Īśvara-Gītā (continued): Twofold Yoga, Aṣṭāṅga Discipline, Pāśupata Meditation, and the Unity of Nārāyaṇa–Maheśvara
ये ऽन्यथा मां प्रपश्यन्ति मत्वेमं देवतान्तरम् / ते यान्ति नरकान् घोरान् नाहं तेषुव्यवस्थितः
ye 'nyathā māṃ prapaśyanti matvemaṃ devatāntaram / te yānti narakān ghorān nāhaṃ teṣuvyavasthitaḥ
ผู้ใดเห็นเราผิดไป—คิดว่าเราเป็นเพียงเทพองค์อื่นที่แยกต่างหาก—ย่อมไปสู่นรกอันน่าสยดสยอง; เรามิได้สถิตอยู่ในเขาเหล่านั้น
Lord Kurma (Vishnu) teaching the Ishvara Gita to the sages (in the Indradyumna-related dialogue frame)
Primary Rasa: bhayanaka
Secondary Rasa: raudra
It implies the Supreme is not a limited, sectarian “other deity”; misconceiving the Supreme as merely one among many blocks true realization and grace, leading away from liberation.
The verse supports Ishvara-centric discipline: right view (samyag-darśana) and single-pointed devotion as prerequisites for higher Yoga (including Pāśupata-oriented inner worship), since wrong cognition undermines meditative absorption.
In the Ishvara Gita’s synthesis, the warning is against fragmenting the Supreme into “another deity”; it points to one Ishvara beyond divisive labeling, aligning with the Purana’s non-dual Shaiva–Vaishnava reconciliation.