Shloka 2

Atma-Jnana as the Direct Means to Moksha: Advaita, Maya, and the Three States

Devanagari script

अद्वैतयोगसम्पन्नास्ते मुच्यन्ते ऽतिबन्धनात् / अतीतारब्धमागामि कर्म नश्यति बोधतः

Transliteration

advaitayogasampannāste mucyante 'tibandhanāt / atītārabdhamāgāmi karma naśyati bodhataḥ

Translation

अद्वैतयोगसम्पन्नास्ते मुच्यन्तेऽतिबन्धनात्। बोधतः अतीतारब्धमागामि कर्म नश्यति॥

Word by Word

• अद्वैतयोगसम्पन्नाः: endowed with advaita-yoga
• अद्वैतयोगसम्पन्नाः: Visheshana (Adjectival modifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अद्वैत + योग + सम्पन्न (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा), बहुवचन — ‘endowed with non-dual yoga’

• ते: they
• ते: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा), बहुवचन — ‘they’

• मुच्यन्ते: are freed
• मुच्यन्ते: Kriya (Verb/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: मुच् (धातु)
• Form: लट् (Present), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), बहुवचन; कर्मणि प्रयोग (Passive) — ‘are released’

• अतिबन्धनात्: from intense bondage
• अतिबन्धनात्: Apadana (Ablative source/अपादान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अति + बन्धन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, पञ्चमी (5th/पञ्चमी), एकवचन — ‘from great bondage’

• अतीत: past
• अतीत: Visheshana (Adjectival modifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अति + इ (धातु) → अतीत (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: भूतकृदन्त (past participle), नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा), एकवचन — ‘past/elapsed’ (qualifying कर्म)

• आरब्धम्: already begun
• आरब्धम्: Visheshana (Adjectival modifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: आ + रभ् (धातु) → आरब्ध (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: भूतकृदन्त (past participle), नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन — ‘begun/commenced’

• आगामि: forthcoming
• आगामि: Visheshana (Adjectival modifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: आ + गम् (धातु) → आगामिन् (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: वर्तमानकृदन्त/विशेषण (present/future sense), नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन — ‘forthcoming (karma)’

• कर्म: karma
• कर्म: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कर्मन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा), एकवचन

• नश्यति: is destroyed
• नश्यति: Kriya (Verb/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: नश् (धातु)
• Form: लट् (Present), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन — ‘perishes’

• बोधतः: through realization
• बोधतः: Hetu (Cause/हेतु)
• Type: Noun
• Root: बोध (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, पञ्चमी (5th/पञ्चमी), एकवचन — ‘from/through realization’ (ablative of cause)

Speaker

Lord Vishnu (speaking to Garuda/Vinata-putra)

Philosophical Teaching

Concept: Advaita-yoga liberates from intense bondage; through bodha, prarabdha’s framing is transcended and sanchita/agami karmas are destroyed (as stated).

Vedantic Theme: Jnana burns karma (especially sanchita and agami); liberation as knowledge that nullifies doership and its karmic accrual.

Application: Cultivate non-dual insight and stabilize it; reduce doership-identification to stop new karmic accumulation; live with equanimity toward unfolding circumstances.

Verse Rasa

Primary Rasa: shanta

Secondary Rasa: vira

Cross References

Related Themes: Garuda Purana 1.235.54 (moksha as direct realization; adhyasa removal); Garuda Purana 1.236.1 (advaita and ekacittata); Garuda Purana 1.236.3 (sad-vichara; jnana-vairagya leading to Vaishnava padam)

Characters & Entities

• Vishnu
• Garuda
• Advaita
• Karma

FAQs

What is the importance of Advaita (non-duality) in the Garuda Purana?

This verse presents Advaita-yoga as a direct means to liberation, stating that non-dual realization frees one from intense bondage and neutralizes karmic accumulation.

How does this verse explain the path of the soul in relation to karma?

It teaches that awakening (bodha/jñāna) burns karmic residues—especially accumulated and future karma—so the soul is no longer compelled by binding consequences and moves toward moksha.

Practical application of this wisdom today?

Cultivate self-inquiry, meditation, and ethical living aimed at clear realization of the Self; this reduces karmic entanglement and strengthens detachment from compulsive action.