Shloka 26

Īśvara-gītā: Vibhūtis of the Supreme Lord and the Paśu–Paśupati Doctrine of Bondage and Release

Devanagari script

सत्त्वं रजस्तमश्चेति गुणत्रयमुदाहृतम् / साम्यावस्थितिमेतेषामव्यक्तं प्रकृतिं विदुः

Transliteration

sattvaṃ rajastamaśceti guṇatrayamudāhṛtam / sāmyāvasthitimeteṣāmavyaktaṃ prakṛtiṃ viduḥ

Translation

ସତ୍ତ୍ୱ, ରଜ, ତମ—ଏହି ତିନି ଗୁଣ ଘୋଷିତ। ଏମାନେ ସମତାରେ ଥିଲେ ସେ ଅବସ୍ଥା ‘ଅବ୍ୟକ୍ତ’; ଜ୍ଞାନୀମାନେ ତାକୁ ଆଦି ପ୍ରକୃତି ଭାବେ ଜାଣନ୍ତି।

Word by Word

• सत्त्वम्: sattva (purity)
• सत्त्वम्: Karta (कर्ता/Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सत्त्व (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन

• रजः: rajas (activity)
• रजः: Karta (कर्ता/Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: रजस् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन

• तमः: tamas (inertia)
• तमः: Karta (कर्ता/Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तमस् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/Connector)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; समुच्चय (conjunction)

• इति: thus
• इति: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/Quotative)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: इति (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; इत्यादि-निर्देशक/उद्धरण-चिह्न (quotative particle)

• गुणत्रयम्: the triad of guṇas
• गुणत्रयम्: Karta (कर्ता/Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: गुण + त्रय (प्रातिपदिक-द्वय)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष (गुणानां त्रयम् = triad of guṇas)

• उदाहृतम्: is declared
• उदाहृतम्: Karma (कर्म/Predicate of passive)
• Type: Verb
• Root: उद्-आ-हृ (धातु) + क्त (कृदन्त-प्रत्यय)
• Form: कृदन्त (past passive participle/क्त), नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; ‘उदाहृत’ = declared/said

• साम्य-अवस्थितिम्: the state of equilibrium
• साम्य-अवस्थितिम्: Karma (कर्म/Object)
• Type: Noun
• Root: साम्य + अवस्था/अवस्थिति (प्रातिपदिक-द्वय)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष (साम्यस्य अवस्थितिः = state of equilibrium)

• एतेषाम्: of these (guṇas)
• एतेषाम्: Shashthi-sambandha (षष्ठी-सम्बन्ध/Possessor)
• Type: Noun
• Root: एतद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: त्रिलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th/Genitive), बहुवचन; सर्वनाम (pronoun)

• अव्यक्तम्: the unmanifest
• अव्यक्तम्: Karma (कर्म/Object)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अव्यक्त (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन; कर्मपद (object complement)

• प्रकृतिम्: Prakṛti (nature)
• प्रकृतिम्: Karma (कर्म/Object)
• Type: Noun
• Root: प्रकृति (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन

• विदुः: they know/consider
• विदुः: Karta (कर्ता/Agent)
• Type: Verb
• Root: विद् (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार (Present), परस्मैपद, प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), बहुवचन

Speaker

Lord Kūrma (Vishnu) instructing sages (Sāṅkhya-oriented teaching in the Kurma Purana narrative frame)

Verse Rasa

Primary Rasa: shanta

Secondary Rasa: adbhuta

Characters & Entities

• Prakṛti
• Avyakta
• Guṇas (Sattva-Rajas-Tamas)

More Details (3 sections)

FAQs

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

By defining Prakṛti as the guṇa-equilibrium called avyakta, the verse implicitly distinguishes the Self as the knower beyond guṇas—Atman/Puruṣa is not the guṇas, but witnesses their balance and disturbance.

What Yoga or Meditative practices are highlighted here?

The verse supports guṇa-analysis used in Yoga: cultivating sattva and reducing rajas-tamas stabilizes the mind, making it fit for dhyāna and discriminative insight (viveka) between Puruṣa and Prakṛti—an underpinning for later Pāśupata-oriented discipline in the Kurma Purana.

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

Though the verse is Sāṅkhya terminology, its placement in the Kurma Purana’s integrated theology allows the same Prakṛti-doctrine to function under Īśvara’s governance—supporting the Purana’s non-sectarian Shaiva–Vaishnava synthesis where divine instruction (Kūrma/Vishnu) aligns with Śaiva-Yogic metaphysics.