Shloka 12

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

Devanagari script

यदा सर्वे विमुच्यन्ते कामा येस्यहृदि स्थिताः / तदामृतत्वमाप्नोति जीवन्नेव न संशयः

Transliteration

yadā sarve vimucyante kāmā yesyahṛdi sthitāḥ / tadāmṛtatvamāpnoti jīvanneva na saṃśayaḥ

Translation

جب دل میں ٹھہری ہوئی تمام خواہشیں پوری طرح چھوٹ جاتی ہیں، تب انسان جیتے جی اَمریت (امرتتو) کو پا لیتا ہے—اس میں کوئی شک نہیں۔

Word by Word

• यदा: when
• यदा: Avyaya (Time/काल)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: यदा (अव्यय)
• Form: कालवाचक अव्यय (temporal adverb/conjunction)

• सर्वे: all
• सर्वे: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सर्व (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), बहुवचन

• विमुच्यन्ते: are released
• विमुच्यन्ते: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: वि+मुच् (धातु)
• Form: लट् (Present), आत्मनेपद, प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), बहुवचन; कर्मणि/मध्यवाच्यभाव (are released)

• कामाः: desires
• कामाः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: काम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), बहुवचन

• यस्य: whose
• यस्य: Shashthi-sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th/Genitive), एकवचन; सम्बन्धसूचक सर्वनाम (relative pronoun)

• हृदि: in the heart
• हृदि: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: हृद्/हृदय (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/Locative), एकवचन

• स्थिताः: situated
• स्थिताः: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: स्था (धातु) → स्थित (कृदन्त/प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), बहुवचन; भूतकृदन्त (क्त)

• तदा: then
• तदा: Avyaya (Time/काल)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तदा (अव्यय)
• Form: कालवाचक अव्यय (then)

• अमृतत्वम्: immortality
• अमृतत्वम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अमृतत्व (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन

• आप्नोति: attains
• आप्नोति: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: आप् (धातु)
• Form: लट् (Present), परस्मैपद, प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन

• जीवन्: while living
• जीवन्: Kriya-visheshana (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: जीव् (धातु) → जीवत् (कृदन्त)
• Form: वर्तमानकृदन्त (शतृ), पुंलिङ्ग प्रथमा एकवचन; क्रियाविशेषणरूपेण (while living)

• एव: indeed
• एव: Avyaya (Particle/निपात)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एव (अव्यय)
• Form: निपात (emphatic particle)

• न: no / not
• न: Avyaya (Negation/निषेध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: न (अव्यय)
• Form: निषेध-निपात (negation)

• संशयः: doubt
• संशयः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: संशय (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन

Speaker

Lord Vishnu (speaking to Garuda/Vinata-putra)

Philosophical Teaching

Concept: Complete relinquishment of heart-dwelling desires yields amṛtatva (deathlessness) while living—jīvanmukti.

Vedantic Theme: Kāma as expression of avidyā; cessation of desire as sign of realization; jīvanmukti as freedom from saṃsāric compulsion despite embodiment.

Application: Practice desire-awareness and letting-go; cultivate contentment (santoṣa), discrimination, and meditation; replace craving with devotion or inquiry until desires exhaust.

Verse Rasa

Primary Rasa: shanta

Secondary Rasa: adbhuta

Cross References

Related Themes: Garuda Purana jñāna-vairāgya sequence culminating in desirelessness (contextual).

Characters & Entities

• Jiva
• Kama

FAQs

What is the importance of desirelessness (kāma-kṣaya) in the Garuda Purana?

This verse states that releasing all heart-bound desires is the direct condition for attaining amṛtatva—liberation-like deathlessness—while still alive.

How does this verse explain the path of the soul?

It points to inner purification as the key factor: the soul’s freedom is achieved by dropping binding desires, rather than by external status, indicating a jīvanmukta-oriented path.

Practical application of this wisdom today?

Practice restraint and discernment: identify recurring cravings, reduce attachment-driven actions, and cultivate contentment and devotion so desires lose their grip on the heart.