Shloka 18

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

Devanagari script

एको देवः सर्वभूतेषु गूढः सर्वव्यापी सर्वभूतान्तरात्मा / तमेवैकं ये ऽनुपश्यन्ति धीरास् तेषां शान्तिः शाश्वती नेतरेषाम्

Transliteration

eko devaḥ sarvabhūteṣu gūḍhaḥ sarvavyāpī sarvabhūtāntarātmā / tamevaikaṃ ye 'nupaśyanti dhīrās teṣāṃ śāntiḥ śāśvatī netareṣām

Translation

ഏകനായ ദേവൻ എല്ലാ ജീവികളിലും ഗൂഢനായി നിലകൊള്ളുന്നു—സർവ്വവ്യാപി, സർവ്വഭൂതങ്ങളുടെ അന്തരാത്മാവ്. ആ ഒരുവനെയേ നേരിട്ട് കാണുന്ന ധീരർക്കു ശാശ്വത ശാന്തി; മറ്റുള്ളവർക്ക് അല്ല।

Word by Word

• ekaḥ: one
• ekaḥ: Viśeṣaṇa (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: eka (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine (पुंलिङ्ग), Nominative (प्रथमा/1), Singular (एकवचन)

• devaḥ: God
• devaḥ: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: deva (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine (पुंलिङ्ग), Nominative (प्रथमा/1), Singular (एकवचन)

• sarvabhūteṣu: in all beings
• sarvabhūteṣu: Adhikaraṇa (अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: sarva + bhūta (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Neuter (नपुंसकलिङ्ग), Locative (सप्तमी/7), Plural (बहुवचन); tatpuruṣa: ‘in all beings’

• gūḍhaḥ: hidden
• gūḍhaḥ: Viśeṣaṇa (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: gūḍha (प्रातिपदिक; √guh kta)
• Form: Past passive participle (क्त), Masculine (पुंलिङ्ग), Nominative (प्रथमा/1), Singular (एकवचन)

• sarvavyāpī: all-pervading
• sarvavyāpī: Viśeṣaṇa (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: sarva + vyāpin (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine (पुंलिङ्ग), Nominative (प्रथमा/1), Singular (एकवचन); tatpuruṣa: ‘all-pervading’

• sarvabhūtāntarātmā: the inner Self of all beings
• sarvabhūtāntarātmā: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: sarva + bhūta + antara + ātman (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine (पुंलिङ्ग), Nominative (प्रथमा/1), Singular (एकवचन); tatpuruṣa: ‘inner self of all beings’

• tam: him/that
• tam: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tad (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Pronoun (सर्वनाम), Masculine (पुंलिङ्ग), Accusative (द्वितीया/2), Singular (एकवचन)

• eva: indeed/only
• eva: Sambandha/Emphasis (निपात)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: eva (अव्यय-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Avyaya (अव्यय), particle (निपात): emphasis ‘indeed/only’

• ekam: one
• ekam: Viśeṣaṇa (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: eka (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine (पुंलिङ्ग), Accusative (द्वितीया/2), Singular (एकवचन)

• ye: who
• ye: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: yad (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Relative pronoun (यद्), Masculine (पुंलिङ्ग), Nominative (प्रथमा/1), Plural (बहुवचन)

• anupaśyanti: perceive/see (after, within)
• anupaśyanti: Kriyā (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: anu-√paś (दृश्) (धातु)
• Form: Laṭ-lakāra (लट्, present), Parasmaipada (परस्मैपद), 3rd person (प्रथमपुरुष), plural (बहुवचन); with upasarga ‘anu-’

• dhīrāḥ: the wise
• dhīrāḥ: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: dhīra (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine (पुंलिङ्ग), Nominative (प्रथमा/1), Plural (बहुवचन)

• teṣām: of them
• teṣām: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tad (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Pronoun (सर्वनाम), Masculine/Neuter, Genitive (षष्ठी/6), Plural (बहुवचन)

• śāntiḥ: peace
• śāntiḥ: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: śānti (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Feminine (स्त्रीलिङ्ग), Nominative (प्रथमा/1), Singular (एकवचन)

• śāśvatī: eternal
• śāśvatī: Viśeṣaṇa (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: śāśvatī (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Feminine (स्त्रीलिङ्ग), Nominative (प्रथमा/1), Singular (एकवचन); agrees with śāntiḥ

• na: not
• na: Pratiṣedha (प्रतिषेध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: na (अव्यय)
• Form: Avyaya (अव्यय), negation particle (निषेध-निपात)

• itareṣām: of others
• itareṣām: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: itara (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine/Neuter, Genitive (षष्ठी/6), Plural (बहुवचन)

Speaker

Lord Kurma (Vishnu) teaching the Ishvara Gita to King Indradyumna and sages

Verse Rasa

Primary Rasa: shanta

Secondary Rasa: adbhuta

Characters & Entities

• Ishvara (Supreme Lord)
• Antaratman (Inner Self/Antaryamin)

More Details (4 sections)

FAQs

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

It teaches that the Supreme Lord is the Antaryāmin—subtly hidden within every being as the inner Self—yet also all-pervading; realization comes through direct inner seeing, not mere external worship or argument.

What Yoga or Meditative practices are highlighted here?

The verse points to inward contemplation (anupaśyanti)—a meditative, discriminative seeing aligned with Pāśupata-style discipline: steadiness of mind (dhīra), withdrawal from sensory fixation, and sustained insight into the indwelling Lord.

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

By emphasizing a single all-pervading Ishvara as the inner Self of all, it supports the Kurma Purana’s synthetic theology where sectarian difference yields to one Supreme Reality (Ishvara) accessible through yogic realization.