Shloka 40

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

Devanagari script

एतद् वः परमं सांख्यं भाषितं ज्ञानमुत्तमम् / सर्ववेदान्तसारं हि योगस्तत्रैकचित्तता

Transliteration

etad vaḥ paramaṃ sāṃkhyaṃ bhāṣitaṃ jñānamuttamam / sarvavedāntasāraṃ hi yogastatraikacittatā

Translation

Así os he declarado el Sāṅkhya supremo: este conocimiento excelso. En verdad, es la esencia de todo el Vedānta; y el Yoga, en esa enseñanza, es la unificación de la mente en un solo punto (ekacittatā).

Word by Word

• एतत्: this
• एतत्: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: एतद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सर्वनाम, नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• वः: to you; for you
• वः: Sampradana (सम्प्रदान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: युष्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सर्वनाम, चतुर्थी/षष्ठी-विभक्ति (Dative/Genitive), बहुवचन

• परमम्: supreme; highest
• परमम्: Visheshana (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: परम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; विशेषण

• सांख्यम्: Sāṃkhya (doctrine)
• सांख्यम्: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सांख्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• भाषितम्: spoken; expounded
• भाषितम्: Kriya (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √भाष् (धातु)
• Form: कृदन्त (past passive participle/क्त), नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; कर्मणि-प्रयोगार्थ (spoken/expounded)

• ज्ञानम्: knowledge
• ज्ञानम्: Apposition (समनाधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ज्ञान (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन (अपि ‘एतत्’ इत्यस्य विशेष्य/सम्बन्ध)

• उत्तमम्: excellent; best
• उत्तमम्: Visheshana (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: उत्तम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; विशेषण

• सर्ववेदान्तसारम्: essence of all Vedānta
• सर्ववेदान्तसारम्: Apposition (समनाधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सर्व+वेदान्त+सार (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (वेदान्तानां सारः) ‘essence of all Vedāntas’

• हि: indeed; for
• हि: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: हि (अव्यय)
• Form: निपात (particle; emphasis/causal)

• योगः: yoga
• योगः: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: योग (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुल्लिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative), एकवचन

• तत्र: there; in that (teaching)
• तत्र: Adhikarana (अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तत्र (अव्यय)
• Form: देश/प्रसङ्ग-अव्यय (locative adverb)

• एकचित्तता: one-pointedness of mind
• एकचित्तता: Samjna (संज्ञा/Predicate-noun)
• Type: Noun
• Root: एक+चित्तता (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative), एकवचन; कर्मधारयः (एकं चित्तं यस्याः सा/भावः) ‘one-pointedness’

Speaker

Lord Kūrma (Vishnu) instructing King Indradyumna and the sages (Ishvara Gita context)

Verse Rasa

Primary Rasa: vira

Secondary Rasa: shanta

Characters & Entities

• Kurma
• Vedanta
• Sankhya
• Yoga

More Details (3 sections)

FAQs

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

By calling the teaching the “essence of all Vedānta,” the verse frames liberating knowledge as discriminative insight (Sāṅkhya) culminating in inner integration (Yoga), implying that realization of the Self is attained through clear discernment and concentrated awareness.

What Yoga or Meditative practices are highlighted here?

The verse defines Yoga in this context as eka-cittatā—one-pointed attention—indicating meditative steadiness (ekāgratā) where the mind is unified on the highest principle taught, a core discipline aligned with the Kurma Purana’s yogic and Pāśupata-oriented sādhanā.

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

Though not naming Shiva directly, the Ishvara Gita’s synthesis is implicit: the Lord’s teaching presents Vedāntic essence through Sāṅkhya-Yoga, a shared philosophical ground used in the Kurma Purana to harmonize Shaiva and Vaishnava paths as converging disciplines of knowledge and concentration.