Shloka 17

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

Devanagari script

अहं वै सर्वसंसारान्मोचको योगिनामिह / संसारहेतुरेवाहं सर्वसंसारवर्जितः

Transliteration

ahaṃ vai sarvasaṃsārānmocako yogināmiha / saṃsāraheturevāhaṃ sarvasaṃsāravarjitaḥ

Translation

ഇവിടെ യോഗികളെ സർവ്വ സംസാരബന്ധനങ്ങളിൽ നിന്ന് മോചിപ്പിക്കുന്നവൻ ഞാനേ. സംസാരത്തിന്റെ കാരണമെന്നു എന്നെ വിളിക്കുമെങ്കിലും—ഞാൻ സംസാരമൊട്ടാകെ അതീതനായി അശേഷം അലിപ്തൻ.

Word by Word

• अहम्: I
• अहम्: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अहम् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सर्वनाम; एकवचन, प्रथमा

• वै: indeed
• वै: Discourse particle (निपात)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: वै (अव्यय)
• Form: निपात (emphatic particle)

• सर्वसंसारात्: from all saṃsāra
• सर्वसंसारात्: Apadana (अपादान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सर्व + संसार (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; पञ्चमी (5th case, ablative), एकवचन; समासः—कर्मधारयः (‘सर्वः संसारः’); अपादान

• मोचकः: liberator
• मोचकः: Karta/Predicate (कर्ता/विधेय)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मुच् (धातु) + ण्वुल्/क (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: कर्तृवाचक नाम (agent noun); पुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा, एकवचन; विधेय

• योगिनाम्: of yogins
• योगिनाम्: Sambandha (षष्ठी-सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: योगिन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; षष्ठी, बहुवचन

• इह: here (in this world)
• इह: Adhikarana (अधिकरण-अव्यय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: इह (अव्यय)
• Form: देश/कालवाचक अव्यय (adverb)

• संसारहेतुः: cause of saṃsāra
• संसारहेतुः: Karta/Predicate (कर्ता/विधेय)
• Type: Noun
• Root: संसार + हेतु (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा, एकवचन; समासः—षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (‘संसारस्य हेतुः’); विधेय

• एव: indeed
• एव: Discourse particle (निपात)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एव (अव्यय)
• Form: निपात (emphasis)

• अहम्: I
• अहम्: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अहम् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सर्वनाम; एकवचन, प्रथमा

• सर्वसंसारवर्जितः: free from all saṃsāra
• सर्वसंसारवर्जितः: Karta/Predicate qualifier (विधेय-विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सर्व + संसार + वर्जित (प्रातिपदिक; √वर्ज् + क्त)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा, एकवचन; समासः—तत्पुरुषः (‘सर्वसंसारेण वर्जितः’/‘सर्वसंसारात् वर्जितः’ = free from all saṃsāra); विधेय-विशेषण अहम् प्रति

Speaker

Lord Kurma (Vishnu/Ishvara) teaching the nature of the Supreme in a yoga-philosophical register

Verse Rasa

Primary Rasa: shanta

Secondary Rasa: adbhuta

Characters & Entities

• Ishvara
• Yogins
• Samsara

More Details (3 sections)

FAQs

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

It presents Ishvara as simultaneously the liberator (granting moksha to yogins) and the cosmic cause attributed with saṃsāra, while remaining intrinsically untouched—pointing to a transcendent Self that is immanent in causality yet free from bondage.

What Yoga or Meditative practices are highlighted here?

The verse centers the yogin’s aim: release from saṃsāra through turning to Ishvara. In Kurma Purana’s yoga idiom, this aligns with disciplined meditation and devotion to the Lord as the freeing principle—i.e., liberation is achieved by God-realization rather than by worldly action alone.

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

Though Kurma speaks as Vishnu, the doctrine—one Supreme who is both cause and liberator, yet untouched—matches the Purana’s synthetic theology often expressed in Shaiva terms (Ishvara/Pashupati). It supports a non-sectarian, non-dual framing where the same Ishvara is praised through both Vaishnava and Shaiva vocabularies.