Shloka 13

Iśvara on Māyā, the Unmanifest, and the Viśvarūpa of the One Supreme

Devanagari script

वेदाहमेतं पुरुषं महान्त- मादित्यवर्णं तमसः परस्तात् / तद् विज्ञाय परिमुच्येत विद्वान् नित्यानन्दी भवति ब्रह्मभूतः

Transliteration

vedāhametaṃ puruṣaṃ mahānta- mādityavarṇaṃ tamasaḥ parastāt / tad vijñāya parimucyeta vidvān nityānandī bhavati brahmabhūtaḥ

Translation

«ຂ້ອຍຮູ້ຈັກພຣະບຸລຸດຜູ້ຍິ່ງໃຫຍ່ສູງສຸດນັ້ນ ສະຫວ່າງດັ່ງດວງອາທິດ ເກີນພົ້ນຄວາມມືດແຫ່ງອະວິຊາ. ເມື່ອຮູ້ພຣະອົງແລ້ວ ຜູ້ຮູ້ຍ່ອມຫຼຸດພົ້ນສິ້ນເຊີງ; ເປັນພຣະພຣະຫມັນ ແລະຢູ່ໃນອານັນນິລັນດອນ»។

Word by Word

• veda: I know
• veda: Kriyā (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √vid (धातु)
• Form: Perfect (लिट्), 1st person (उत्तमपुरुष), Singular (एकवचन), Parasmaipada (परस्मैपद)

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

• etam: this
• etam: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: etad (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Pronoun/adjective (सर्वनाम-विशेषण), Masculine (पुंलिङ्ग), Accusative (2nd/द्वितीया), Singular (एकवचन)

• puruṣam: Person (Supreme Being)
• puruṣam: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: puruṣa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine (पुंलिङ्ग), Accusative (2nd/द्वितीया), Singular (एकवचन)

• mahāntam: great
• mahāntam: Viśeṣaṇa (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: mahant (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine (पुंलिङ्ग), Accusative (2nd/द्वितीया), Singular (एकवचन)

• āditya-varṇam: sun-colored, radiant like the sun
• āditya-varṇam: Viśeṣaṇa (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: āditya (प्रातिपदिक) + varṇa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Tatpuruṣa (तत्पुरुष) (ṣaṣṭhī/upanaya sense: 'having the color of the sun'); Masculine (पुंलिङ्ग), Accusative (2nd/द्वितीया), Singular (एकवचन)

• tamasaḥ: from darkness
• tamasaḥ: Apādāna (अपादान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tamas (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Neuter (नपुंसकलिङ्ग), Ablative (5th/पञ्चमी), Singular (एकवचन)

• parastāt: beyond
• parastāt: Deśa-adhikaraṇa (देश-अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: parastāt (अव्यय)
• Form: Avyaya (अव्यय), adverb meaning 'beyond, on the farther side'

• tat: that
• tat: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tad (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Pronoun (सर्वनाम), Neuter (नपुंसकलिङ्ग), Accusative (2nd/द्वितीया), Singular (एकवचन)

• vijñāya: having known
• vijñāya: Kriyāviśeṣaṇa (क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: vi√jñā (धातु)
• Form: Absolutive/Gerund (क्त्वान्त), indeclinable

• parimucyeta: would be freed, is released
• parimucyeta: Kriyā (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: pari√muc (धातु)
• Form: Optative (विधिलिङ्), 3rd person (प्रथमपुरुष), Singular (एकवचन), Ātmanepada (आत्मनेपद)

• vidvān: the wise person
• vidvān: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: vidvas (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine (पुंलिङ्ग), Nominative (1st/प्रथमा), Singular (एकवचन)

• nitya-ānandī: ever-blissful
• nitya-ānandī: Kartṛ-samānādhikaraṇa (कर्तृ-समानााधिकरण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: nitya (प्रातिपदिक) + ānandin (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Karmadhāraya (कर्मधारय) 'ever-blissful'; Masculine (पुंलिङ्ग), Nominative (1st/प्रथमा), Singular (एकवचन)

• bhavati: becomes
• bhavati: Kriyā (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √bhū (धातु)
• Form: Present tense (लट्), 3rd person (प्रथमपुरुष), Singular (एकवचन), Parasmaipada (परस्मैपद)

• brahma-bhūtaḥ: become Brahman, Brahman-realized
• brahma-bhūtaḥ: Kartṛ-samānādhikaraṇa (कर्तृ-समानााधिकरण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: brahman (प्रातिपदिक) + bhūta (कृदन्त, √bhū)
• Form: Tatpuruṣa (तत्पुरुष) (upapada sense: 'become Brahman'); Masculine (पुंलिङ्ग), Nominative (1st/प्रथमा), Singular (एकवचन)

Speaker

Lord Kurma (Vishnu) teaching in the Ishvara Gita discourse

Verse Rasa

Primary Rasa: adbhuta

Secondary Rasa: shanta

Characters & Entities

• Purusha
• Brahman
• Aditya (Sun)

More Details (4 sections)

FAQs

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

It presents the Supreme as the Mahān Puruṣa—self-luminous like the sun and beyond tamas (ignorance). Realizing this Reality culminates in brahma-bhāva (abidance as Brahman), indicating a non-dual, transcendent Self.

What Yoga or Meditative practices are highlighted here?

The verse foregrounds vijñāna (direct realization) as the liberating means—classical Jñāna-Yoga supported by disciplined contemplation. In the Kurma Purana’s Pāśupata-leaning frame, such knowledge is stabilized through inner purification, devotion to Īśvara, and sustained meditative inquiry into the Supreme beyond darkness.

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

By emphasizing one Supreme Puruṣa/Brahman realized through Īśvara-knowledge, the verse aligns with the Kurma Purana’s synthetic theology: sectarian forms may differ, but liberation is grounded in realizing the single transcendent Lord—supporting a Shaiva–Vaishnava non-contradiction in the Ishvara Gita.