Shloka 10

Īśvara-gītā: Antaryāmin, Kāla, and the Divine Ordinance Governing Creation, Preservation, and Pralaya

Devanagari script

यो हि सर्वजगत्साक्षी कालचक्रप्रवर्तकः / हिरण्यगर्भो मार्तण्डः सो ऽपि मद्देहसंभवः

Transliteration

yo hi sarvajagatsākṣī kālacakrapravartakaḥ / hiraṇyagarbho mārtaṇḍaḥ so 'pi maddehasaṃbhavaḥ

Translation

ਜੋ ਸਾਰੇ ਜਗਤ ਦਾ ਸਾਕਸ਼ੀ ਅਤੇ ਕਾਲ-ਚੱਕਰ ਦਾ ਪ੍ਰਵਰਤਕ ਹੈ—ਹਿਰਣ੍ਯਗਰਭ ਅਤੇ ਮਾਰਤੰਡ (ਸੂਰਜ) ਵੀ—ਉਹ ਵੀ ਮੇਰੇ ਹੀ ਦੇਹ ਤੋਂ ਉਤਪੰਨ ਹੈ।

Word by Word

• यः: who
• यः: कर्ता (Kartā/Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुल्लिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन (Nom. sg.)

• हि: indeed/for
• हि: निपात (Particle)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: हि (अव्यय)
• Form: निपात (particle) हेतौ/निश्चये (for/indeed)

• सर्व-जगत्-साक्षी: witness of all the worlds
• सर्व-जगत्-साक्षी: सम्बन्ध/विशेषण (Predicate nominative of यः)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सर्व (प्रातिपदिक) + जगत् (प्रातिपदिक) + साक्षिन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तत्पुरुषसमास: “सर्वजगतः साक्षी” (witness of all the world); पुल्लिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन (Nom. sg.)

• काल-चक्र-प्रवर्तकः: initiator of the wheel of time
• काल-चक्र-प्रवर्तकः: सम्बन्ध/विशेषण (Predicate nominative)
• Type: Noun
• Root: काल (प्रातिपदिक) + चक्र (प्रातिपदिक) + प्रवर्तक (प्रातिपदिक; √वृत् with प्र-)
• Form: तत्पुरुषसमास: “कालचक्रस्य प्रवर्तकः” (one who sets the wheel of time in motion); पुल्लिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• हिरण्यगर्भः: Hiraṇyagarbha
• हिरण्यगर्भः: सम्बन्ध/विशेषण (Apposition)
• Type: Noun
• Root: हिरण्य + गर्भ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तत्पुरुषसमास (कर्मधारय-प्राय): “हिरण्यः गर्भः यस्य/हिरण्यगर्भः”; पुल्लिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• मार्तण्डः: Mārtaṇḍa (Sun)
• मार्तण्डः: सम्बन्ध/विशेषण (Apposition)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मार्तण्ड (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुल्लिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• सः: he
• सः: कर्ता (Kartā/Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुल्लिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• अपि: also
• अपि: निपात (Particle)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अपि (अव्यय)
• Form: निपात (particle) समुच्चये/अपि-भावे (also/even)

• मत्-देह-सम्भवः: born from my body
• मत्-देह-सम्भवः: विशेषण (Predicate adjective of सः)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: मत् (अस्मद्-षष्ठी-एकवचनार्थक, प्रातिपदिक-रूप) + देह (प्रातिपदिक) + सम्भव (प्रातिपदिक; सम्+√भू)
• Form: तत्पुरुषसमास: “मम देहात् सम्भवः” (born from my body); पुल्लिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

Speaker

Lord Kurma (Vishnu/Narayana) speaking in a Shaiva-Vaishnava synthesis frame

Verse Rasa

Primary Rasa: adbhuta

Secondary Rasa: vira

Characters & Entities

• Hiranyagarbha
• Martanda
• Kala (Time)

More Details (4 sections)

FAQs

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

It presents the Supreme as sarvajagat-sākṣī, the universal Witness, from whom even cosmic functions like creation (Hiraṇyagarbha) and illumination/time-order (Mārtaṇḍa) proceed—implying a transcendent Self that is both immanent and causative.

What Yoga or Meditative practices are highlighted here?

The verse supports sākṣī-bhāva (witness-consciousness) as a contemplative stance: meditation that rests in observing Time, mind, and world as movements within the Lord’s power, aligning with Purāṇic Yoga and later Ishvara-centered disciplines emphasized in the Kurma tradition.

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

By asserting a single supreme source behind cosmic offices (creator and sun/time), the verse aligns with the Kurma Purana’s non-sectarian synthesis where ultimate reality is one, expressed through multiple divine forms honored in both Shaiva and Vaishnava registers.