Shloka 24

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

Devanagari script

ध्यानेन मां प्रपश्यन्ति केचिज्ज्ञानेन चापरे / अपरे भक्तियोगेन कर्मयोगेन चापरे

Transliteration

dhyānena māṃ prapaśyanti kecijjñānena cāpare / apare bhaktiyogena karmayogena cāpare

Translation

Sebagian memandang-Ku melalui meditasi; sebagian melalui pengetahuan pembedaan. Yang lain melalui yoga bhakti, dan yang lain lagi melalui yoga tindakan (karma).

Word by Word

• ध्यानेन: by meditation
• ध्यानेन: Karana (करण/Instrument)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ध्यान (ध्यान-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग; तृतीया (Instrumental), एकवचन

• माम्: me
• माम्: Karma (कर्म/Object)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अस्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सर्वनाम; द्वितीया (Accusative), एकवचन

• प्रपश्यन्ति: behold clearly
• प्रपश्यन्ति: Kriya (क्रिया/Verb)
• Type: Verb
• Root: प्र-√पश् (धातु √पश् with प्र-)
• Form: लट्-लकार (Present), परस्मैपद; प्रथमपुरुष, बहुवचन

• केचित्: some (people)
• केचित्: Karta (कर्ता/Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: क (किम्-प्रातिपदिक) + चित् (अव्यय-प्रत्यय)
• Form: अनिश्चित-सर्वनाम (indefinite pronoun); पुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा, बहुवचन (some)

• ज्ञानेन: by knowledge
• ज्ञानेन: Karana (करण/Instrument)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ज्ञान (ज्ञान-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग; तृतीया, एकवचन

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

• अपरे: others
• अपरे: Karta (कर्ता/Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अपर (अपर-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा, बहुवचन (others)

• अपरे: others
• अपरे: Karta (कर्ता/Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अपर (अपर-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा, बहुवचन (others)

• भक्ति-योगेन: by the yoga of devotion
• भक्ति-योगेन: Karana (करण/Instrument)
• Type: Noun
• Root: भक्ति (भक्ति-प्रातिपदिक) + योग (योग-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; तृतीया, एकवचन; समासः तत्पुरुषः (devotion-yoga)

• कर्म-योगेन: by the yoga of action
• कर्म-योगेन: Karana (करण/Instrument)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कर्म (कर्म-प्रातिपदिक) + योग (योग-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; तृतीया, एकवचन; समासः तत्पुरुषः (action-yoga)

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

• अपरे: others
• अपरे: Karta (कर्ता/Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अपर (अपर-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा, बहुवचन (others)

Speaker

Lord Kurma (Vishnu) teaching seekers the recognized yogic approaches to realizing Ishvara

Verse Rasa

Primary Rasa: shanta

Secondary Rasa: adbhuta

Characters & Entities

• Lord Kurma
• Vishnu
• Ishvara

More Details (3 sections)

FAQs

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

It presents the Supreme Lord as directly realizable—“seen” or known—not merely believed in, and accessible through multiple valid disciplines (dhyāna, jñāna, bhakti, karma), implying a single Reality approached by differing temperaments.

What Yoga or Meditative practices are highlighted here?

The verse explicitly names dhyāna-yoga (contemplative absorption), jñāna (discriminative insight into Reality), bhakti-yoga (devotional surrender and worship), and karma-yoga (selfless performance of duty as an offering), aligning with Purāṇic yoga-shāstra frameworks.

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

Though Vishnu (as Kurma) speaks, the teaching is ecumenical: realization of the one Ishvara is possible through diverse yogas, a hallmark of the Kurma Purana’s synthetic approach often harmonizing sectarian paths (including Shaiva-Pashupata and Vaishnava devotion) under one Supreme Reality.