Shloka 18

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

Devanagari script

आत्मानः पशवः प्रोक्ताः सर्वे संसारवर्तिनः / तेषां पतिरहं देवः स्मृतः पशुपतिर्बुधैः

Transliteration

ātmānaḥ paśavaḥ proktāḥ sarve saṃsāravartinaḥ / teṣāṃ patirahaṃ devaḥ smṛtaḥ paśupatirbudhaiḥ

Translation

Toutes les âmes individuelles sont dites “paśu”, êtres liés qui cheminent dans la ronde du saṃsāra. D’eux, Moi—le Seigneur divin—je suis rappelé par les sages comme Paśupati, le Maître des paśus.

Word by Word

• ātmānaḥ: souls/selves
• ātmānaḥ: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ātman (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), बहुवचन

• paśavaḥ: beasts/creatures (bound beings)
• paśavaḥ: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: paśu (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), बहुवचन

• proktāḥ: are declared/called
• proktāḥ: Kriya (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √vac (धातु)
• Form: भूतकृदन्त (क्त), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), बहुवचन; कर्मणि प्रयोगार्थ (passive sense): ‘have been called/said’

• sarve: all
• sarve: Visheshana (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: sarva (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), बहुवचन

• saṃsāra-vartinaḥ: dwelling in transmigration
• saṃsāra-vartinaḥ: Visheshana (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: saṃsāra (प्रातिपदिक) + vartin (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), बहुवचन; तत्पुरुष: ‘संसारे वर्तन्ते ये’ (those who abide in saṃsāra)

• teṣām: of them
• teṣām: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/षष्ठी)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tad (प्रातिपदिक/सर्वनाम)
• Form: षष्ठी (6th/genitive), बहुवचन

• patiḥ: lord/master
• patiḥ: Pratipādya/Predicate (विधेय)
• Type: Noun
• Root: pati (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन

• aham: I
• aham: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: asmad (प्रातिपदिक/सर्वनाम)
• Form: प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन

• devaḥ: the god
• devaḥ: Apposition (समानााधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: deva (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन

• smṛtaḥ: is known/remembered
• smṛtaḥ: Kriya (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √smṛ (धातु)
• Form: भूतकृदन्त (क्त), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; कर्मणि/भावे: ‘is remembered/considered’

• paśu-patiḥ: Lord of beings (Paśupati)
• paśu-patiḥ: Pratipādya/Predicate (विधेय)
• Type: Noun
• Root: paśu (प्रातिपदिक) + pati (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष: ‘पशूनां पतिः’

• budhaiḥ: by the wise
• budhaiḥ: Karana/Agent-in-passive (करण/कर्तृ-तृतीया)
• Type: Noun
• Root: budha (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/instrumental), बहुवचन

Speaker

Lord Kurma (Vishnu) teaching in the Ishvara Gita with Shaiva terminology (Paśupati)

Verse Rasa

Primary Rasa: shanta

Secondary Rasa: karuna

Characters & Entities

• Kurma
• Vishnu
• Shiva
• Pashupati
• Pashupata Yoga
• Atman
• Samsara

More Details (3 sections)

FAQs

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

It distinguishes the bound individual selves (jīvas) moving in saṃsāra from the supreme Lord who rules and liberates them; the Lord is identified as Paśupati, the sovereign of all embodied beings.

What Yoga or Meditative practices are highlighted here?

The verse frames the Pāśupata perspective underlying the Ishvara Gita: liberation comes through turning from saṃsāric bondage toward the Lord (Paśupati) via devotion, disciplined conduct, and contemplative knowledge of Ishvara as the master of the jīva.

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

Vishnu (as Lord Kurma) speaks using the Shaiva title “Paśupati,” expressing the Kurma Purana’s non-sectarian synthesis where the one Ishvara is praised through both Vaishnava and Shaiva names and functions.