Shloka 10

Jñāna-hetu-nirūpaṇa

On the Causes/Means of Knowledge

Devanagari script

नाडीं समाविश्य तदा विरिञ्चो न वेद नारायणमेकवच्च / तदा शृणोत्तं कमलासनं प्रभुस्तपस्तप द्व्यक्षरं सादरेण

Transliteration

nāḍīṃ samāviśya tadā viriñco na veda nārāyaṇamekavacca / tadā śṛṇottaṃ kamalāsanaṃ prabhustapastapa dvyakṣaraṃ sādareṇa

Translation

ครั้นนั้นวิรินจะ (พรหม) เมื่อเข้าสู่นาฑี (ช่องทางละเอียด) ก็ยังไม่รู้จักพระนารายณ์ว่าเป็นองค์เดียวแท้จริง ในกาลนั้นพระผู้เป็นเจ้าทรงสั่งสอนพระพรหมผู้ประทับบนดอกบัว ด้วยความเคารพโดยมนต์สองพยางค์ว่า “ตบะ ตบะ”

Word by Word

• nāḍīm: the nāḍī/channel
• nāḍīm: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: nāḍī (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन

• samāviśya: having entered
• samāviśya: Kriyā-viśeṣaṇa (क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Verb
• Root: sam-ā-viś (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त (absolutive/gerund), अव्ययभाव; ‘having entered’

• tadā: then
• tadā: Kāla-adhikaraṇa (कालाधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: tadā (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (temporal adverb)

• viriñcaḥ: Viriñca (Brahmā)
• viriñcaḥ: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: viriñca (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुल्लिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• na: not
• na: Pratiṣedha (प्रतिषेध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: na (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (negation)

• veda: knows
• veda: Kriyā (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: vid (धातु)
• Form: लट्, परस्मैपद, प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन

• nārāyaṇam: Nārāyaṇa
• nārāyaṇam: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: nārāyaṇa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुल्लिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन

• eka-vat: as one/identically
• eka-vat: Prakāra (प्रकार)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: eka (प्रातिपदिक) + vat (अव्यय/तद्धित)
• Form: अव्यय (adverbial: ‘like one/same as one’)

• ca: and
• ca: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ca (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (conjunction)

• tadā: then
• tadā: Kāla-adhikaraṇa (कालाधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: tadā (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (temporal adverb)

• śṛṇot: hear
• śṛṇot: Kriyā (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: śru (धातु)
• Form: लोट् (imperative), परस्मैपद, मध्यमपुरुष (2nd person), एकवचन

• tam: him/that
• tam: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सर्वनाम, पुल्लिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन

• kamala-āsanam: the lotus-seated one
• kamala-āsanam: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: kamala (प्रातिपदिक) + āsana (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तत्पुरुषसमास: ‘lotus-seat’; पुल्लिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन (epithet of Brahmā)

• prabhuḥ: the Lord
• prabhuḥ: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: prabhu (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुल्लिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• tapas: tapas (austerity)
• tapas: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tapas (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन; मन्त्रपद/उक्तिविषय

• tapa: practice austerity
• tapa: Kriyā (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: tap (धातु)
• Form: लोट् (imperative), परस्मैपद, मध्यमपुरुष, एकवचन

• dvi-akṣaram: two-syllabled
• dvi-akṣaram: Viśeṣaṇa (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: dvi (संख्या-प्रातिपदिक) + akṣara (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: द्विगुसमास: ‘two-syllabled’; नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन (qualifying mantra/word)

• sādareṇa: with reverence
• sādareṇa: Karaṇa (करण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: sādara (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग/पुल्लिङ्ग, तृतीया, एकवचन; क्रियाविशेषणार्थे ‘with respect’

Speaker

Lord Narayana (Vishnu)

Philosophical Teaching

Concept: Without inner purification/discipline, even Brahma may not recognize Narayana’s oneness; the Lord prescribes tapas with a two-syllabled mantra as the means to realization.

Vedantic Theme: Sadhana as prerequisite for aparoksha-jñāna; mantra-tapas as upaya; ekatva-darśana of Narayana.

Application: Adopt disciplined practice (japa/tapas) under right intention; use concise mantra practice with reverence and steadiness to deepen recognition of the One.

Verse Rasa

Primary Rasa: adbhuta

Secondary Rasa: shanta

Geographic Context

Type: subtle-body locus

Cross References

Related Themes: 3.12.11 (Brahma performs tapas); 3.12.12 (Vishnu manifests and grants boon)

Characters & Entities

• Narayana
• Brahma (Virincha)
• Kamalasana

FAQs

What is the importance of tapas in this Garuda Purana verse?

The verse presents tapas as the Lord’s direct instruction to Brahmā—an essential discipline for clarity, realization, and the unfolding of cosmic knowledge.

How does this verse relate to subtle channels (nāḍīs) in Vedic thought?

By mentioning entry into a nāḍī, the verse frames perception and recognition of the Supreme as linked to subtle-body processes, implying that realization may be obscured or revealed through inner spiritual states.

Practical application of this wisdom today?

Adopt steady self-discipline—regular meditation, mantra-japa, and ethical restraint—performed with reverence, as a modern form of tapas aimed at inner clarity and devotion.