Shloka 9

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

Devanagari script

पुंसो ऽभूदन्यया भूतिरन्यया तत्तिरोहितम् / अनादिमध्यं तिष्ठन्तं युज्यते ऽविद्यया किल

Transliteration

puṃso 'bhūdanyayā bhūtiranyayā tattirohitam / anādimadhyaṃ tiṣṭhantaṃ yujyate 'vidyayā kila

Translation

പുരുഷനിൽ ഒരു വിധത്തിൽ ഭവഭൂതി (സംസാരഭാവം) ഉദിക്കുന്നു; മറ്റൊരു വിധത്തിൽ ആ തത്ത്വം മറഞ്ഞുപോകുന്നു. അനാദിയും അമധ്യവും ആയി നിലകൊള്ളുന്നതായിട്ടും, അത് അവിദ്യയാൽ ബന്ധിക്കപ്പെട്ടതുപോലെ തോന്നുന്നു.

Word by Word

• puṃsaḥ: of the person (puruṣa)
• puṃsaḥ: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/षष्ठी)
• Type: Noun
• Root: pumān (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Genitive (षष्ठी/6), Singular (एकवचन)

• abhūt: arose, became
• abhūt: Kriyā (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √bhū (धातु)
• Form: Luṅ-lakāra (लुङ्/Aorist), Parasmaipada (परस्मैपद), 3rd person (प्रथमपुरुष), Singular (एकवचन)

• anyayā: by another (power)
• anyayā: Karaṇa (करण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: anya (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Feminine, Instrumental (तृतीया/3), Singular (एकवचन)

• bhūtiḥ: manifestation, becoming
• bhūtiḥ: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: bhūti (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Feminine, Nominative (प्रथमा/1), Singular (एकवचन)

• anyayā: by another (power)
• anyayā: Karaṇa (करण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: anya (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Feminine, Instrumental (तृतीया/3), Singular (एकवचन)

• tat: that (reality)
• tat: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Neuter, Nominative/Accusative (प्रथमा/1 or द्वितीया/2), Singular (एकवचन); object with passive participle

• tirohitam: concealed, obscured
• tirohitam: Karma-samānādhikaraṇa (कर्मसमानाधिकरण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: tirah-√dhā (धातु) + kta (कृत् प्रत्यय)
• Form: Past passive participle (क्त/PPP); Neuter, Nominative/Accusative (प्रथमा/1 or द्वितीया/2), Singular (एकवचन); predicate of tat

• anādi-madhyam: having no beginning but having a middle
• anādi-madhyam: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: anādi (प्रातिपदिक) + madhya (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Neuter, Accusative (द्वितीया/2), Singular (एकवचन); qualifying (implicit) tat / the abiding reality

• tiṣṭhantam: standing, abiding
• tiṣṭhantam: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: √sthā (धातु) + śatṛ (शतृ)
• Form: Present active participle (शतृ); Neuter, Accusative (द्वितीया/2), Singular (एकवचन); qualifying tat

• yujyate: is joined, is bound
• yujyate: Kriyā (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √yuj (धातु)
• Form: Laṭ-lakāra (लट्/Present), Ātmanepada (आत्मनेपद), 3rd person (प्रथमपुरुष), Singular (एकवचन); passive sense 'is yoked/connected'

• avidyayā: by ignorance
• avidyayā: Karaṇa (करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: avidyā (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Feminine, Instrumental (तृतीया/3), Singular (एकवचन)

• kila: indeed, as is said
• kila: Sambandha-bodhaka (सम्बन्धबोधक)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: kila (अव्यय)
• Form: Particle (निपात) indicating report/emphasis

Speaker

Lord Kurma (Vishnu) teaching in the Ishvara Gita context

Verse Rasa

Primary Rasa: karuna

Secondary Rasa: shanta

Characters & Entities

• Avidya
• Atman
• Ishvara (implied)
• Purusha (pumsa)

More Details (3 sections)

FAQs

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

It presents the Self as ever-abiding and not truly changing, yet appearing as worldly “becoming” when veiled—its apparent bondage is due to avidyā, not to any real alteration in the Atman.

What Yoga or Meditative practices are highlighted here?

The verse points to the core yogic task: removing avidyā through discriminative knowledge (viveka) and contemplative steadiness, so the abiding Self is recognized beyond veiling and misidentification.

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

While not naming them directly, it reflects the Ishvara Gita’s shared Shaiva–Vaishnava non-dual standpoint: the one Lord/Self appears bound only through ignorance, a teaching compatible with both Shiva-centric Pashupata yoga language and Vishnu’s instruction as Kurma.