Shloka 18
Īśvara-gītā: Vibhūtis of the Supreme Lord and the Paśu–Paśupati Doctrine of Bondage and Release
आत्मानः पशवः प्रोक्ताः सर्वे संसारवर्तिनः / तेषां पतिरहं देवः स्मृतः पशुपतिर्बुधैः
ātmānaḥ paśavaḥ proktāḥ sarve saṃsāravartinaḥ / teṣāṃ patirahaṃ devaḥ smṛtaḥ paśupatirbudhaiḥ
Semua diri individu disebut “paśu”, makhluk yang terikat dan beredar dalam roda saṃsāra. Bagi mereka, Aku—Tuhan Yang Ilahi—diingati oleh para bijaksana sebagai Paśupati, Penguasa para paśu.
Lord Kurma (Vishnu) teaching in the Ishvara Gita with Shaiva terminology (Paśupati)
Primary Rasa: shanta
Secondary Rasa: karuna
FAQs
It distinguishes the bound individual selves (jīvas) moving in saṃsāra from the supreme Lord who rules and liberates them; the Lord is identified as Paśupati, the sovereign of all embodied beings.
The verse frames the Pāśupata perspective underlying the Ishvara Gita: liberation comes through turning from saṃsāric bondage toward the Lord (Paśupati) via devotion, disciplined conduct, and contemplative knowledge of Ishvara as the master of the jīva.
Vishnu (as Lord Kurma) speaks using the Shaiva title “Paśupati,” expressing the Kurma Purana’s non-sectarian synthesis where the one Ishvara is praised through both Vaishnava and Shaiva names and functions.