Meditation on the Form of Brahman

Verse 1 (garuda.1.44.1)

।।हरिरुवाच ।। पूजयित्वा पवित्राद्यैर्ब्रह्म ध्यात्वा हरिर्भवेत् ।। ब्रह्मध्यानं प्रवक्ष्यामि मायायन्त्रप्रमर्दकम्

..hariruvāca .. pūjayitvā pavitrādyairbrahma dhyātvā harirbhavet .. brahmadhyānaṁ pravakṣyāmi māyāyantrapramardakam

Hari said: Having worshipped with the pavitra and other rites, and having meditated upon Brahman, one becomes one with Hari. I shall now declare the meditation on Brahman, which shatters the very machinery of illusion.

Verse 2 (garuda.1.44.2)

यच्छेद्वाङ्मनसं प्राज्ञस्तं यजेज्ज्ञानमात्मनि ।। ज्ञानं महति संयच्छेद्य इच्छेज्ज्ञानमात्मानि

yacchedvāṅmanasaṁ prājñastaṁ yajejjñānamātmani .. jñānaṁ mahati saṁyacchedya icchejjñānamātmāni

Let the wise one restrain speech and mind, and worship That as knowledge abiding in the self. He who desires knowledge within the self should draw that knowledge inward into the Great (the cosmic intellect).

Verse 3 (garuda.1.44.3)

देहेन्द्रियमनोबुद्धिप्राणाहङ्करावर्जितम् ।। वर्जितं भूततन्मात्रैर्गुणजन्माशनादिभिः

dehendriyamanobuddhiprāṇāhaṅkarāvarjitam .. varjitaṁ bhūtatanmātrairguṇajanmāśanādibhiḥ

That Brahman is free of body, senses, mind, intellect, vital breath, and ego; free too of the gross elements, the subtle elements, the gunas, birth, food, and all such things.

Verse 4 (garuda.1.44.4)

स्वप्रकाशं निराकारं सदानं दमनादि यत् ।। नित्यं शुद्धं बुद्धमृद्धं सत्यमानन्दमद्वयम्

svaprakāśaṁ nirākāraṁ sadānaṁ damanādi yat .. nityaṁ śuddhaṁ buddhamṛddhaṁ satyamānandamadvayam

Self-luminous, formless, ever-existing, transcending even self-control and its opposites —

Verse 5 (garuda.1.44.5)

तुरीयमक्षरं ब्रह्म अहमस्मि परं पदम् ।। अहं ब्रह्मेत्यवस्थानं समाधिरपि (रिति) गीयते

turīyamakṣaraṁ brahma ahamasmi paraṁ padam .. ahaṁ brahmetyavasthānaṁ samādhirapi (riti) gīyate

eternal, pure, awake, replete, true, blissful, non-dual — this is the fourth state, the imperishable Brahman: 'I am that supreme state.' Steady abiding in 'I am Brahman' is itself called samadhi.

Verse 6 (garuda.1.44.6)

आत्मानं रथिनं विद्धि शरीरं रथमेव तु ।। बुद्धिं च सारथिं विद्धि मनः प्रग्रहमेव च ।। इन्द्रियाणि हयानाहुर्विषयास्तेषु गोचराः

ātmānaṁ rathinaṁ viddhi śarīraṁ rathameva tu .. buddhiṁ ca sārathiṁ viddhi manaḥ pragrahameva ca .. indriyāṇi hayānāhurviṣayāsteṣu gocarāḥ

Know the self as the rider of the chariot, and the body indeed as the chariot. Know the intellect as the charioteer, and the mind as the reins. The senses, they say, are the horses, and their objects are the roads before them.

Verse 7 (garuda.1.44.7)

आत्मेंद्रियमनोयुक्तो भोक्तेत्याहुर्मनीषिणः ।। यस्तु विज्ञानबाह्मेन युक्तेन मनसा सदा

ātmeṁdriyamanoyukto bhoktetyāhurmanīṣiṇaḥ .. yastu vijñānabāhmena yuktena manasā sadā

The one joined with self, senses, and mind — the wise call him the experiencer. But he who is ever joined with a mind possessed of discernment,

Verse 8 (garuda.1.44.8)

स तु तत्पदमाप्नोति स हि भूयो न जायते ।। विज्ञानसारथिर्यस्तु मनः प्रग्रहवान्नरः

sa tu tatpadamāpnoti sa hi bhūyo na jāyate .. vijñānasārathiryastu manaḥ pragrahavānnaraḥ

he attains that supreme state and is not born again. The man who takes discernment as his charioteer and holds firm the reins of the mind,

Verse 9 (garuda.1.44.9)

स्वर्धुन्याः पारमाप्नोति तद्विष्णोः परमं पदम् ।। अहिंसादिर्यमः प्रोक्तः शौचादिर्नियमः स्मृतः

svardhunyāḥ pāramāpnoti tadviṣṇoḥ paramaṁ padam .. ahiṁsādiryamaḥ proktaḥ śaucādirniyamaḥ smṛtaḥ

he reaches the far shore of the heavenly river — that is the supreme abode of Vishnu. Non-violence and the like are called yama; purity and the like are held to be niyama.

Verse 10 (garuda.1.44.10)

आसनं पद्मकाद्युक्तं प्राणायामो मरुज्जयः ।। प्रत्याहारो जयः प्रोक्तो ध्यानमीश्वरचिन्तनम्

āsanaṁ padmakādyuktaṁ prāṇāyāmo marujjayaḥ .. pratyāhāro jayaḥ prokto dhyānamīśvaracintanam

The lotus-posture and the like are asana; pranayama is mastery of the breath. Pratyahara is called mastery of the senses; dhyana is the contemplation of the Lord.

Verse 11 (garuda.1.44.11)

मनोधृतिर्धारणा स्यात्समाधिर्ब्रह्मणि स्थितिः ।। पूर्वं चेतः स्थिरं न स्यात्ततोमूर्त्तिं विचिन्तयेत्

manodhṛtirdhāraṇā syātsamādhirbrahmaṇi sthitiḥ .. pūrvaṁ cetaḥ sthiraṁ na syāttatomūrttiṁ vicintayet

Steadiness of mind is dharana; abiding in Brahman is samadhi. If at first the mind will not settle, one should meditate instead upon a form —

Verse 12 (garuda.1.44.12)

हृत्पद्मकर्णिकामध्ये शङ्खचक्रगदाब्जवान् ।। श्रीवत्सकौस्तुभयुतो वनमालाश्रिया युतः

hṛtpadmakarṇikāmadhye śaṅkhacakragadābjavān .. śrīvatsakaustubhayuto vanamālāśriyā yutaḥ

in the very center of the heart-lotus's pericarp, holding conch, discus, mace, and lotus, marked with the Shrivatsa and adorned with the Kaustubha jewel, graced with the beauty of the forest-garland,

Verse 13 (garuda.1.44.13)

नित्यः शुद्धो भूतियुक्तः सत्यानन्दाह्वयः परः ।। आत्माहं परमं ब्रह्म परमं ज्योतिरेव तु

nityaḥ śuddho bhūtiyuktaḥ satyānandāhvayaḥ paraḥ .. ātmāhaṁ paramaṁ brahma paramaṁ jyotireva tu

eternal, pure, endowed with majesty, called by the name of Sat-Ananda, the Supreme Lord. 'I am that very supreme Brahman, I am indeed that supreme light.'

Verse 14 (garuda.1.44.14)

चतुर्विंशतिमूर्त्तिः स शालग्रामशिलास्थितः ।। द्वारकादिशिलासंस्थो ध्येयः पूज्योऽप्यहं च सः

caturviṁśatimūrttiḥ sa śālagrāmaśilāsthitaḥ .. dvārakādiśilāsaṁstho dhyeyaḥ pūjyo'pyahaṁ ca saḥ

He, of twenty-four forms, dwells in the shalagrama stone; established too in the stones of Dvaraka and elsewhere, he is to be meditated upon and worshipped — and I too am he.

Verse 15 (garuda.1.44.15)

मनसोऽभीप्सितं प्राप्य देवो वैमानिको भवेत् ।। निष्कामो मुक्तिमाप्नोति मूर्त्तिं ध्याययंस्तुवञ्जपन्

manaso'bhīpsitaṁ prāpya devo vaimāniko bhavet .. niṣkāmo muktimāpnoti mūrttiṁ dhyāyayaṁstuvañjapan

Having attained his heart's desire, such a worshipper becomes a god who travels by celestial chariot. But the one free of desire, meditating on this form, praising and reciting it, attains liberation.