Shloka 32
Īśvara-gītā: Vibhūtis of the Supreme Lord and the Paśu–Paśupati Doctrine of Bondage and Release
स एव बन्धः स च बन्धकर्ता स एव पाशः पशवः स एव / स वेद सर्वं न च तस्य वेत्ता तमाहुरग्र्यं पुरुषं पुराणम्
sa eva bandhaḥ sa ca bandhakartā sa eva pāśaḥ paśavaḥ sa eva / sa veda sarvaṃ na ca tasya vettā tamāhuragryaṃ puruṣaṃ purāṇam
അവൻ തന്നെയാണ് ബന്ധനം, അവൻ തന്നെയാണ് ബന്ധനകർത്താവും. അവൻ തന്നെയാണ് പാശം, അവൻ തന്നെയാണ് പശു (ബന്ധിത ജീവൻ) കൂടെ. അവൻ എല്ലാം അറിയുന്നു; എന്നാൽ അവനെ അറിയുന്നവൻ ആരുമില്ല; അതുകൊണ്ട് ജ്ഞാനികൾ അവനെ അഗ്ര്യൻ, പുരാതന പുരുഷൻ എന്നു പറയുന്നു.
Lord Kurma (Vishnu) instructing King Indradyumna (Ishvara Gita context)
Primary Rasa: adbhuta
Secondary Rasa: shanta
FAQs
It presents the Supreme as the ultimate reality behind both the bound condition and the bound being: He is the bondage (bandha), the noose (pāśa), and even the paśu (individual soul), while remaining the incomparable knower whom none can fully objectify.
The verse supports Ishvara-centered contemplation used in the Ishvara Gita: meditating on the Lord as the inner controller of all states (bondage and freedom) cultivates detachment (vairāgya) and surrender (īśvara-praṇidhāna), foundational to Pashupata-oriented liberation teachings in the Kurma Purana.
By describing one Supreme Person as the all-encompassing Lord beyond any rival knower, it aligns with the Kurma Purana’s synthesis where the highest Ishvara can be praised in Shaiva vocabulary (pāśa-paśu) while being taught by Vishnu as Kurma—pointing to a unified, non-sectarian supremacy.