Shloka 16

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

Devanagari script

तस्मादज्ञानमूलो हि संसारः सर्वदेहिनाम् / अज्ञानादन्यथा ज्ञानं तच्च प्रकृतिसंगतम्

Transliteration

tasmādajñānamūlo hi saṃsāraḥ sarvadehinām / ajñānādanyathā jñānaṃ tacca prakṛtisaṃgatam

Translation

Darum ist für alle verkörperten Wesen der Saṃsāra wahrlich in Unwissenheit verwurzelt. Aus Unwissenheit entsteht eine verdrehte Art von „Wissen“, und dieses Missverstehen ist an Prakṛti gebunden.

Word by Word

• tasmāt: therefore/from that
• tasmāt: Apādāna (अपादान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tad (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सर्वनाम, पुं/नपुंसक, पञ्चमी (Ablative/5th), एकवचन; अपादानार्थ (from that/therefore)

• ajñāna-mūlaḥ: having ignorance as its root
• ajñāna-mūlaḥ: Karta-anvaya (कर्तृविशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: ajñāna + mūla (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तत्पुरुष-समास (षष्ठी: ‘अज्ञानस्य मूलम्’), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; विशेषण of saṃsāraḥ

• hi: indeed
• hi: Vākyārtha-dyotaka (वाक्यार्थद्योतक)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: hi (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; निपात (particle, emphasis/indeed)

• saṃsāraḥ: cycle of transmigration
• saṃsāraḥ: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: saṃsāra (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• sarva-dehinām: of all embodied beings
• sarva-dehinām: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/षष्ठी)
• Type: Noun
• Root: sarva + dehin (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तत्पुरुष-समास (कर्मधारय: ‘सर्वे देहिनः’), पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी, बहुवचन

• ajñānāt: from/due to ignorance
• ajñānāt: Hetu (हेतु)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ajñāna (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, पञ्चमी, एकवचन; हेतौ/अपादाने (from/due to ignorance)

• anyathā: otherwise/erroneously
• anyathā: Kriyā-viśeṣaṇa (क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: anyathā (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; प्रकारवाचक (adverb: otherwise/incorrectly)

• jñānam: knowledge
• jñānam: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: jñāna (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• tat: that
• tat: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tad (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सर्वनाम, नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; ‘जñānam’ इत्यस्य अन्वय (that)

• ca: and
• ca: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ca (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; समुच्चय (and)

• prakṛti-saṃgatam: associated with prakṛti
• prakṛti-saṃgatam: Karta-anvaya (कर्तृविशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: prakṛti + saṃgata (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तत्पुरुष-समास (तृतीया/सम्बन्ध: ‘प्रकृत्या संगतम्’), नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; विशेषण of jñānam

Speaker

Lord Kurma (Vishnu) instructing Indradyumna in the Ishvara Gita context

Verse Rasa

Primary Rasa: shanta

Secondary Rasa: karuna

Characters & Entities

• Kurma
• Vishnu
• Prakriti
• Samsara
• Ajnana

More Details (3 sections)

FAQs

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

By stating that saṃsāra is rooted in ignorance and that ‘knowledge’ can become distorted through Prakṛti, the verse implies the Atman/Ishvara is not the cause of bondage; bondage arises from misapprehension due to avidyā and identification with the guṇas.

What Yoga or Meditative practices are highlighted here?

The verse points to jñāna-yoga and viveka (discernment): one must remove avidyā and see beyond Prakṛti’s guṇas, correcting ‘anyathā-jñāna’ (mis-knowledge) through contemplative inquiry and steady meditative insight aligned with Ishvara’s teaching.

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

Indirectly, it supports the Kurma Purana’s non-sectarian synthesis: the liberating instruction about transcending Prakṛti and avidyā is presented as universal Ishvara-teaching—compatible with both Shaiva (Pashupati) and Vaishnava (Narayana/Kurma) frameworks.