Shloka 32
Īśvara-gītā: Vibhūtis of the Supreme Lord and the Paśu–Paśupati Doctrine of Bondage and Release
स एव बन्धः स च बन्धकर्ता स एव पाशः पशवः स एव / स वेद सर्वं न च तस्य वेत्ता तमाहुरग्र्यं पुरुषं पुराणम्
sa eva bandhaḥ sa ca bandhakartā sa eva pāśaḥ paśavaḥ sa eva / sa veda sarvaṃ na ca tasya vettā tamāhuragryaṃ puruṣaṃ purāṇam
Er allein ist die Fessel, und Er ist auch der Urheber der Fessel. Er allein ist die Schlinge (pāśa), und Er allein ist das paśu, die gebundene Seele. Er weiß alles, doch niemand erkennt Ihn. Darum verkünden die Weisen Ihn als den höchsten, uralten Purusha.
Lord Kurma (Vishnu) instructing King Indradyumna (Ishvara Gita context)
Primary Rasa: adbhuta
Secondary Rasa: shanta
FAQs
It presents the Supreme as the ultimate reality behind both the bound condition and the bound being: He is the bondage (bandha), the noose (pāśa), and even the paśu (individual soul), while remaining the incomparable knower whom none can fully objectify.
The verse supports Ishvara-centered contemplation used in the Ishvara Gita: meditating on the Lord as the inner controller of all states (bondage and freedom) cultivates detachment (vairāgya) and surrender (īśvara-praṇidhāna), foundational to Pashupata-oriented liberation teachings in the Kurma Purana.
By describing one Supreme Person as the all-encompassing Lord beyond any rival knower, it aligns with the Kurma Purana’s synthesis where the highest Ishvara can be praised in Shaiva vocabulary (pāśa-paśu) while being taught by Vishnu as Kurma—pointing to a unified, non-sectarian supremacy.