Shloka 55

Īśvara-gītā (Adhyāya 2) — Ātma-svarūpa, Māyā, and the Unity of Sāṅkhya–Yoga

Devanagari script

नापुत्रशिष्ययोगिभ्यो दातव्यं ब्रह्मवादिभिः / मदुक्तमेतद् विज्ञानं सांख्ययोगसमाश्रयम्

Transliteration

nāputraśiṣyayogibhyo dātavyaṃ brahmavādibhiḥ / maduktametad vijñānaṃ sāṃkhyayogasamāśrayam

Translation

नापुत्रशिष्ययोगिभ्यो ब्रह्मवादिभिर्दातव्यं; मदुक्तमेतद् विज्ञानं सांख्ययोगसमाश्रयम्।

Word by Word

• न: not
• न: निषेध
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: न (अव्यय)
• Form: निषेध-निपात

• अपुत्रशिष्ययोगिभ्यः: to those who are without sons, disciples, (or) yogins
• अपुत्रशिष्ययोगिभ्यः: सम्प्रदान (Dative/recipient)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अ + पुत्र + शिष्य + योगिन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: समाहार-द्वन्द्व/इतर-द्वन्द्व-समास (पुत्र-शिष्य-योगिनः) नञ्-पूर्वक (without sons, disciples, yogins), पुंलिङ्ग, चतुर्थी (Dative/सम्प्रदान), बहुवचन; ‘दातव्यम्’ इत्यस्य निषेध-सम्प्रदान

• दातव्यम्: should be given
• दातव्यम्: विधेय (predicate of obligation)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √दा (धातु) + तव्यत् (कृदन्त-प्रत्यय)
• Form: तव्यत्-प्रत्ययान्त विध्यर्थक कृदन्त (gerundive/ought-to-be-given), नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; कर्मणि प्रयोगभाव (impersonal obligation)

• ब्रह्मवादिभिः: by the expounders of Brahman
• ब्रह्मवादिभिः: कर्ता (Agent in passive/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ब्रह्म + वादिन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तत्पुरुष-समास (ब्रह्मणः वादिनः), पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया (Instrumental/करण), बहुवचन; कर्तृ-करणभावे (by the expounders)

• मदुक्तम्: spoken by me
• मदुक्तम्: विशेषण
• Type: Adjective
• Root: मद् (अस्मद्-षष्ठी) + उक्त (√वच् + क्त)
• Form: तत्पुरुष-समास (मया उक्तम्/मम उक्तम्), क्त-प्रत्ययान्त भूतकृदन्त, नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; ‘विज्ञानम्’ इति विशेषण

• एतत्: this
• एतत्: विशेषण
• Type: Noun
• Root: एतद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; ‘विज्ञानम्’ इति विशेषण

• विज्ञानम्: knowledge, realization
• विज्ञानम्: कर्म/विषय (object/topic)
• Type: Noun
• Root: विज्ञान (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• सांख्ययोगसमाश्रयम्: based on Sāṅkhya and Yoga
• सांख्ययोगसमाश्रयम्: विशेषण
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सांख्य + योग + समाश्रय (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तत्पुरुष-समास (सांख्यस्य योगस्य च समाश्रयः/आश्रयः), नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; ‘विज्ञानम्’ इति विशेषण

Speaker

Lord Kūrma (Vishnu) teaching in the Ishvara Gita context

Verse Rasa

Primary Rasa: shanta

Secondary Rasa: bhayanaka

Characters & Entities

• Brahmavādin
• Sāṃkhya
• Yoga

More Details (3 sections)

FAQs

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

It frames liberating realization as vijñāna grounded in Sāṃkhya-Yoga—i.e., a discriminative insight cultivated through disciplined practice—implying that knowledge of the Self is transformative and must be responsibly transmitted.

What Yoga or Meditative practices are highlighted here?

The verse points to Yoga as the practical support (samāśraya) for realized knowledge, indicating that meditative discipline and inner qualification are prerequisites for receiving and stabilizing this teaching.

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

While not naming Shiva directly, it reflects the Kurma Purana’s synthetic stance: the Lord (Kūrma/Vishnu) authorizes a Sāṃkhya-Yoga path commonly shared across Shaiva and Vaishnava traditions, emphasizing disciplined realization over sectarian boundaries.