Garuda Purana

प्रज्ञाहीनस्य पठनं यथान्धस्य च दर्पणम् । अतः प्रज्ञावतां शास्त्रं तत्त्वज्ञानस्य लक्षणम् ॥ २,४९.

Reading by one without wisdom is like a mirror for the blind; therefore, for the wise, scripture is a mark of knowledge of the truth.

इदं ज्ञानमिदं ज्ञेयं सर्वन्तु श्रोतुमिच्छति । दिव्यवर्षसहस्राच्च शास्त्रान्तं नैव गच्छति ॥ २,४९.

This is knowledge, this is to be known—everyone wishes to hear everything; yet even after a thousand divine years, one does not reach the end of the scriptures.

अनेकानि च शास्त्राणि स्वल्पायुर्विघ्नकोटयः । तस्मात्सारं विजानीयात्क्षीरं हंस इवाम्भसि ॥ २,४९.

There are countless scriptures, life is short, and obstacles are many; therefore, one should discern the essence, like a swan extracting milk from water.

अभ्यस्य वेदशास्त्राणि तत्त्वं ज्ञात्वाथ बुद्भिमान् । पलालमिव धान्यार्थी सर्वशास्त्राणि सन्त्यजेत् ॥ २,४९.

Having studied the Vedas and scriptures, and having realized the truth, the wise person should abandon all scriptures, as one seeking grain discards the chaff.

यथामृतेन तृप्तस्य नाहारेण प्रयोजनम् । तत्त्वज्ञस्य तथा तार्क्ष्य न शास्त्रेण प्रयोजनम् ॥ २,४९.

Just as one satisfied by nectar has no need for food, so, O Tārkṣya, one who knows the truth has no use for scripture.

न वेदाध्ययनान्मुक्तिर्न शास्त्रपठनादपि । ज्ञानादेव हि कैवल्यं नान्यथा विनतात्मजः ॥ २,४९.

Liberation does not come from study of the Vedas or from reading scriptures; it is only through knowledge that absolute freedom is attained, O son of Vinatā, not otherwise.

नाश्रमः कारणं मुक्तेर्दर्शनानि न कारणम् । तथैव सर्वकर्माणि ज्ञानमेव हि कारणम् ॥ २,४९.

Neither religious order nor philosophical views are the cause of liberation; likewise, all actions are not the cause—knowledge alone is truly the cause.

मुक्तिदा गुरुवागेका विद्याः सर्वा विडम्बिकाः । शास्त्रभारसहस्रेषु ह्येकं सञ्जीवनं परम् ॥ २,४९.

The word of the guru alone bestows liberation; all other teachings are mere display. Among thousands of scriptural burdens, only one is truly life-giving.

अद्वैतं हि शिवं प्रोक्तं क्रिययापरिवर्जितम् । गुरुवक्त्रेण लभ्येत नाधीतागमकोटिभिः ॥ २,४९.

Non-duality is indeed called auspicious, free from ritual acts; it is attained from the mouth of the guru, not from studying millions of scriptures.

आगमोक्तं विवेकोत्थं द्विधा ज्ञानं प्रचक्षते । शब्दव्रह्मागममयं परं ब्रह्म विवेकजम् ॥ २,४९.

Scripture declares that knowledge is of two kinds: one arising from words and scriptures, and the supreme Brahman, arising from discrimination.

अद्वैतं केचिदिच्छन्ति द्वैतमिच्छन्ति चापरे । समं तत्त्वं न जानन्ति द्वैताद्द्वैतविवर्जितम् ॥ २,४९.

Some desire non-duality, others desire duality; but they do not know the true reality, which is beyond both duality and non-duality.

द्वे पदे बन्धमोक्षाय नममेति ममेति च । ममेति बध्यते जन्तुर्नममेति प्रमुच्यते ॥ २,४९.

There are two paths, bondage and liberation: 'mine' and 'not mine.' The being who says 'mine' is bound; who says 'not mine' is freed.

तत्कर्म यन्न बन्धाय सा विद्या या विमुक्तिदा । आयासायापरं कर्म विद्यान्या शिल्पनैपुणम् ॥ २,४९.

That action which does not bind is true action; that knowledge which grants liberation is true knowledge. Other action is mere toil, other knowledge is skill in craft.

यावत्कर्माणि दीप्यन्ते यावत्संसारवासना । यावदिन्द्रियचापल्यं तावत्तत्त्वकथा कुतः ॥ २,४९.

As long as actions burn, as long as worldly desires persist, as long as the senses are restless, how can there be talk of truth?

यावद्देहाभिमानश्च ममता यावदेव हि । यावत्प्रयत्नवेगोऽस्ति यावत्संकल्पकल्पना ॥ २,४९.

As long as there is identification with the body, as long as there is possessiveness, as long as effort and impulse remain, as long as imagination and conception persist—

यावन्नो मनसः स्थैर्यं न यावच्छास्त्रचिन्तनम् । यावन्न गुरुकारुण्यं तावत्तत्त्वकथा कुतः ॥ २,४९.

Until the mind is steady, until there is reflection on scripture, and until there is the compassion of the guru, how can there be any discussion of the truth?

तावत्तपो व्रतं तीर्थं जपहोमार्चनादिकम् । वेदशास्त्रागमकथा यावत्तत्त्वं न विन्दति ॥ २,४९.

Austerity, vows, pilgrimages, recitation, offerings, worship, and discourse on the Vedas and scriptures—all these are fruitless until one realizes the truth.

तस्मात्सर्वप्रयत्नेन सर्वावस्थासु सर्वदा । तत्त्वनिष्ठो भवेत्तार्क्ष्य यदीच्छेन्मोक्षमात्मनः ॥ २,४९.

Therefore, O Tārkṣya, with all effort, in every circumstance and at all times, one should be steadfast in the truth, if one desires liberation for oneself.

धर्मज्ञानप्रसूनस्य स्वर्गमोक्षफलस्य च । तापत्रयादिसन्तप्तश्छायां मोक्षतरोः श्रयेत् ॥ २,४९.

For one scorched by the threefold miseries, the shade of the tree of liberation should be sought, which bears the flowers of knowledge of dharma and the fruits of heaven and liberation.

तस्माज्ज्ञानेनात्मतत्त्वं विज्ञेयं श्रीगुरोर्मुखात् । सुखेन मुच्यते जन्तुर्घोरसंसारबन्धनात् ॥ २,४९.

Therefore, the truth of the self should be known through knowledge from the mouth of the revered guru; by this, the living being is easily freed from the terrible bondage of worldly existence.

तत्त्वज्ञस्यान्तिमं कृत्यं शृणु वक्ष्यामि तेऽधुना । येन मोक्षमवाप्नोति ब्रह्म निर्वाणसंज्ञकम् ॥ २,४९.

Now listen as I tell you the final duty of the knower of truth, by which one attains liberation, called Brahman-nirvāṇa.

अन्तकाले तु पुरुष आगते गतसाध्वसः । छिन्द्यादसंगशस्त्रेण स्पृहां देहेऽनु या च तम् ॥ २,४९.

At the time of death, when the end approaches, without fear, one should cut off attachment to the body and all that follows it with the sword of detachment.

गृहात्प्रव्राजितो धीरः पुण्यतीर्थजलाप्लुतः । शुचौ विविक्त आसीनो विधिवत्कल्पितासने ॥ २,४९.

Having left home, being steadfast, bathed in holy waters, seated in a pure and solitary place upon a properly prepared seat—

अभ्यसेन्मनसा शुद्धं त्रिवृद्ब्रह्माक्षरं परम् । मनो यष्छेज्जितश्वासो ब्रह्म बीजमविस्मरन् ॥ २,४९.

One should practice with the mind the pure, threefold, supreme syllable of Brahman; restraining the mind, controlling the breath, never forgetting the seed of Brahman.

नियच्छेद्विषयेभ्योऽक्षान्मनसा बुद्धि सारथिः । मनः कर्मभिराक्षिप्तं शुभार्थे धारयेद्धिया ॥ २,४९.

Let the intellect, as charioteer, restrain the senses from their objects with the mind; let the mind, distracted by actions, be held firmly by the intellect for a virtuous purpose.

अहं ब्रह्म परं धाम ब्रह्माहं परमं पदम् । एवं समीक्ष्य चात्मानमात्मन्याधाय निष्कले ॥ २,४९.

Thinking thus: 'I am Brahman, the supreme abode; I am Brahman, the highest state,' one should contemplate the self in the self, in its undivided form.

ओमित्येकाक्षरं ब्रह्म व्याहरन्मामनुस्मरन् । यः प्रयाति त्यजन्देहं स याति परमां गतिम् ॥ २,४९.

Uttering the single syllable 'Om,' which is Brahman, remembering me, whoever departs, leaving the body, attains the supreme goal.

न यत्र दाम्भिका यान्ति ज्ञानवैराग्यवर्जिताः । सुधियस्तां गतिं यान्ति तानहं कथयामि ते ॥ २,४९.

Where the hypocrites, those devoid of knowledge and dispassion, do not go—that state is attained by the wise; I will tell you of them.

निर्मानमोहा जितसंगदोषा अध्यात्मनित्या विनिवृत्तकामाः । द्वन्द्वैर्विमुक्ताः सुखदुः खसंज्ञैर्गच्छन्त्यमूढाः पदमव्ययं तत् ॥ २,४९.

Those who are free from pride and delusion, who have conquered the faults of attachment, who are ever devoted to the self, free from desires, liberated from the pairs of opposites called pleasure and pain—those wise ones reach that imperishable state.