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Shloka 10

Īśvara-gītā (Adhyāya 2) — Ātma-svarūpa, Māyā, and the Unity of Sāṅkhya–Yoga

यथा प्रकाशतमसोः सम्बन्धो नोपपद्यते / तद्वदैक्यं न संबन्धः प्रपञ्चपरमात्मनोः

yathā prakāśatamasoḥ sambandho nopapadyate / tadvadaikyaṃ na saṃbandhaḥ prapañcaparamātmanoḥ

Wie zwischen Licht und Finsternis keine wirkliche Beziehung begründet werden kann, so ist auch die sogenannte „Einheit“ zwischen der manifesten Welt (prapañca) und dem höchsten Selbst (Paramātman) keine Beziehung—denn Beziehung gehört nur zum Bereich des Scheins.

yathājust as
yathā:
Sambandha (सम्बन्धः/comparative)
TypeIndeclinable
Rootyathā (अव्यय)
Formउपमानार्थक-अव्यय (as/just as)
prakāśa-tamasoḥof light and darkness
prakāśa-tamasoḥ:
Sambandha (सम्बन्धः/genitive)
TypeNoun
Rootprakāśa (प्रातिपदिक) + tamas (प्रातिपदिक)
Formनपुंसकलिङ्ग (समाहार-द्वन्द्व), षष्ठी-विभक्ति (Genitive/6th), द्विवचन
sambandhaḥconnection
sambandhaḥ:
Karta (कर्ता/subject)
TypeNoun
Rootsambandha (प्रातिपदिक)
Formपुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन
nanot
na:
Sambandha (सम्बन्धः/negation marker)
TypeIndeclinable
Rootna (अव्यय)
Formनिषेधार्थक-अव्यय
upapadyateis possible/occurs
upapadyate:
Kriya (क्रिया/predicate)
TypeVerb
Rootupa-pad (धातु)
Formलट्-लकार (Present), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd), एकवचन; आत्मनेपद
tadvatlikewise
tadvat:
Sambandha (सम्बन्धः/adverbial)
TypeIndeclinable
Roottadvat (अव्यय)
Formतद्वत्-प्रत्ययान्त-अव्यय (in that manner/likewise)
aikyamidentity/oneness
aikyam:
Karta (कर्ता/subject)
TypeNoun
Rootaikya (प्रातिपदिक)
Formनपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन
nanot
na:
Sambandha (सम्बन्धः/negation marker)
TypeIndeclinable
Rootna (अव्यय)
Formनिषेधार्थक-अव्यय
saṃbandhaḥrelation
saṃbandhaḥ:
Karta (कर्ता/subject)
TypeNoun
Rootsaṃbandha (प्रातिपदिक)
Formपुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन
prapañca-paramātmanoḥof the world-manifestation and the Supreme Self
prapañca-paramātmanoḥ:
Sambandha (सम्बन्धः/genitive)
TypeNoun
Rootprapañca (प्रातिपदिक) + paramātman (प्रातिपदिक)
Formपुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी-विभक्ति, द्विवचन; इतरेतर-द्वन्द्व

Lord Kurma (as Ishvara, teaching the Ishvara Gita)

Primary Rasa: shanta

Secondary Rasa: adbhuta

P
Paramatman
P
Prapancha
I
Ishvara Gita
L
Lord Kurma

FAQs

It presents Paramātman as categorically distinct from the world of appearances: the Self is self-luminous reality, while the prapañca is like darkness—so any ‘relation’ between them is ultimately untenable from the standpoint of truth.

The verse supports viveka (discriminative insight) central to Pāśupata-oriented purification and Ishvara Gita contemplation: the meditator repeatedly discerns the Self as the witness-light and treats worldly superimpositions as non-binding appearances, stabilizing non-attachment and inner steadiness.

By teaching non-relational non-duality (beyond worldly categories), it aligns with the Kurma Purana’s synthesis where Ishvara—revered through Shaiva and Vaishnava idioms—transcends sectarian difference, and ultimate reality is one without a second.