Shloka 19

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

Devanagari script

मायापाशेन बध्नामि पशूनेतान् स्वलीलया / मामेव मोचकं प्राहुः पशूनां वेदवादिनः

Transliteration

māyāpāśena badhnāmi paśūnetān svalīlayā / māmeva mocakaṃ prāhuḥ paśūnāṃ vedavādinaḥ

Translation

ด้วยลีลาของเรา เราผูกมัดเหล่าปศุเหล่านี้ด้วยบ่วงแห่งมายา; และผู้รู้พระเวทกล่าวว่า ผู้ปลดปล่อยปศุทั้งหลายมีเพียงเราเท่านั้น.

Word by Word

• māyā-pāśena: by the noose of māyā
• māyā-pāśena: Karana (करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: māyā (प्रातिपदिक) + pāśa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/instrumental), एकवचन; तत्पुरुष: ‘मायायाः पाशः’

• badhnāmi: I bind
• badhnāmi: Kriya (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √bandh (धातु)
• Form: लट् (present), उत्तमपुरुष (1st person), एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• paśūn: beings (as bound creatures)
• paśūn: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: paśu (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/accusative), बहुवचन

• etān: these
• etān: Visheshana (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: etad (प्रातिपदिक/सर्वनाम)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), बहुवचन; demonstrative used adjectivally

• sva-līlayā: by my own play
• sva-līlayā: Karana (करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: sva (प्रातिपदिक) + līlā (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/instrumental), एकवचन; कर्मधारय: ‘स्वा लीला’ (one’s own play)

• mām: me
• mām: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: asmad (प्रातिपदिक/सर्वनाम)
• Form: द्वितीया (2nd/accusative), एकवचन

• eva: alone/indeed
• eva: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/particle)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: eva (अव्यय)
• Form: अवधारणार्थक अव्यय (particle of emphasis)

• mocakam: liberator
• mocakam: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: mocaka (प्रातिपदिक; from √muc)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन; agent-noun ‘liberator’

• prāhuḥ: they declare/say
• prāhuḥ: Kriya (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: pra-√ah (धातु)
• Form: लिट् (perfect), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), बहुवचन; परस्मैपद; ‘pra’ उपसर्ग

• paśūnām: of the beings
• paśūnām: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/षष्ठी)
• Type: Noun
• Root: paśu (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th/genitive), बहुवचन

• veda-vādinaḥ: Vedic expounders
• veda-vādinaḥ: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: veda (प्रातिपदिक) + vādin (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), बहुवचन; तत्पुरुष: ‘वेदं वदन्ति ये’ (those who speak/expound the Veda)

Speaker

Lord Kurma (Vishnu/Ishvara) speaking in the Ishvara Gita discourse

Verse Rasa

Primary Rasa: adbhuta

Secondary Rasa: shanta

Characters & Entities

• Kurma
• Ishvara
• Maya
• Pashu (bound soul)
• Veda

More Details (3 sections)

FAQs

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

It presents Ishvara as the sovereign reality who both governs bondage through Māyā and grants release—implying the Supreme Self is not overpowered by Māyā but wields it.

What Yoga or Meditative practices are highlighted here?

The verse points to a Pāśupata-style framework: the jīva as paśu bound by pāśa (Māyā), and liberation coming through turning to Ishvara—i.e., devotion, surrender, and contemplative knowledge centered on the Lord as the sole mokṣa-dātā.

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

Using the Pāśupata technical triad (paśu–pāśa–pati) while spoken by Lord Kurma (Vishnu), it reflects the Kurma Purana’s synthesis where the same Supreme Lord is taught through both Shaiva and Vaishnava vocabularies.