Shloka 25

Adhyaya 41 — Yogic Conduct and the Discipline Leading to Siddhi

Sanskrit

वेदाच्छ्रेṣ्ठाḥ सर्वयज्ञक्रियाś्च यज्ञाज्जप्यं ज्ञानमार्गश्च जप्यात् ।

ज्ञानाद्ध्यानं सङ्गरागव्यपेतं तस्मिन् प्राप्ते शाश्वतस्योपलब्धिः ॥

Transliteration

vedāc chreṣṭhāḥ sarvayajñakriyāś ca yajñāj japyaṁ jñānamārgaś ca japyāt / jñānād dhyānaṁ saṅgarāgavyapetaṁ tasmin prāpte śāśvatasyopalabdhiḥ

Translation

వేదపఠనంకన్నా యజ్ఞకర్మలన్నీ ఉన్నతం; యజ్ఞంకన్నా జపం ఉన్నతం; జపంకన్నా జ్ఞానమార్గం ఉన్నతం. జ్ఞానంకన్నా ఆసక్తి-రాగరహిత ధ్యానం ఉన్నతం; అది సిద్ధించినప్పుడు శాశ్వత తత్త్వసాక్షాత్కారం కలుగుతుంది.

Word by Word

• vedāt: from the Veda
• vedāt: Apādāna (अपादान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: veda (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Ablative (5th/पञ्चमी), Singular

• śreṣṭhāḥ: superior
• śreṣṭhāḥ: Viśeṣaṇa (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: śreṣṭha (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Feminine, Nominative, Plural; agreeing with ‘kriyāḥ’ (understood)

• sarva-yajña-kriyāḥ: all sacrificial rites
• sarva-yajña-kriyāḥ: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: sarva (प्रातिपदिक) + yajña (प्रातिपदिक) + kriyā (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Feminine, Nominative, Plural; tatpuruṣa: ‘ritual-actions of all sacrifices’

• ca: and
• ca: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/connector)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ca (अव्यय)
• Form: Conjunction (समुच्चयबोधक)

• yajñāt: from sacrifice
• yajñāt: Apādāna (अपादान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: yajña (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Ablative (5th/पञ्चमी), Singular

• japyam: muttering (japa)
• japyam: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: japya (कृदन्त; √jap जप्, यत्/ण्यत् adjectival)
• Form: Neuter, Nominative/Accusative, Singular; ‘that which is to be muttered’ (japa)

• jñāna-mārgaḥ: the path of knowledge
• jñāna-mārgaḥ: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: jñāna (प्रातिपदिक) + mārga (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular; tatpuruṣa: ‘path of knowledge’

• ca: and
• ca: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/connector)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ca (अव्यय)
• Form: Conjunction (समुच्चयबोधक)

• japyāt: from muttering (japa)
• japyāt: Apādāna (अपादान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: japya (कृदन्त; √jap जप्, यत्/ण्यत्)
• Form: Neuter, Ablative (5th/पञ्चमी), Singular; ‘from japa’

• jñānāt: from knowledge
• jñānāt: Apādāna (अपादान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: jñāna (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Neuter, Ablative (5th/पञ्चमी), Singular

• dhyānam: meditation
• dhyānam: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: dhyāna (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Neuter, Nominative/Accusative, Singular

• saṅga-rāga-vyapetam: free from attachment and passion
• saṅga-rāga-vyapetam: Viśeṣaṇa (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: saṅga (प्रातिपदिक) + rāga (प्रातिपदिक) + vyapeta (कृदन्त; vi+apa+√i/√pat?; lexical ‘free from/removed’)
• Form: Neuter, Nominative/Accusative, Singular; tatpuruṣa: ‘devoid of attachment and passion’ qualifying ‘dhyānam’

• tasmin: in that (state)
• tasmin: Adhikaraṇa (अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Neuter/Masculine, Locative (7th/सप्तमी), Singular

• prāpte: when attained
• prāpte: Adhikaraṇa (अधिकरण; सति-सप्तमी)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: prāpta (कृदन्त; pra+√āp आप्, क्त)
• Form: Locative (7th/सप्तमी), Singular; Neuter (agreeing with ‘tasmin’): ‘when that is attained’ (locative absolute nuance)

• śāśvatasya: of the eternal
• śāśvatasya: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/षष्ठी)
• Type: Noun
• Root: śāśvata (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine/Neuter, Genitive (6th/षष्ठी), Singular; ‘of the eternal (Brahman/state)’

• upalabdhiḥ: realization/attainment
• upalabdhiḥ: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: upalabdhi (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Feminine, Nominative, Singular

Speakers

• Dattātreya instructing (didactic yoga discourse)

Verse Rasa

{ "primaryRasa": "shanta", "secondaryRasa": "bhakti", "rasaIntensity": 0, "emotionalArcPosition": "", "moodDescriptors": [] }

Key Themes

• Sadhana hierarchy
• Japa
• Jnana
• Dhyana
• Detachment

FAQs

What is the philosophical or ethical takeaway?

Ritual is honored but progressively interiorized: from outward rite to mantra, from mantra to insight, and from insight to attachment-free contemplation. The ethical demand is purification of motive—practice without clinging.

How does this fit the Pancalakshana (5 characteristics)?

Didactic mokṣa-oriented material; not sarga/pratisarga/vaṁśa/manvantara/vaṁśānucarita. It functions as a ‘philosophical appendix’ guiding readers beyond mere ritualism.

What is the esoteric significance?

The sequence maps gross-to-subtle: karma-kāṇḍa → mantra-śakti → viveka (jñāna) → nirāsakti-dhyāna (seedless orientation). ‘Realization of the Eternal’ indicates stabilization in the unchanging ground.