Shloka 70

Mukti-tattva Upadeśa: Knowledge as the Direct Cause of Liberation

Devanagari script

तस्मान्नित्यादिकं कर्म लोकरञ्जनकारकम् / मोक्षस्य कारणं साक्षातत्त्वज्ञान खगेश्वर

Transliteration

tasmānnityādikaṃ karma lokarañjanakārakam / mokṣasya kāraṇaṃ sākṣātattvajñāna khageśvara

Translation

Vì thế, hỡi Khageśvara (Chúa tể loài chim), các nghiệp vụ thường nhật và những bổn phận bắt buộc—làm vì an lạc và hòa hợp của thế gian—không phải là nhân trực tiếp của giải thoát; nhân trực tiếp của mokṣa chính là tri kiến chân thật về thực tại (tattva-jñāna).

Word by Word

• तस्मात्: therefore/from that
• तस्मात्: Hetu/Apadana (हेतु/अपादान/Cause-Source)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम/प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग/नपुंसकलिङ्ग, पञ्चमी (5th/Ablative), एकवचन; सर्वनाम

• नित्य-आदिकम्: (duties) beginning with daily (nitya) rites
• नित्य-आदिकम्: Visheshana (विशेषण/Qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: नित्य (प्रातिपदिक) + आदि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन; समासः—तत्पुरुषः (नित्यं च आदिः च—'beginning with daily [rites]')

• कर्म: action/ritual duty
• कर्म: Karma (कर्म/Object)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कर्मन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन

• लोक-रञ्जन-कारकम्: that which pleases the world
• लोक-रञ्जन-कारकम्: Visheshana (विशेषण/Qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: लोक (प्रातिपदिक) + रञ्जन (प्रातिपदिक) + कारक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन; समासः—तत्पुरुषः (लोकस्य रञ्जनं करोति इति)

• मोक्षस्य: of liberation
• मोक्षस्य: Shashthi-sambandha (षष्ठी-सम्बन्ध/Possessive)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मोक्ष (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th/Genitive), एकवचन

• कारणम्: the cause
• कारणम्: Karta/Predicate-noun (कर्ता/विधेय)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कारण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन

• साक्षात्: directly
• साक्षात्: Kriya-visheshaṇa (क्रियाविशेषण/Adverbial)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: साक्षात् (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; क्रियाविशेषण/निपात (indeclinable: directly/manifestly)

• तत्त्व-ज्ञानम्: knowledge of reality
• तत्त्व-ज्ञानम्: Karta/Predicate-noun (कर्ता/विधेय)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तत्त्व (प्रातिपदिक) + ज्ञान (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; समासः—तत्पुरुषः (तत्त्वस्य ज्ञानम्)

• खग-ईश्वर: O lord of birds
• खग-ईश्वर: Sambodhana (सम्बोधन/Vocative)
• Type: Noun
• Root: खग (प्रातिपदिक) + ईश्वर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन (8th/Vocative), एकवचन; समासः—तत्पुरुषः (खगानाम् ईश्वरः)

Speaker

Lord Vishnu (addressing Garuda)

Philosophical Teaching

Concept: Tattva-jñāna is the direct (sākṣāt) cause of mokṣa; obligatory actions meant for social/world harmony are not direct liberators.

Vedantic Theme: Jñāna-kāraṇatva of mokṣa; karma as indirect purifier (sādhana) rather than immediate cause; distinction between vyavahāra (loka-saṅgraha) and paramārtha (liberation).

Application: Perform daily duties as loka-saṅgraha and mind-purification, but prioritize śravaṇa–manana–nididhyāsana on tattva; regularly examine ‘What is the direct means to freedom?’ and allocate time to contemplative study and meditation.

Verse Rasa

Primary Rasa: shanta

Cross References

Related Themes: Garuda Purana (Preta/Moksha sections): recurring contrast of karma vs jñāna as direct means; Adjacent verses 2.49.71–74: critique of mere system-learning and logicians without paramārtha

Characters & Entities

• Garuda (Khageshvara)

FAQs

What is the importance of tattva-jñāna (true knowledge) in the Garuda Purana?

This verse states that tattva-jñāna is the direct (sākṣāt) cause of mokṣa, placing liberating insight above merely performing obligatory duties.

Does the Garuda Purana reject daily rituals (nitya-karma) as useless?

No. The verse acknowledges nitya and prescribed duties as beneficial for the world (loka-rañjana), but clarifies they are not the immediate cause of liberation without true knowledge.

Practical application of this wisdom today?

Do your duties responsibly and ethically, but also cultivate self-inquiry and study of truth (tattva) through scripture, reflection, and disciplined living—so practice leads toward liberation, not only social merit.