Shloka 56

Means to Liberation: Supremacy of Hari, Proper Salutations, and Purāṇic Authority

Devanagari script

श्राव्याणि नैतानि मनुष्यलोके तत्त्वेच्छुभिस्तामसानीत्यतो हि / तेषु स्थिताः सात्त्विकांशा मुनीन्द्रास्तेषां श्रुतिर्गारुडैकाङ्घ्रितुल्या

Transliteration

śrāvyāṇi naitāni manuṣyaloke tattvecchubhistāmasānītyato hi / teṣu sthitāḥ sāttvikāṃśā munīndrāsteṣāṃ śrutirgāruḍaikāṅghritulyā

Translation

یہ باتیں انسانوں کی دنیا میں حقیقت کے طالبوں کو سنانے کے لائق نہیں، کیونکہ ان کی فطرت تامسی ہے۔ اسی لیے ان میں ساتتوِک حصّہ رکھنے والے مہارشی موجود ہیں؛ اور ان کی شروتی کی حجّت گڑوڑ کے ایک پاؤں کی مانند اٹل و فیصلہ کن کہی گئی ہے۔

Word by Word

• śrāvyāṇi: fit to be heard
• śrāvyāṇi: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: śrāvya (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Neuter, Nominative/Accusative (1st/2nd), Plural; predicate: 'to be listened to'

• na: not
• na: Pratiṣedha (प्रतिषेध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: na (अव्यय)
• Form: Negation particle (निषेध-निपात)

• etāni: these
• etāni: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: etad (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Neuter, Nominative/Accusative (1st/2nd), Plural

• manuṣya-loke: in the human world
• manuṣya-loke: Adhikaraṇa (अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: manuṣya (प्रातिपदिक) + loka (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Locative (7th/सप्तमी), Singular; tatpuruṣa: 'in the world of humans'

• tattva-icchubhiḥ: by truth-seekers
• tattva-icchubhiḥ: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tattva (प्रातिपदिक) + icchu (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Instrumental (3rd/तृतीया), Plural; tatpuruṣa: 'by those desiring truth'

• tāmasāni: tāmasa
• tāmasāni: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: tāmasa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Neuter, Nominative/Accusative (1st/2nd), Plural; predicative with etāni

• iti: thus
• iti: Vākyārtha (वाक्यार्थ-चिह्न)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: iti (अव्यय)
• Form: Quotative particle (इति-निपात)

• ataḥ: therefore
• ataḥ: Hetu/Phala (हेतु/फल)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ataḥ (अव्यय)
• Form: Indeclinable adverb (हेतुवाचक/तस्मात्-अर्थ)

• hi: indeed
• hi: Nidārśana/Avadhāraṇa (अवधारण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: hi (अव्यय)
• Form: Particle (निपात), emphasis/justification

• teṣu: in them
• teṣu: Adhikaraṇa (अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tad (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Neuter/Masculine, Locative (7th/सप्तमी), Plural; pronoun

• sthitāḥ: situated; present
• sthitāḥ: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: √sthā (धातु) + ta (कृत् प्रत्यय)
• Form: Past passive participle (क्त), Masculine, Nominative (1st/प्रथमा), Plural; agrees with munīndrāḥ

• sāttvika-aṃśāḥ: sāttvika portions
• sāttvika-aṃśāḥ: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: sāttvika (प्रातिपदिक) + aṃśa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Nominative (1st/प्रथमा), Plural; apposition to munīndrāḥ

• munīndrāḥ: chief sages
• munīndrāḥ: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: muni (प्रातिपदिक) + indra (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Nominative (1st/प्रथमा), Plural; tatpuruṣa: 'lords among sages'

• teṣām: of them
• teṣām: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tad (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Genitive (6th/षष्ठी), Plural

• śrutiḥ: hearing/recitation
• śrutiḥ: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: śruti (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Feminine, Nominative (1st/प्रथमा), Singular

• gāruḍa-eka-aṅghri-tulyā: equal to one foot/quarter of the Gāruḍa (Purāṇa)
• gāruḍa-eka-aṅghri-tulyā: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: gāruḍa (प्रातिपदिक) + eka (प्रातिपदिक) + aṅghri (प्रातिपदिक) + tulya (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Feminine, Nominative (1st/प्रथमा), Singular; multi-member tatpuruṣa: 'equal to the single foot of (the) Gāruḍa' (i.e., equal to one part/one quarter) qualifying śrutiḥ

Speaker

Lord Vishnu (speaking to Garuda, Vinata-putra)

Philosophical Teaching

Concept: Adhikāra-niyama in teaching: tāmasika content is unsuitable for tattva-icchus; yet sāttvika portions and sage-backed testimony remain authoritative.

Vedantic Theme: Pramāṇa-vicāra (śruti/śāstra as valid means) and the need to protect sattva for brahma-jijñāsā; guarding the mind from tamas.

Application: Teachers tailor recitation to audience fitness; seekers prioritize sāttvika śāstra and company of sāttvika teachers; treat sensational/violent/obscuring narratives as context-bound, not as final tattva.

Verse Rasa

Primary Rasa: shanta

Secondary Rasa: bhayanaka

Geographic Context

Type: realm

Cross References

Related Themes: Garuda Purana 3.1.55 (guṇa-mixture); Garuda Purana 3.1.59 (merit of listening to sāttvika upapurāṇas)

Characters & Entities

• Garuḍa
• Munis (sages)
• Tattva-seekers

FAQs

What is the importance of sattva and tamas in this Garuda Purana verse?

The verse warns that tamasic subject-matter (knowledge that increases darkness, fear, or confusion) should not be promoted to sincere truth-seekers, and it elevates sattvic sages and śruti-based discernment as the proper means of guidance.

How does this verse explain the path of the soul or spiritual progress?

It implies that spiritual progress depends on the quality (guna) of what one listens to and accepts as authority—sattvic guidance grounded in śruti supports clarity and liberation-oriented understanding, unlike tamasic narratives that can bind the mind.

Practical application of this wisdom today?

Choose teachings and discussions that increase clarity, virtue, and discernment; rely on authentic scriptural principles and realized teachers, and avoid sensational or fear-driven content that inflames tamas.