Shloka 38

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

Devanagari script

तस्माद् विज्ञानमेवास्ति न प्रपञ्चो न संसृतिः / अज्ञानेनावृतं लोको विज्ञानं तेन मुह्यति

Transliteration

tasmād vijñānamevāsti na prapañco na saṃsṛtiḥ / ajñānenāvṛtaṃ loko vijñānaṃ tena muhyati

Translation

Kaya nga, ang tunay na umiiral ay ang Ganap na Kaalaman (vijñāna) lamang; sa katotohanan ay walang sari-saring anyo ng daigdig (prapañca) at walang pag-ikot ng kapanganakan at kamatayan (saṃsāra). Ngunit ang sanlibutan, natatakpan ng kamangmangan (avidyā), ay nalilito tungkol sa mismong Kaalamang iyon.

Word by Word

• तस्मात्: from that; therefore
• तस्मात्: Apadana (अपादान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तस्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सर्वनाम (pronoun), पुल्लिङ्ग/नपुंसकलिङ्ग, पञ्चमी-विभक्ति (Ablative/अपादान), एकवचन

• विज्ञानम्: knowledge; discernment
• विज्ञानम्: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: विज्ञान (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative/कर्ता), एकवचन

• एव: only; indeed
• एव: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/Emphasis)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एव (अव्यय)
• Form: निपात (particle/emphasis)

• अस्ति: is; exists
• अस्ति: Kriya (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: अस् (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार (Present), प्रथम-पुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• न: not
• न: Pratishedha (प्रतिषेध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: न (अव्यय)
• Form: निषेध-निपात (negation particle)

• प्रपञ्चः: manifest world; phenomenal expansion
• प्रपञ्चः: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: प्रपञ्च (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुल्लिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative), एकवचन

• न: nor; not
• न: Pratishedha (प्रतिषेध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: न (अव्यय)
• Form: निषेध-निपात (negation particle)

• संसृतिः: transmigration; worldly cycle
• संसृतिः: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: संसृति (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative), एकवचन

• अज्ञानेन: by ignorance
• अज्ञानेन: Karana (करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अज्ञान (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति (Instrumental/करण), एकवचन

• आवृतम्: covered; veiled
• आवृतम्: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: आ-√वृ (धातु)
• Form: कृदन्त (past passive participle/क्त), नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; ‘covered’

• लोकः: the world; people
• लोकः: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: लोक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुल्लिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative), एकवचन

• विज्ञानम्: knowledge
• विज्ञानम्: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: विज्ञान (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative/कर्म), एकवचन

• तेन: by that; because of that
• तेन: Karana (करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सर्वनाम (pronoun), नपुंसकलिङ्ग/पुल्लिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति (Instrumental), एकवचन

• मुह्यति: is deluded; becomes confused
• मुह्यति: Kriya (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: मुह् (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार (Present), प्रथम-पुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन; आत्मनेपद

Speaker

Lord Kurma (Vishnu) teaching in the Ishvara Gita discourse

Verse Rasa

Primary Rasa: shanta

Secondary Rasa: karuna

Characters & Entities

• Lord Kurma
• Vishnu
• Ishvara Gita
• Ajñāna
• Saṃsāra

More Details (3 sections)

FAQs

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

It asserts a non-dual standpoint: Reality is Knowledge itself (vijñāna/Brahman-Atman), while the world-appearance and saṃsāra are not ultimately real; bondage persists only because ignorance obscures this truth.

What Yoga or Meditative practices are highlighted here?

The verse points to Jñāna-Yoga as the liberating method: viveka (discrimination) to pierce ajñāna, leading to direct realization (vijñāna). In the Kurma Purana’s Ishvara Gita setting, this complements Pāśupata-oriented discipline by grounding practice in right knowledge.

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

By teaching a single non-dual Reality beyond prapañca and saṃsāra, it supports the Purana’s synthesis: sectarian forms differ, but the realized Knowledge of the one Ishvara (honored as Shiva or Vishnu) is the same.