Shloka 17

Mādhayameśvara-māhātmya — Vyāsa at Mandākinī and the Pāśupata Vision

Devanagari script

विसर्जयित्वा ताञ्छिष्यान् सुमन्तुप्रमुखांस्ततः / प्रोवाच तत्परं ज्ञानं योगिभ्यो योगवित्तमः

Transliteration

visarjayitvā tāñchiṣyān sumantupramukhāṃstataḥ / provāca tatparaṃ jñānaṃ yogibhyo yogavittamaḥ

Translation

ततः सुमन्तुप्रमुखान् शिष्यान् विसर्जयित्वा स योगवित्तमः । योगिभ्यः परमं ज्ञानं तत्परं सम्यगब्रवीत् ॥

Word by Word

• विसर्जयित्वा: having dismissed/sent away
• विसर्जयित्वा: Kriyāviśeṣaṇa (क्रियाविशेषणम्)
• Type: Verb
• Root: वि-√सृज् (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त (Absolutive/gerund), पूर्वकालिक क्रिया; उपसर्ग: वि-

• तान्: those
• तान्: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Accusative (2nd/द्वितीया), Plural (बहुवचन)

• शिष्यान्: disciples
• शिष्यान्: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शिष्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Accusative (2nd/द्वितीया), Plural (बहुवचन)

• सुमन्तु-प्रमुखान्: having Sumantu as the foremost (i.e., headed by Sumantu)
• सुमन्तु-प्रमुखान्: Viśeṣaṇa of शिष्यान् (विशेषणम्)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सुमन्तु (प्रातिपदिक) + प्रमुख (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Accusative (2nd/द्वितीया), Plural; समास: सुमन्तुः प्रमुखः येषां ते (सुमन्तुप्रमुखाः)

• ततः: then/thereafter
• ततः: Kāla/Anantarya (काल/अनन्तर्य)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ततः (अव्यय-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Avyaya; adverb (क्रियाविशेषण) of sequence

• प्रोवाच: said/spoke
• प्रोवाच: Kriyā (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: प्र-√वच् (धातु)
• Form: लिट् (Perfect/परोक्षभूत), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन (singular); उपसर्ग: प्र-

• तत्-परम्: supreme/that highest
• तत्-परम्: Viśeṣaṇa of ज्ञानम् (विशेषणम्)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक) + पर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Neuter, Accusative (2nd), Singular; समास: तस्मिन् परम् (that-supreme/that-oriented)

• ज्ञानम्: knowledge
• ज्ञानम्: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ज्ञान (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Neuter, Accusative (2nd/द्वितीया), Singular (एकवचन)

• योगिभ्यः: to the yogins
• योगिभ्यः: Sampradāna (सम्प्रदान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: योगिन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Dative (4th/चतुर्थी), Plural (बहुवचन)

• योग-वित्तमः: the best knower of yoga
• योग-वित्तमः: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: योग (प्रातिपदिक) + वित्तम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Nominative (1st/प्रथमा), Singular; समास: योगं वेत्ति इति (yoga-knower); वित्तमः = superlative sense ‘best’

Speaker

Narrator (Purāṇic narrator describing the sage’s transmission of knowledge within the Kurma Purana’s teaching lineage)

Verse Rasa

Primary Rasa: shanta

Secondary Rasa: adbhuta

Characters & Entities

• Sumantu
• Yogins

More Details (3 sections)

FAQs

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

It frames liberation-oriented teaching as “para-jñāna”—knowledge oriented to the Supreme Reality (That/Iśvara), indicating that realization is transmitted as highest wisdom beyond ordinary instruction.

What Yoga or Meditative practices are highlighted here?

The verse emphasizes qualified transmission: the “foremost knower of Yoga” teaches “to the yogins,” implying disciplined practitioners receive the highest instruction—typically integrating yogic restraint, contemplation, and God-centered (Īśvara-oriented) knowledge in the Kurma Purana’s synthesis.

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

While not naming Śiva or Viṣṇu directly, the verse reflects the Purāṇa’s non-sectarian pedagogy: supreme knowledge (para-jñāna) is taught as a Yoga-centered path accessible within the text’s broader Śaiva–Vaiṣṇava harmonization.