Shloka 20

Īśvara-gītā: Bhakti as the Supreme Means; the Three Śaktis; Non-compelled Lordship

Devanagari script

अहं हि सर्वशक्तीनां प्रवर्तकनिवर्तकः / आधारभूतः सर्वासां निधानममृतस्य च

Transliteration

ahaṃ hi sarvaśaktīnāṃ pravartakanivartakaḥ / ādhārabhūtaḥ sarvāsāṃ nidhānamamṛtasya ca

Translation

Wahrlich, Ich bin es, der alle Śaktis in Wirksamkeit setzt und sie wieder zurücknimmt. Ich bin die tragende Grundlage von ihnen allen und zugleich der Schatz—das bleibende Verwahrnis—der Unsterblichkeit (Amṛta).

Word by Word

• अहम्: I
• अहम्: Karta (कर्ता/Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अहम् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सर्वनाम (pronoun), उत्तमपुरुषार्थक; एकवचन, प्रथमा (Nominative Singular)

• हि: indeed
• हि: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/particle)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: हि (अव्यय)
• Form: निपात (particle), अवधान/हेतु-भाव (indeed/for)

• सर्व-शक्तीनाम्: of all powers
• सर्व-शक्तीनाम्: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/Genitive)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सर्व (सर्व-प्रातिपदिक) + शक्ति (शक्ति-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग; षष्ठी (Genitive), बहुवचन; समासः कर्मधारयः (all + powers)

• प्रवर्तक-निवर्तकः: the initiator and withdrawer
• प्रवर्तक-निवर्तकः: Karta (कर्ता/Predicate nominative)
• Type: Noun
• Root: प्रवर्तक (वृत् √वृत् + प्र-; कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक) + निवर्तक (वृत् √वृत् + नि-; कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा (Nominative), एकवचन; समासः द्वन्द्वः (coordinative)

• आधार-भूतः: being the support
• आधार-भूतः: Karta (कर्ता/Predicate adjective)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: आधार (आधार-प्रातिपदिक) + भूत (भू √भू; कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक, भूत-प्रत्यय)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा, एकवचन; समासः षष्ठी/तत्पुरुषः (ādhāraḥ as base + bhūtaḥ = become/being)

• सर्वासाम्: of all (of them)
• सर्वासाम्: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/Genitive)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सर्व (सर्व-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग; षष्ठी (Genitive), बहुवचन (of all [f.])

• निधानम्: the repository
• निधानम्: Karta (कर्ता/Predicate nominative)
• Type: Noun
• Root: निधान (निधान-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग; प्रथमा/द्वितीया (Nom./Acc.), एकवचन

• अमृतस्य: of immortality/nectar
• अमृतस्य: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/Genitive)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अमृत (अमृत-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग; षष्ठी (Genitive), एकवचन

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/conjunction)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयार्थक निपात (conjunction)

Speaker

Lord Kūrma (Viṣṇu) teaching in the Īśvara-gītā context

Verse Rasa

Primary Rasa: adbhuta

Secondary Rasa: shanta

Characters & Entities

• Ishvara (Supreme Lord)
• Shakti (divine powers)

More Details (3 sections)

FAQs

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

It presents the Supreme as the inner governor who both activates and withdraws all powers, while remaining their underlying support—implying a transcendent substratum that is also the immanent controller.

What Yoga or Meditative practices are highlighted here?

The verse supports a Pāśupata-style contemplation of Īśvara as the source and regulator of all śaktis; meditation stabilizes when one recognizes every function as arising from, sustained by, and returning to the Lord.

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

By describing one supreme Īśvara who governs all śaktis and is the ground of immortality, it aligns with the Kurma Purana’s synthetic stance where sectarian names differ but the ultimate lordship is one.