Shloka 34
Mukti-tattva Upadeśa: Knowledge as the Direct Cause of Liberation
पश्यन्नपि प्रस्खलति शृण्वन्नपि न बुध्यति / पठन्नपि न जानाति देवमायाविमोहितः
paśyannapi praskhalati śṛṇvannapi na budhyati / paṭhannapi na jānāti devamāyāvimohitaḥ
แม้เห็นก็ยังสะดุด แม้ฟังก็ไม่เข้าใจ แม้อ่านก็ไม่รู้แจ้ง—เพราะถูกมายาแห่งเทพเจ้าทำให้หลงมัวเมา
Lord Vishnu (teaching Garuda/Vinata-putra)
Concept: Māyā can distort perception and understanding so thoroughly that sensory input and textual study alone do not yield realization.
Vedantic Theme: Māyā/avidyā as veiling (āvaraṇa) and projection (vikṣepa); necessity of aparokṣa-jñāna through sādhana, grace, and right guidance.
Application: Combine study with contemplation and ethical purification; seek a competent teacher; practice mantra/japa and mindfulness to reduce distraction; verify understanding through lived transformation, not mere information.
Primary Rasa: adbhuta
Secondary Rasa: bhayanaka
Related Themes: Garuda Purana emphasis that mere ritual or learning without inner transformation is insufficient; Garuda Purana recurring stress on Viṣṇu-bhakti and remembrance as antidotes to delusion
FAQs
This verse highlights that māyā can block true understanding even when one sees, hears, or studies; therefore, spiritual clarity and dharmic living—not mere exposure to teachings—are essential for liberation-oriented insight.
In the Preta Kanda context, delusion is a major cause of wrong choices and karmic bondage; the same ignorance that prevents understanding in life also drives the jīva into confusion and suffering in post-death states until guided by right knowledge and dharma.
Do not rely only on reading or listening—practice reflection, self-discipline, and ethical conduct; combine scriptural study with lived dharma so understanding becomes transformative rather than merely informational.