Shloka 12

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

Devanagari script

यद्यात्मा मलिनो ऽस्वस्थो विकारी स्यात् स्वभावतः / नहि तस्य भवेन्मुक्तिर्जन्मान्तरशतैरपि

Transliteration

yadyātmā malino 'svastho vikārī syāt svabhāvataḥ / nahi tasya bhavenmuktirjanmāntaraśatairapi

Translation

Wenn der Ātman (das innere Selbst) von Natur aus unrein, unruhig und wandelbar wäre, dann entstünde für einen solchen Menschen keine Befreiung (mokṣa) — selbst nicht über Hunderte aufeinanderfolgender Geburten hinweg.

Word by Word

• yadi: if
• yadi: Sambandha (सम्बन्धः/condition)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: yadi (अव्यय)
• Form: शर्तार्थक-अव्यय (conditional 'if')

• ātmā: self
• ātmā: Karta (कर्ता/subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ātman (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• malinaḥ: impure
• malinaḥ: Viśeṣaṇa (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: malina (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; विशेषण

• asvasthaḥ: unwell/unstable
• asvasthaḥ: Viśeṣaṇa (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: a-svastha (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; विशेषण

• vikārī: subject to change
• vikārī: Viśeṣaṇa (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: vikārin (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; विशेषण

• syāt: would be
• syāt: Kriya (क्रिया/predicate)
• Type: Verb
• Root: as (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (Optative), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• svabhāvataḥ: by nature
• svabhāvataḥ: Sambandha (सम्बन्धः/adverbial)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: svabhāvatas (अव्यय-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तसिल्-प्रत्ययान्त-अव्यय (by nature/inherently)

• na: not
• na: Sambandha (सम्बन्धः/negation marker)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: na (अव्यय)
• Form: निषेधार्थक-अव्यय

• hi: indeed
• hi: Sambandha (सम्बन्धः/particle)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: hi (अव्यय)
• Form: निपातार्थक-अव्यय (indeed/for)

• tasya: of him/of that
• tasya: Sambandha (सम्बन्धः/genitive)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सर्वनाम, षष्ठी-विभक्ति (Genitive/6th), एकवचन

• bhavet: would occur/be
• bhavet: Kriya (क्रिया/predicate)
• Type: Verb
• Root: bhū (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (Optative), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• muktiḥ: liberation
• muktiḥ: Karta (कर्ता/subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: mukti (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• janma-antara-śataiḥ: by hundreds of other births
• janma-antara-śataiḥ: Karaṇa (करण/instrumental)
• Type: Noun
• Root: janman (प्रातिपदिक) + antara (प्रातिपदिक) + śata (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति (Instrumental/3rd), बहुवचन; तत्पुरुष (janmāntarāṇāṃ śataiḥ = by hundreds of other births)

• api: even
• api: Sambandha (सम्बन्धः/particle)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: api (अव्यय)
• Form: अपि-कारार्थक-अव्यय (even/also)

Speaker

Lord Kūrma (Viṣṇu) teaching spiritual discipline and inner purification

Verse Rasa

Primary Rasa: karuna

Secondary Rasa: bhayanaka

Characters & Entities

• Atman
• Mukti

More Details (3 sections)

FAQs

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

It implies that what blocks realization is not the Supreme Self itself, but the seeker’s inner condition—impurity, instability, and susceptibility to distortion—which prevents the recognition of the Atman’s liberating truth.

What Yoga or Meditative practices are highlighted here?

The verse stresses the prerequisite of purification (śuddhi) and steadiness (svasthatā) central to Kurma Purana’s yogic discipline—ethical restraint, mental stabilization, and removal of vikāras (disturbing modifications) as foundations for liberating knowledge.

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

Though not naming Śiva or Viṣṇu directly, the teaching matches the Purana’s synthesizing approach: liberation is attained through disciplined purification and God-centered yoga (Īśvara-oriented practice), a shared soteriology across Shaiva (Pāśupata) and Vaishnava frameworks in the Kurma Purana.