (Genitival relation/सम्बन्ध)
TypeAdjective
Rootतद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
Formनपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; समासाङ्ग
साक्षीwitness (of that)
साक्षी:
Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
TypeNoun
Rootसाक्षिन् (प्रातिपदिक)
Formपुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; तत्-साक्षी = तस्य साक्षी
तत्that
तत्:
Sambandha (Genitival relation/सम्बन्ध)
TypeAdjective
Rootतद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
Formनपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; समासाङ्ग
विवर्जितःdevoid of
विवर्जितः:
Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
TypeAdjective
Rootविवर्जित (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक; √वर्ज् क्त)
Formपुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; तत्-विवर्जितः = तेन विवर्जितः/तस्मात् विवर्जितः (Tatpurusha: ‘devoid of that’)
Speaker

Lord Vishnu (teaching Garuda/Vinata-putra)

Philosophical Teaching

Concept: The Supreme is witness and controller, of the nature of highest bliss; present through waking, dream, deep sleep as their witness, yet untouched by them.

Vedantic Theme: Sakshi of avasthā-traya; ananda-svarupa; transcendence of states (pointer to Turīya); īśvara as niyantā without being conditioned.

Application: Avasthā-traya inquiry: track the continuity of ‘I-am’ awareness across waking/dream/sleep; cultivate detachment from state-bound identities; rest in the blissful witness.

Verse Rasa

Primary Rasa: shanta

Secondary Rasa: adbhuta

Cross References

Related Themes: Garuda Purana 1.14.5; Garuda Purana 1.14.6; Garuda Purana 1.14.8

Characters & Entities
V
Vishnu
G
Garuda
A
Atman
W
Witness (Sākṣin)

FAQs

This verse identifies the Self as the unchanging Witness and Controller behind all experiences, pointing to liberation by shifting identity from changing states to the ever-present consciousness.

It says the true Self remains present through all three states as their observer, yet is not modified by them—implying the soul’s essence is independent of mental conditions.

Cultivate daily self-observation (mindfulness/ātma-vicāra): notice thoughts and states as objects of awareness, and act ethically from steadiness rather than from reactive moods.

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