Shloka 28

Īśvara-gītā: Vibhūtis of the Supreme Lord and the Paśu–Paśupati Doctrine of Bondage and Release

Devanagari script

धर्माधर्माविति प्रोक्तौ पाशौ द्वौ बन्धसंज्ञितौ / मय्यर्पितानि कर्माणि निबन्धाय विमुक्तये

Transliteration

dharmādharmāviti proktau pāśau dvau bandhasaṃjñitau / mayyarpitāni karmāṇi nibandhāya vimuktaye

Translation

Dharma und adharma werden als zwei Schlingen bezeichnet, beide „Bande“ genannt. Handlungen, die Mir dargebracht werden, werden für den einen Ursache der Bindung — und für den anderen das Mittel der Befreiung.

Word by Word

• धर्म-अधर्मौ: dharma and adharma
• धर्म-अधर्मौ: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: धर्म (प्रातिपदिक) + अधर्म (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/nominative), द्विवचन; इतरेतर-द्वन्द्व

• इति: thus
• इति: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: इति (अव्यय)
• Form: उद्धरण/इत्यर्थक अव्यय (quotative particle)

• प्रोक्तौ: are called/said
• प्रोक्तौ: Kriya (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: प्र-उच् (धातु)
• Form: कृदन्त—क्त (past passive participle) का द्विवचन-रूप (प्रथमा), पुंलिङ्ग; ‘said/called’

• पाशौ: two nooses/bonds
• पाशौ: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पाश (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/nominative), द्विवचन

• द्वौ: two
• द्वौ: Visheshana (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: द्वि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/nominative), द्विवचन; संख्याविशेषण (numeral adjective)

• बन्ध-संज्ञितौ: designated as ‘bond’
• बन्ध-संज्ञितौ: Visheshana (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: बन्ध (प्रातिपदिक) + संज्ञित (प्रातिपदिक/कृदन्त)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/nominative), द्विवचन; उपपद-तत्पुरुष (‘bonds’-named)

• मयि: in me
• मयि: Adhikarana (अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अस्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सर्वनाम, सप्तमी (7th/locative), एकवचन

• अर्पितानि: offered/dedicated
• अर्पितानि: Visheshana (विशेषण)
• Type: Verb
• Root: अर्प् (धातु)
• Form: कृदन्त—क्त (past passive participle), नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), बहुवचन; ‘offered/dedicated’

• कर्माणि: actions
• कर्माणि: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कर्मन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1st/2nd), बहुवचन

• निबन्धाय: for bondage
• निबन्धाय: Sampradana (सम्प्रदान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: निबन्ध (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, चतुर्थी (4th/dative), एकवचन; प्रयोजनार्थ (purpose)

• विमुक्तये: for liberation
• विमुक्तये: Sampradana (सम्प्रदान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: विमुक्ति (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, चतुर्थी (4th/dative), एकवचन; प्रयोजनार्थ (purpose)

Speaker

Lord Kurma (Vishnu) teaching Ishvara Gita doctrine

Verse Rasa

Primary Rasa: shanta

Secondary Rasa: vira

Characters & Entities

• Lord Kurma
• Vishnu
• Ishvara (Supreme Lord)
• Dharma
• Adharma
• Pasha (bondage)

More Details (3 sections)

FAQs

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

It implies the Lord as the transcendent center of surrender: when action is related to Ishvara rather than ego and fruit, the same karmic field that binds (through dharma/adharma) can become a pathway to freedom—pointing to an Atman/Ishvara-aligned consciousness beyond merit and demerit.

What Yoga or Meditative practices are highlighted here?

The verse highlights Ishvara-arpana (offering of all actions to the Lord), a core Karma-Yoga discipline used in the Ishvara Gita and compatible with Pashupata Yoga: reducing doership (kartṛtva), relinquishing fruit (phala-tyāga), and orienting ritual and daily duties toward devotion and inner renunciation.

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

By teaching liberation through dedication to Ishvara, the verse aligns with the Kurma Purana’s non-sectarian Shaiva–Vaishnava synthesis: the Supreme Lord (Ishvara) is the refuge beyond dharma/adharma, whether approached as Vishnu (Kurma) or in Shaiva Pashupata terms.