Shloka 38

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

Devanagari script

तस्माद् विज्ञानमेवास्ति न प्रपञ्चो न संसृतिः / अज्ञानेनावृतं लोको विज्ञानं तेन मुह्यति

Transliteration

tasmād vijñānamevāsti na prapañco na saṃsṛtiḥ / ajñānenāvṛtaṃ loko vijñānaṃ tena muhyati

Translation

Darum besteht in Wahrheit nur das wahre Wissen (vijñāna); wirklich gibt es weder die vielfache Weltentfaltung (prapañca) noch Saṃsāra, den Kreislauf der Wiedergeburten. Doch die Welt, von Unwissenheit (avidyā) verhüllt, wird gerade über dieses Wissen selbst verwirrt.

Word by Word

• तस्मात्: from that; therefore
• तस्मात्: Apadana (अपादान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तस्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सर्वनाम (pronoun), पुल्लिङ्ग/नपुंसकलिङ्ग, पञ्चमी-विभक्ति (Ablative/अपादान), एकवचन

• विज्ञानम्: knowledge; discernment
• विज्ञानम्: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: विज्ञान (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative/कर्ता), एकवचन

• एव: only; indeed
• एव: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/Emphasis)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एव (अव्यय)
• Form: निपात (particle/emphasis)

• अस्ति: is; exists
• अस्ति: Kriya (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: अस् (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार (Present), प्रथम-पुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• न: not
• न: Pratishedha (प्रतिषेध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: न (अव्यय)
• Form: निषेध-निपात (negation particle)

• प्रपञ्चः: manifest world; phenomenal expansion
• प्रपञ्चः: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: प्रपञ्च (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुल्लिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative), एकवचन

• न: nor; not
• न: Pratishedha (प्रतिषेध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: न (अव्यय)
• Form: निषेध-निपात (negation particle)

• संसृतिः: transmigration; worldly cycle
• संसृतिः: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: संसृति (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative), एकवचन

• अज्ञानेन: by ignorance
• अज्ञानेन: Karana (करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अज्ञान (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति (Instrumental/करण), एकवचन

• आवृतम्: covered; veiled
• आवृतम्: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: आ-√वृ (धातु)
• Form: कृदन्त (past passive participle/क्त), नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; ‘covered’

• लोकः: the world; people
• लोकः: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: लोक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुल्लिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative), एकवचन

• विज्ञानम्: knowledge
• विज्ञानम्: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: विज्ञान (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative/कर्म), एकवचन

• तेन: by that; because of that
• तेन: Karana (करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सर्वनाम (pronoun), नपुंसकलिङ्ग/पुल्लिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति (Instrumental), एकवचन

• मुह्यति: is deluded; becomes confused
• मुह्यति: Kriya (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: मुह् (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार (Present), प्रथम-पुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन; आत्मनेपद

Speaker

Lord Kurma (Vishnu) teaching in the Ishvara Gita discourse

Verse Rasa

Primary Rasa: shanta

Secondary Rasa: karuna

Characters & Entities

• Lord Kurma
• Vishnu
• Ishvara Gita
• Ajñāna
• Saṃsāra

More Details (3 sections)

FAQs

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

It asserts a non-dual standpoint: Reality is Knowledge itself (vijñāna/Brahman-Atman), while the world-appearance and saṃsāra are not ultimately real; bondage persists only because ignorance obscures this truth.

What Yoga or Meditative practices are highlighted here?

The verse points to Jñāna-Yoga as the liberating method: viveka (discrimination) to pierce ajñāna, leading to direct realization (vijñāna). In the Kurma Purana’s Ishvara Gita setting, this complements Pāśupata-oriented discipline by grounding practice in right knowledge.

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

By teaching a single non-dual Reality beyond prapañca and saṃsāra, it supports the Purana’s synthesis: sectarian forms differ, but the realized Knowledge of the one Ishvara (honored as Shiva or Vishnu) is the same.