Shloka 21

Paramparā (Transmission), Rudra’s Viṣṇu-Dhyāna, and the Garuḍa Purāṇa’s Origin-Impulse

Devanagari script

यस्मिंल्लोकाः स्फुरन्तीमे जले शकुनयो यथा / ऋतमेकाक्षरं ब्रह्म यत्तत्सदसतः परम्

Transliteration

yasmiṃllokāḥ sphurantīme jale śakunayo yathā / ṛtamekākṣaraṃ brahma yattatsadasataḥ param

Translation

यस्मिन् जगन्ति स्फुरन्ति जले शकुनय इव सञ्चरन्ति, तदेवैकाक्षरं ब्रह्म—ऋतं, सत्-असतोः परं परमम्।

Word by Word

• यस्मिन्: in which (wherein)
• यस्मिन्: Adhikarana (Locative/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग/नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/सप्तमी), एकवचन; सम्बन्धे/अधिकरणे (locative: in/wherein)

• लोकाः: worlds
• लोकाः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: लोक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा), बहुवचन

• स्फुरन्ति: throb/flash/appear vividly
• स्फुरन्ति: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: स्फुर् (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार (Present), परस्मैपद, प्रथमपुरुष, बहुवचन

• इमे: these
• इमे: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: इदम् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा), बहुवचन; विशेष्य-सामानाधिकरण्ये (these)

• जले: in water
• जले: Adhikarana (Locative/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: जल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/सप्तमी), एकवचन

• शकुनयः: birds
• शकुनयः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शकुनि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा), बहुवचन

• यथा: as, like
• यथा: Sambandha (Comparative/उपमा)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: यथा (अव्यय)
• Form: उपमा-अव्यय (comparative particle: as/like)

• ऋतम्: cosmic order, truth
• ऋतम्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ऋत (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1st/2nd), एकवचन; ब्रह्मणः विशेषणभावे (as ‘ṛta’)

• एकाक्षरम्: one-syllabled
• एकाक्षरम्: Visheshana (Adjective/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: एक + अक्षर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1st/2nd), एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (एकस्य अक्षरम् = one-syllabled)

• ब्रह्म: Brahman, the Absolute
• ब्रह्म: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ब्रह्मन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा), एकवचन

• यत्: which
• यत्: Sambandha (Relative/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1st/2nd), एकवचन; सम्बन्धक-प्रत्यय (relative pronoun: which/that)

• तत्: that
• तत्: Sambandha (Correlative/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1st/2nd), एकवचन; तद्-निर्देश (that)

• सत्: being, the real
• सत्: Sambandha (Genitive/षष्ठी)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सत् (प्रातिपदिक; कृदन्त-भाव)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th/षष्ठी), एकवचन; ‘सतः’ इत्यस्य पूर्वपद (of being/real)

• असतः: non-being, the unreal
• असतः: Sambandha (Genitive/षष्ठी)
• Type: Noun
• Root: असत् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th/षष्ठी), एकवचन

• परम्: supreme, beyond
• परम्: Visheshana (Adjective/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: पर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1st/2nd), एकवचन; ‘ब्रह्म’ इत्यस्य विशेषणम्

Speaker

Lord Vishnu (speaking to Garuda)

Philosophical Teaching

Concept: Brahman as ekākṣara (praṇava/OM), the ṛta-satya principle, transcending both being and non-being while supporting the appearance of worlds.

Vedantic Theme: Nirguṇa Brahman; satya-adhisthāna (substratum) and māyika-jagat-pratibhāsa; transcendence of sat/asat categories.

Application: Contemplate OM and the witnessing Reality; practice viveka (discrimination) between changing appearances and the changeless ground; cultivate inner stillness (śama) and truthfulness (satya).

Verse Rasa

Primary Rasa: shanta

Secondary Rasa: adbhuta

Cross References

Related Themes: Garuda Purana (Brahma-khanda) themes of Viṣṇu/Brahman as jagad-ādhāra (world-support) recur in opening cosmological hymns

Characters & Entities

• Brahman
• Ṛta (cosmic order)

FAQs

What is the importance of Om (ekākṣara) in the Garuda Purana?

This verse identifies the Supreme Reality as the one-syllabled Brahman (Oṃ), presenting it as the foundational Truth (ṛta) in which all worlds appear and shimmer.

How does this verse explain the path of the soul?

By pointing to Brahman beyond both existence and non-existence, it frames liberation as knowledge and realization of the Absolute, not merely movement through post-death realms.

Practical application of this wisdom today?

Contemplate Oṃ and live aligned with ṛta—truthfulness, ethical order, and steadiness—seeing worldly appearances as dependent manifestations rather than ultimate reality.