Shloka 44

Īśvara-Gītā (continued): Twofold Yoga, Aṣṭāṅga Discipline, Pāśupata Meditation, and the Unity of Nārāyaṇa–Maheśvara

Devanagari script

ऊर्वोरुपरि विप्रेन्द्राः कृत्वा पादतले उभे / समासीतात्मनः पद्ममेतदासनमुत्तमम्

Transliteration

ūrvorupari viprendrāḥ kṛtvā pādatale ubhe / samāsītātmanaḥ padmametadāsanamuttamam

Translation

O ihr erhabensten Brahmanenweisen: Legt beide Fußsohlen auf die Oberschenkel und sitzt unbeweglich, das Selbst gesammelt—dies ist Padmāsana, die Lotushaltung, der höchste Sitz für dhyāna.

Word by Word

• ūrvoḥ: on the two thighs
• ūrvoḥ: Adhikaraṇa (अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ūru (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुल्लिङ्ग (m.), षष्ठी/सप्तमी-विभक्ति (Gen./Loc. 6/7), द्विवचन (du.); ‘of/on the two thighs’ (contextually locative sense)

• upari: upon, above
• upari: Deśa-adhikaraṇa (देश-अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: upari (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (indeclinable), उपसर्गसदृश/अधिकरणार्थक (prepositional adverb)

• vipra-indrāḥ: O best of brāhmaṇas
• vipra-indrāḥ: Sambodhana (सम्बोधन) (addressed)
• Type: Noun
• Root: vipra (प्रातिपदिक) + indra (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुल्लिङ्ग (m.), प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nom. 1), बहुवचन (pl.); तत्पुरुषः: viprāṇām indraḥ (श्रेष्ठः)

• kṛtvā: having placed/made
• kṛtvā: Kriyāviśeṣaṇa (क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √kṛ (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त (absolutive/gerund), अव्यय-प्रयोग; ‘having done/placed’

• pāda-tale: on the soles of the feet
• pāda-tale: Adhikaraṇa (अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: pāda (प्रातिपदिक) + tala (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग (n.), सप्तमी-विभक्ति (Loc. 7), द्विवचन (du.); तत्पुरुषः: pādasya tale

• ubhe: both
• ubhe: Viśeṣaṇa (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: ubha (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग (f.), प्रथमा/द्वितीया (Nom./Acc. 1/2), द्विवचन (du.); ‘both’ (agreeing with implied ‘pādatale’/‘pādatale ubhe’ as two soles)

• samāsīta: having sat properly
• samāsīta: Karta (कर्ता) (implied yogin)
• Type: Verb
• Root: sam-ā-√sad (धातु)
• Form: कृदन्त (past active participle, क्तवत्/क्त; here used adjectivally), पुल्लिङ्ग (m.), प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nom. 1), एकवचन (sg.); ‘having sat properly’

• ātmanaḥ: of oneself
• ātmanaḥ: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/षष्ठी)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ātman (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुल्लिङ्ग (m.), षष्ठी-विभक्ति (Gen. 6), एकवचन (sg.)

• padmam: lotus (posture)
• padmam: Karma (कर्म) (as the posture)
• Type: Noun
• Root: padma (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग (n.), प्रथमा/द्वितीया (Nom./Acc. 1/2), एकवचन (sg.); ‘padma-āsana’ implied

• etat: this
• etat: Viśeṣaṇa (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: etad (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग (n.), प्रथमा/द्वितीया (Nom./Acc. 1/2), एकवचन (sg.)

• āsanam: posture
• āsanam: Karta (कर्ता) / Pratijñā (predicate nominative)
• Type: Noun
• Root: āsana (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग (n.), प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nom. 1), एकवचन (sg.)

• uttamam: best, supreme
• uttamam: Viśeṣaṇa (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: uttama (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग (n.), प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nom. 1), एकवचन (sg.); आसनस्य विशेषणम्

Speaker

Lord Kūrma (Vishnu) instructing the sages (viprendrāḥ) within the Ishvara Gita teaching context

Verse Rasa

Primary Rasa: shanta

Secondary Rasa: adbhuta

Characters & Entities

• Lord Kurma
• Brahmana sages
• Padmasana
• Atman

More Details (3 sections)

FAQs

How does this verse explain the nature of the Supreme Self (Atman)?

By emphasizing “ātmanaḥ” (self-composed), the verse points to inward mastery: steadiness of posture supports steadiness of mind, enabling contemplation of the Atman as the inner witness beyond bodily movement.

What Yoga or Meditative practices are highlighted here?

The verse teaches padmāsana: placing the soles on the thighs and sitting firmly. In the Kurma Purana’s Ishvara Gita frame, this is a foundational yogic discipline used to stabilize prāṇa and attention for dhyāna (meditation) and īśvara-bhāvanā (God-centered contemplation).

How does this verse depict the relationship between Shiva and Vishnu?

While this specific verse focuses on āsana, it belongs to the Ishvara Gita stream where yogic practice is presented as a shared, non-sectarian means to realize the one Supreme Lord—supporting the Kurma Purana’s Shaiva–Vaishnava synthesis rather than a divisive contrast.