Shloka 9
Ācāra-Nirṇaya: Varṇa-Āśrama Dharma, Śauca, Snāna, Sandhyā, Japa, Tarpaṇa, and Gṛhastha-Dinacaryā
संसारोच्छित्तिहेतुश्च धर्मादेव प्रवर्तते / धर्मात्सुखं च ज्ञानं च ज्ञानान्मोक्षो ऽधिगम्यते
saṃsārocchittihetuśca dharmādeva pravartate / dharmātsukhaṃ ca jñānaṃ ca jñānānmokṣo 'dhigamyate
संसारोच्छित्तिहेतुश्च धर्मादेव प्रवर्तते। धर्मात्सुखं च ज्ञानं च ज्ञानान्मोक्षोऽधिगम्यते॥
Lord Vishnu (in instruction to Garuda/Vinata-putra)
Concept: Dharma initiates the cessation of saṃsāra; dharma yields happiness and knowledge; knowledge culminates in mokṣa.
Vedantic Theme: Progression from karma/dharma to antaḥkaraṇa-śuddhi, then jñāna, then mokṣa; jñāna as immediate means to liberation (jñāna-niṣṭhā).
Application: Use dharmic living to purify mind and stabilize life; pursue true knowledge through study and contemplation; orient actions toward inner freedom rather than mere reward.
Primary Rasa: shanta
Secondary Rasa: adbhuta
Related Themes: Garuda Purana: mokṣa praised as highest puruṣārtha; dharma as purifier leading to jñāna; Garuda Purana: bhakti/jñāna passages that treat dharma as a stepping-stone
FAQs
This verse states that dharma is the direct foundation for ending saṃsāra, because it produces both well-being and the inner knowledge that culminates in liberation.
It presents a clear progression: dharma refines life and conduct, dharma yields jñāna (spiritual discernment), and jñāna becomes the immediate means by which mokṣa is realized.
Live ethically and responsibly (dharma) as a daily discipline; let that integrity support study, reflection, and meditation (jñāna), aiming not only for comfort but for freedom from compulsive attachment.