Shloka 10

Gītā-sāra: The Self as Witness and the Inner Ascent into Brahman

Devanagari script

अहं कारं तथा बुद्धौ बुद्धिं च प्रकृतावपि / प्रकृतिं पुरुषे स्थाप्य पुरुषं ब्रह्मणि न्यसेत्

Transliteration

ahaṃ kāraṃ tathā buddhau buddhiṃ ca prakṛtāvapi / prakṛtiṃ puruṣe sthāpya puruṣaṃ brahmaṇi nyaset

Translation

اَہنکار کو بدھی میں رکھے، بدھی کو پرکرتی میں؛ پرکرتی کو پُرُش میں قائم کر کے آخرکار پُرُش کو برہمن میں سپرد کر دے۔

Word by Word

• अहङ्कारम्: ego-sense
• अहङ्कारम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अहङ्कार (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन

• तथा: thus
• तथा: Sambandha/Modifier (सम्बन्ध/विशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तथा (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय, क्रियाविशेषण (adverb)

• बुद्धौ: in the intellect
• बुद्धौ: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: बुद्धि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/Locative), एकवचन

• बुद्धिम्: intellect
• बुद्धिम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: बुद्धि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन

• च: and
• च: Sambandha/Connector (सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय, समुच्चयबोधक (conjunction)

• प्रकृतौ: in prakṛti (nature)
• प्रकृतौ: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: प्रकृति (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/Locative), एकवचन

• अपि: also
• अपि: Sambandha/Modifier (सम्बन्ध/विशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अपि (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय, समुच्चय/अपि-भाव (also)

• प्रकृतिम्: prakṛti
• प्रकृतिम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: प्रकृति (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन

• पुरुषे: in the puruṣa
• पुरुषे: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पुरुष (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/Locative), एकवचन

• स्थाप्य: having placed
• स्थाप्य: Kriya (Adverbial action/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Verb
• Root: स्था (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त (absolutive/gerund), अव्ययभाव; ‘having placed/established’

• पुरुषम्: puruṣa
• पुरुषम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पुरुष (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन

• ब्रह्मणि: in Brahman
• ब्रह्मणि: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ब्रह्मन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/Locative), एकवचन

• न्यसेत्: should place/lay down
• न्यसेत्: Kriya (Predicate/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: नि-आस्/न्यस् (धातु: न्यस् ‘to place’)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (Optative), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन; परस्मैपद

Speaker

Lord Vishnu (in instruction to Garuda/Vinata-putra)

Philosophical Teaching

Concept: Progressive dissolution (laya/nyasa) of ahamkara into buddhi, buddhi into prakriti, prakriti into purusha, and purusha into Brahman.

Vedantic Theme: From sankhya categories to Vedantic consummation: the final ground is Brahman beyond prakriti-purusha duality.

Application: Guided meditation: identify the ‘I’ as ego-function; rest it in discriminative intellect; see intellect as a mode of prakriti; witness prakriti in purusha; finally abide as Brahman beyond subject-object.

Verse Rasa

Primary Rasa: shanta

Secondary Rasa: adbhuta

Cross References

Related Themes: Garuda Purana 1.237.8-12 (tattva-viveka; aham brahma; body as nine-gated house; jnana-yajna)

Characters & Entities

• Brahman
• Purusha
• Prakriti
• Buddhi
• Ahamkara

FAQs

What is the importance of dissolving ahamkara in the Garuda Purana?

This verse presents liberation as an inner dissolution: the ego-sense is absorbed into higher principles until only Brahman remains, indicating that freedom comes by transcending identification with the subtle body.

How does this verse explain the path of the soul?

It outlines a graded inward return—ego to intellect, intellect to Prakṛti, Prakṛti to Puruṣa, and Puruṣa to Brahman—describing the soul’s movement from conditioned identity to the unconditioned Absolute.

Practical application of this wisdom today?

Practice discrimination (buddhi) to observe and release ego-reactions, contemplate the witness-consciousness (puruṣa), and meditate on Brahman as the final ground beyond all mental and material layers.