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.
Lord Kurma (as Ishvara, teaching the Ishvara Gita)
Primary Rasa: shanta
Secondary Rasa: adbhuta
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.