Shloka 12

The True Liṅga as Formless Brahman — Self-Luminous Īśa and the Yoga of Liberation

Devanagari script

तस्मादनादिमध्यान्तं वस्त्वेकं परमं शिवम् / स ईश्वरो महादेवस्तं विज्ञाय विमुच्यते

Transliteration

tasmādanādimadhyāntaṃ vastvekaṃ paramaṃ śivam / sa īśvaro mahādevastaṃ vijñāya vimucyate

Translation

ಆದ್ದರಿಂದ ಆದಿ-ಮಧ್ಯ-ಅಂತವಿಲ್ಲದ ಏಕ ಪರಮ ತತ್ತ್ವವಾದ ಪರಮಶಿವನನ್ನು ತಿಳಿ. ಅವನೇ ಈಶ್ವರ, ಮಹಾದೇವ; ಅವನನ್ನು ಅರಿತರೆ ಮುಕ್ತಿ ದೊರೆಯುತ್ತದೆ.

Word by Word

• तस्मात्: therefore; from that
• तस्मात्: Hetu/Apādāna (हेतु/अपादान)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्यय (Avyaya); तस्मात् = तद्-शब्दस्य पञ्चमी-एकवचनरूपात् निपातवत् प्रयोगः; ‘therefore/from that’ (ablatival adverb)

• अनादि-मध्य-अन्तम्: (that which is) without beginning, (yet) having middle and end / beginning–middle–end (as a triad)
• अनादि-मध्य-अन्तम्: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अनादि + मध्य + अन्त (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/द्वितीया), एकवचन; विशेषणम्; समाहार-द्वन्द्वः (collective dvandva) ‘beginning-middle-end’ with negation by अनादि

• वस्तु: reality; entity
• वस्तु: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वस्तु (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/द्वितीया), एकवचन

• एकम्: one; single
• एकम्: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: एक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन; विशेषणम् (qualifier of वस्तु)

• परमम्: supreme
• परमम्: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: परम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन; विशेषणम् (of वस्तु/शिवम्)

• शिवम्: Śiva
• शिवम्: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शिव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग (देवता-नाम), द्वितीया, एकवचन

• सः: he; that (one)
• सः: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा), एकवचन; सर्वनाम

• ईश्वरः: the Lord
• ईश्वरः: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ईश्वर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; विधेय (predicate nominative)

• महादेवः: Mahādeva (the great god)
• महादेवः: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: महा + देव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; कर्मधारयः (महान् देवः)

• तम्: him; that
• तम्: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन; सर्वनाम (refers to Śiva/Lord)

• विज्ञाय: having realized
• विज्ञाय: Kriyāviśeṣaṇa (क्रियाविशेषण; पूर्वकाल)
• Type: Verb
• Root: वि + ज्ञा (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त (absolutive/gerund, कृदन्त); ‘having known/realized’

• विमुच्यते: is liberated
• विमुच्यते: Kriyā (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: वि + मुच् (धातु)
• Form: लट् (Present), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd), एकवचन; आत्मनेपद; कर्मणि/भावे प्रयोगः (passive/impersonal sense): ‘is released’

Speaker

Lord Kurma (Vishnu) teaching in the Ishvara Gita (Shaiva-Vaishnava synthesis)

Verse Rasa

Primary Rasa: shanta

Secondary Rasa: vira

Characters & Entities

• Shiva
• Ishvara
• Mahadeva
• Paramashiva

More Details (3 sections)

FAQs

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

It presents the Supreme as one Reality beyond temporal divisions—without beginning, middle, or end—implying an eternal, non-dual principle to be realized directly rather than merely believed.

What Yoga or Meditative practices are highlighted here?

The verse emphasizes vijñāna (direct realization) as the liberating factor—aligned with Ishvara Gita’s Pashupata-oriented discipline where contemplation on the one Ishvara culminates in experiential knowledge that dissolves bondage.

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

Within the Ishvara Gita setting, Vishnu (as Lord Kurma) instructs seekers to realize the Supreme as Shiva (Ishvara, Mahadeva), expressing the Purana’s integrative view that the highest Lord is one, approached through complementary names and forms.