Shloka 83

Cosmic Manifestation, Mahāmāyā’s Mandate, Varṇāśrama-Dharma, and the Unity of the Trimūrti

Devanagari script

योगी च त्रिविधो ज्ञेयो भौतिकः सांख्य एव च / तृतीयोत्याश्रमी प्रोक्ती योगमुत्तममास्थितः

Transliteration

yogī ca trividho jñeyo bhautikaḥ sāṃkhya eva ca / tṛtīyotyāśramī proktī yogamuttamamāsthitaḥ

Translation

യോഗിയും മൂന്നു തരമെന്നു അറിയണം—ഭൗതികൻ (സാംസാരികൻ), സാംഖ്യമുഖി, മൂന്നാമൻ ‘അത്യാശ്രമീ’. ഈ മൂന്നാമൻ ഉത്തമയോഗത്തിൽ സ്ഥാപിതനെന്നു പ്രസ്താവിക്കുന്നു.

Word by Word

• योगी: the yogin
• योगी: कर्ता (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: योगिन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• च: and
• च: सम्बन्धसूचक (Connector)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; समुच्चय (conjunction)

• त्रिविधः: threefold
• त्रिविधः: विशेषण (Adjectival qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: त्रि-विध (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; द्विगुः—त्रयः विधाः यस्य सः

• ज्ञेयः: is to be known
• ज्ञेयः: विधेय (Predicative)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: ज्ञा (धातु) + य (कृदन्त-प्रत्यय)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; कृदन्तः—तव्यत्/यत्-प्रत्ययार्थ ‘to be known’ (gerundive)

• भौतिकः: material/pertaining to elements
• भौतिकः: प्रत्यय/विशेष्य (Predicate class)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: भौतिक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• सांख्यः: Sāṃkhya (type)
• सांख्यः: प्रत्यय/विशेष्य (Predicate class)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सांख्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• एव: indeed
• एव: सम्बन्धसूचक (Emphasis)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एव (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; अवधारण

• च: and
• च: सम्बन्धसूचक (Connector)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; समुच्चय

• तृतीयः: the third
• तृतीयः: प्रत्यय/विशेष्य (Predicate class)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: तृतीय (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• उत्: also/further
• उत्: सम्बन्धसूचक (Particle)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: उत् (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; निपात (particle)

• आश्रमी: the āśrama-based (ascetic)
• आश्रमी: प्रत्यय/विशेष्य (Predicate class)
• Type: Noun
• Root: आश्रमिन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; ‘आश्रम-सम्बन्धी’

• प्रोक्तः: is said (to be)
• प्रोक्तः: विधेय (Predicative)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: प्र-वच् (धातु) + क्त (कृदन्त)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; भूतकृदन्त (past passive participle)

• योगम्: yoga
• योगम्: कर्म (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: योग (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन

• उत्तमम्: supreme
• उत्तमम्: विशेषण (Qualifier of object)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: उत्तम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन; योगम् इति विशेषणम्

• आस्थितः: having undertaken / established in
• आस्थितः: विशेषण (Adjectival qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: आ-स्था (धातु) + क्त (कृदन्त)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; भूतकृदन्त (past active/PPP in sense ‘having undertaken’)

Speaker

Lord Kurma (Vishnu) teaching in the Ishvara Gita stream

Verse Rasa

Primary Rasa: shanta

Secondary Rasa: adbhuta

Characters & Entities

• Kurma
• Yoga
• Sankhya
• Ashrama

More Details (3 sections)

FAQs

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

By ranking the atyāśramī as established in the “highest Yoga,” the verse implies that supreme realization is not merely ritual or analytical knowledge, but direct establishment in liberating yogic absorption where the Self is known beyond social identity and life-stage.

What Yoga or Meditative practices are highlighted here?

The verse highlights a hierarchy of yogic orientations: material-result yoga (bhautika), discriminative contemplative discipline akin to Sāṃkhya (viveka-based), and the transcendent atyāśramī path—suggesting the Kurma Purana’s preference for renunciant, inward, highest-yoga establishment aligned with Pāśupata-style liberation aims.

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

While not naming Shiva explicitly, the teaching reflects the Kurma Purana’s synthetic approach: the “highest Yoga” and transcending āśrama markers resonates with Śaiva-Pāśupata ideals while being spoken by Vishnu as Kurma—presenting a shared, non-sectarian soteriology.