Shloka 31

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

Devanagari script

ग्रहनाशाद्यथा मान्यजनोक्रूरमवेक्षते / स्वरूपदर्शनाच्चायं माया नाशन्तया विना

Transliteration

grahanāśādyathā mānyajanokrūramavekṣate / svarūpadarśanāccāyaṃ māyā nāśantayā vinā

Translation

ग्रहनाशात् यथा मान्यजनः क्रूरमिव दृश्यं यथार्थतया पश्यति, तथा स्वस्वरूपदर्शनादेव माया नश्यति; अन्यथा न कदाचन।

Word by Word

• ग्रह: of delusion/grasping
• ग्रह: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ग्रह (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6), एकवचन (समासपूर्वपद-भावः)

• नाशात्: from the destruction
• नाशात्: Apadana (Ablative/अपादान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नाश (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, पञ्चमी (5), एकवचन

• यथा: as
• यथा: Sambandha (Comparison/उपमान)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: यथा (अव्यय)
• Form: उपमान-अव्यय

• मान्यजनः: a respectable person
• मान्यजनः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मान्य (प्रातिपदिक) + जन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1), एकवचन; कर्मधारयः—मान्यः जनः

• क्रूरम्: cruel (thing/person)
• क्रूरम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: क्रूर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2), एकवचन; ‘(किञ्चित्) क्रूरम्’ कर्मविशेषणम्

• अवेक्षते: sees, observes
• अवेक्षते: Kriya (Predicate/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: अव + ईक्ष् (धातु)
• Form: लट् (वर्तमान), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन, आत्मनेपद

• स्वरूप: of one's own nature
• स्वरूप: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: स्व (प्रातिपदिक) + रूप (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6), एकवचन (समासपूर्वपद-भावः); षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः—स्वस्य रूपम्

• दर्शनात्: from seeing/realization
• दर्शनात्: Apadana (Ablative/अपादान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: दर्शन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, पञ्चमी (5), एकवचन

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Conjunction/समुच्चय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चय-अव्यय (conjunction)

• अयम्: this (one)
• अयम्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: इदम् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सर्वनाम, पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1), एकवचन

• माया: illusion
• माया: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: माया (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1), एकवचन

• नाशन्तया: by (its) destruction / destroying (factor)
• नाशन्तया: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नाशन्ती (प्रातिपदिक; स्त्री)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3), एकवचन; ‘नाशन्तया’ = नाशयन्त्या/नश्यन्त्या इत्यर्थे पाठभेदसम्भवः

• विना: without
• विना: Sambandha (Exclusion/वियोग)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: विना (अव्यय)
• Form: अपवाद/वियोग-अव्यय (preposition-like indeclinable)

Speaker

Lord Vishnu (teaching Garuda)

Philosophical Teaching

Concept: Māyā is ended only through svarūpa-darśana (direct vision/realization of one’s true nature), not by indirect means.

Vedantic Theme: Aparokṣa-jñāna (immediate knowledge) as liberating; removal of avidyā by knowledge alone.

Application: Prioritize practices that culminate in direct insight—deep meditation, inquiry into the witness, guidance of a teacher—over merely conceptual or ritual substitutes when the goal is liberation.

Verse Rasa

Primary Rasa: adbhuta

Secondary Rasa: shanta

Cross References

Related Themes: Garuda Purana 1.236.30 (māyā destroyed → brahmāsmi); Garuda Purana 1.236.32 (real vs false upon inquiry)

Characters & Entities

• Maya

FAQs

What is the importance of destroying māyā in the Garuda Purana?

This verse frames māyā as the root of mistaken perception; liberation-oriented wisdom begins when delusion is removed through true insight.

How does this verse explain the path of the soul?

It points to inner realization (svarūpa-darśana) as the decisive step—without it, the soul remains bound by misperception even if external conditions change.

Practical application of this wisdom today?

Use disciplined self-inquiry, scriptural contemplation, and steady ethical living to refine perception—aiming for direct clarity about what is real rather than reacting to appearances.