Shloka 30

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

Devanagari script

मायाविष्टस्तथा जीवो देहोहमिति मन्यते / मायानाशात्पुनः स्वीयरूपं ब्रह्मास्मि मन्यते

Transliteration

māyāviṣṭastathā jīvo dehohamiti manyate / māyānāśātpunaḥ svīyarūpaṃ brahmāsmi manyate

Translation

మాయావశమైన జీవుడు “నేనే దేహం” అని భావిస్తాడు; కానీ మాయ నశించినప్పుడు మళ్లీ తన స్వరూపాన్ని గ్రహించి “నేను బ్రహ్మను” అని నిశ్చయించుకుంటాడు।

Word by Word

• माया: by illusion
• माया: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: माया (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3), एकवचन (समासपूर्वपद-भावः)

• आविष्टः: possessed, pervaded
• आविष्टः: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: आ + विश् (धातु) + क्त (कृदन्त)
• Form: भूतकर्मणि कृदन्त (क्त), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1), एकवचन; ‘आविष्टः’ = प्रविष्ट/आक्रान्त

• तथा: thus
• तथा: Kriya-visheshana (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तथा (अव्यय)
• Form: प्रकार-अव्यय (adverb)

• जीवः: the individual soul
• जीवः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: जीव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1), एकवचन

• देहः: body
• देहः: Karta (Quoted subject/उद्धृतकर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: देह (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1), एकवचन (उद्धरणे)

• अहम्: I
• अहम्: Karta (Quoted subject/उद्धृतकर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अस्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सर्वनाम, उत्तमपुरुष, प्रथमा (1), एकवचन (उद्धरणे)

• इति: thus
• इति: Sambandha/Quote-marker (उद्धरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: इति (अव्यय)
• Form: उद्धरण-निपात

• मन्यते: thinks
• मन्यते: Kriya (Predicate/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: मन् (धातु)
• Form: लट् (वर्तमान), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन, आत्मनेपद

• माया: of illusion
• माया: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: माया (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6), एकवचन (समासपूर्वपद-भावः)

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

• पुनः: again
• पुनः: Kriya-visheshana (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: पुनः (अव्यय)
• Form: पुनरावृत्ति-अव्यय

• स्वीय: one's own
• स्वीय: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: स्वीय (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2), एकवचन; ‘रूपम्’ इति विशेषणम्

• रूपम्: form, nature
• रूपम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: रूप (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2), एकवचन

• ब्रह्म: Brahman
• ब्रह्म: Karta (Quoted subject/उद्धृतकर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ब्रह्मन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1), एकवचन (उद्धरणे)

• अस्मि: am
• अस्मि: Kriya (Copula/अस्तिक्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: अस् (धातु)
• Form: लट् (वर्तमान), उत्तमपुरुष, एकवचन, परस्मैपद

• इति: thus
• इति: Sambandha/Quote-marker (उद्धरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: इति (अव्यय)
• Form: उद्धरण-निपात (IAST में लुप्त)

• मन्यते: thinks
• मन्यते: Kriya (Predicate/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: मन् (धातु)
• Form: लट् (वर्तमान), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन, आत्मनेपद

Speaker

Lord Vishnu (speaking to Garuda/Vinata-putra)

Philosophical Teaching

Concept: Dehābhimāna arises from māyā; with māyā’s destruction, the jīva recognizes its true nature as Brahman (aham brahmāsmi).

Vedantic Theme: Avidyā/adhyāsa and its nivṛtti through jñāna; identity of ātman and brahman (mahāvākya resonance).

Application: Practice viveka (discrimination), śravaṇa-manana-nididhyāsana, and sustained self-inquiry to weaken body-identification and stabilize in witness-consciousness.

Verse Rasa

Primary Rasa: shanta

Secondary Rasa: adbhuta

Cross References

Related Themes: Garuda Purana 1.236.31-33 (svarūpa-darśana as the means; māyā’s falsity)

Characters & Entities

• Brahman
• Māyā
• Jīva
• Deha (body)

FAQs

What is the importance of māyā in the Garuda Purana’s spiritual teaching?

This verse states that māyā causes the jīva to mistake the body for the Self; removing māyā is presented as the key condition for recognizing one’s real nature.

How does this verse explain the path of the soul?

It describes the soul’s bondage as body-identification and its release as the restoration of true knowledge—realizing “I am Brahman” when delusion is destroyed.

Practical application of this wisdom today?

Practice self-inquiry and detachment from body-based identity (status, appearance, fear), and cultivate knowledge that the Self is not the perishable body.