Shloka 1

Yoga’s Limbs and Dharma as the Ground of Liberation

Devanagari script

नाम सप्तत्रिंशदुत्तरद्विशततमो ऽध्यायः श्रीभगवानुवाच / यमश्च नियम।पार्थ आसनं प्राणसंयमः / प्रत्याहारस्तथा ध्यानं धारणार्जुन सप्तमी

Transliteration

nāma saptatriṃśaduttaradviśatatamo 'dhyāyaḥ śrībhagavānuvāca / yamaśca niyama.pārtha āsanaṃ prāṇasaṃyamaḥ / pratyāhārastathā dhyānaṃ dhāraṇārjuna saptamī

Translation

ఇది రెండువందల ముప్పై ఎనిమిదవ అధ్యాయం. శ్రీభగవానుడు పలికెను—హే పార్థా, యమము నియమము; ఆసనము ప్రాణసంయమము; అలాగే ప్రత్యాహారము, ధ్యానము, ధారణ—హే అర్జునా, ఇవే యోగమునకు ఏడు అంగములు.

Word by Word

• नाम: (thus) named
• नाम: Sambandha (Discourse marker/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: नामन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्यय (निपात/पाठसूचक), ‘नाम’ = ‘इति नाम’ (thus named)

• सप्तत्रिंशदुत्तरद्विशततमः: the 237th (two-hundred-and-thirty-seventh)
• सप्तत्रिंशदुत्तरद्विशततमः: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सप्तत्रिंशत् + उत्तर + द्विशत + तम (प्रातिपदिक; संख्याशब्द-समास)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; विशेषण (अध्यायः इत्यस्य)

• अध्यायः: chapter
• अध्यायः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अध्याय (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन

• श्रीभगवान्: the Blessed Lord
• श्रीभगवान्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: श्री + भगवान् (प्रातिपदिक; उपाधि)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन

• उवाच: said
• उवाच: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: वच् (धातु)
• Form: लिट् (परोक्षभूत/Perfect), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• यमः: restraint (yama)
• यमः: Karta (Enumerated item/उद्देश्य)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन

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

• नियमः: observance (niyama)
• नियमः: Karta (Enumerated item/उद्देश्य)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नियम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन

• पार्थ: O son of Pṛthā
• पार्थ: Sambodhana (Vocative/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पार्थ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन (8th), एकवचन

• आसनम्: posture (āsana)
• आसनम्: Karta (Enumerated item/उद्देश्य)
• Type: Noun
• Root: आसन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन

• प्राणसंयमः: control of breath (prāṇāyāma)
• प्राणसंयमः: Karta (Enumerated item/उद्देश्य)
• Type: Noun
• Root: प्राण + संयम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन

• प्रत्याहारः: withdrawal (of senses)
• प्रत्याहारः: Karta (Enumerated item/उद्देश्य)
• Type: Noun
• Root: प्रत्याहार (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन

• तथा: likewise
• तथा: Sambandha (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तथा (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (क्रियाविशेषण)

• ध्यानम्: meditation
• ध्यानम्: Karta (Enumerated item/उद्देश्य)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ध्यान (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन

• धारणा: concentration (dhāraṇā)
• धारणा: Karta (Enumerated item/उद्देश्य)
• Type: Noun
• Root: धारणा (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन

• अर्जुन: O Arjuna
• अर्जुन: Sambodhana (Vocative/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अर्जुन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन (8th), एकवचन

• सप्तमी: the seventh
• सप्तमी: Visheshana (Ordinal/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सप्तमी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; विशेषण (अङ्ग/अवयव-गणनायाम्)

Speaker

Lord Vishnu (Śrī Bhagavān) speaking to Garuda (Vinata-putra)

Philosophical Teaching

Concept: Yoganga-sadhana: yama, niyama, asana, pranayama, pratyahara, dhyana, dharana as progressive inner discipline.

Vedantic Theme: Antahkarana-shuddhi and chitta-ekagrata as prerequisites for liberating knowledge/absorption.

Application: Adopt a staged practice: begin with ethical restraints/observances, stabilize posture and breath, withdraw senses, then cultivate concentration and meditation daily.

Verse Rasa

Primary Rasa: shanta

Secondary Rasa: adbhuta

Cross References

Related Themes: Garuda Purana 1.238.2 (samadhi and liberation); Garuda Purana 1.238.3-5 (yama components: ahimsa, satya, asteya)

Characters & Entities

• Śrī Bhagavān
• Yama (as yogic restraint)
• Niyama
• Arjuna (vocative, traditional yogic listing)

FAQs

What is the importance of the sevenfold yoga in the Garuda Purana?

This verse lists a complete yogic discipline—ethical restraints through meditation and concentration—presented as a practical method for inner purification and spiritual progress toward liberation.

How does this verse relate to the soul’s journey and afterlife themes in the Garuda Purana?

By emphasizing control of senses and prāṇa along with meditation, the verse points to mastery of mind and subtle energies—qualities repeatedly valued in the Purana for reducing bondage to karma and fear associated with death and post-death states.

What is a practical application of this teaching today?

Adopt yama-niyama as daily ethics, keep a steady posture for breath discipline, and practice sense-withdrawal and meditation; even a simple routine (breath regulation + focused attention) supports clarity, self-control, and dharmic living.