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Shloka 1

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

इति श्रीकूर्मपुराणे षट्साहस्त्र्यां संहितायामुपरिविभागे (ईश्वरगीतासु) प्रथमो ऽध्यायः ईश्वर उवाच अवाच्यमेतद् विज्ञानमात्मगुह्यं सनातनम् / यन्न देवा विजानन्ति यतन्तो ऽपि द्विजातयः

iti śrīkūrmapurāṇe ṣaṭsāhastryāṃ saṃhitāyāmuparivibhāge (īśvaragītāsu) prathamo 'dhyāyaḥ īśvara uvāca avācyametad vijñānamātmaguhyaṃ sanātanam / yanna devā vijānanti yatanto 'pi dvijātayaḥ

یوں شری کورم پران کی چھٹ ساہستری سنہتا کے اُپری حصے میں (ایشور گیتا میں) پہلا ادھیائے۔ ایشور نے فرمایا—یہ وِگیان ناقابلِ بیان ہے، آتما کا ازلی و پوشیدہ راز ہے؛ جسے دیوتا بھی نہیں جانتے، اور کوشش کے باوجود دْویجات بھی نہیں سمجھ پاتے۔

itithus
iti:
Nipāta (निपात)
TypeIndeclinable
Rootiti (अव्यय)
FormAvyaya; quotative particle (इति-निपात)
śrīkūrmapurāṇein the Śrī Kūrma Purāṇa
śrīkūrmapurāṇe:
Adhikaraṇa (अधिकरण)
TypeNoun
Rootśrī + kūrma + purāṇa (प्रातिपदिक)
FormNeuter, Locative (7th/सप्तमी), Singular; title compound
ṣaṭsāhastryāmin the six-thousand (collection)
ṣaṭsāhastryām:
Adhikaraṇa (अधिकरण)
TypeAdjective
Rootṣaṭ + sāhastrī (प्रातिपदिक)
FormFeminine, Locative (7th), Singular; द्विगु: ṣaṭ-sāhastrī = 'six-thousand (collection)'
saṃhitāyāmin the saṃhitā
saṃhitāyām:
Adhikaraṇa (अधिकरण)
TypeNoun
Rootsaṃhitā (प्रातिपदिक)
FormFeminine, Locative (7th), Singular
uparivibhāgein the upper section
uparivibhāge:
Adhikaraṇa (अधिकरण)
TypeNoun
Rootupari + vibhāga (प्रातिपदिक)
FormMasculine, Locative (7th), Singular; तत्पुरुष: upari-vibhāga = 'upper division/section'
īśvaragītāsuin the Īśvara-gītās
īśvaragītāsu:
Adhikaraṇa (अधिकरण)
TypeNoun
Rootīśvara + gītā (प्रातिपदिक)
FormFeminine, Locative (7th), Plural; section-title; तत्पुरुष
prathamaḥfirst
prathamaḥ:
Viśeṣaṇa (विशेषण)
TypeAdjective
Rootprathama (प्रातिपदिक)
FormMasculine, Nominative (1st), Singular; ordinal adjective
adhyāyaḥchapter
adhyāyaḥ:
Karta (कर्ता)
TypeNoun
Rootadhyāya (प्रातिपदिक)
FormMasculine, Nominative (1st), Singular
īśvaraḥĪśvara (the Lord)
īśvaraḥ:
Karta (कर्ता)
TypeNoun
Rootīśvara (प्रातिपदिक)
FormMasculine, Nominative (1st), Singular
uvācasaid
uvāca:
Kriyā (क्रिया)
TypeVerb
Root√vac (वच् धातु)
FormPerfect (लिट्), 3rd person, Singular
avācyamnot to be spoken
avācyam:
Viśeṣaṇa (विशेषण)
TypeAdjective
Roota-vācya (प्रातिपदिक)
FormNeuter, Nominative/Accusative (1st/2nd), Singular; predicate adjective
etatthis
etat:
Karta (कर्ता)
TypeNoun
Rootetad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
FormNeuter, Nominative/Accusative (1st/2nd), Singular
vijñānamknowledge/discernment
vijñānam:
Karta (कर्ता)
TypeNoun
Rootvijñāna (प्रातिपदिक)
FormNeuter, Nominative/Accusative (1st/2nd), Singular; apposition to etat
ātmaguhyamsecret (of the Self)
ātmaguhyam:
Viśeṣaṇa (विशेषण)
TypeAdjective
Rootātman + guhya (प्रातिपदिक)
FormNeuter, Nominative/Accusative, Singular; तत्पुरुष: ātmani guhyaṃ / ātma-guhya = 'secret of the Self'
sanātanameternal
sanātanam:
Viśeṣaṇa (विशेषण)
TypeAdjective
Rootsanātana (प्रातिपदिक)
FormNeuter, Nominative/Accusative, Singular; qualifying vijñānam
yatwhich
yat:
Karma (कर्म)
TypeNoun
Rootyad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
FormNeuter, Accusative (2nd), Singular; relative pronoun referring to vijñānam
nanot
na:
Nipāta (निपात)
TypeIndeclinable
Rootna (अव्यय)
FormAvyaya; negation particle (निषेध)
devāḥthe gods
devāḥ:
Karta (कर्ता)
TypeNoun
Rootdeva (प्रातिपदिक)
FormMasculine, Nominative (1st), Plural
vijānantiknow
vijānanti:
Kriyā (क्रिया)
TypeVerb
Rootvi-√jñā (ज्ञा धातु)
FormPresent (लट्), 3rd person, Plural; Parasmaipada
yatantaḥstriving
yatantaḥ:
Karta (कर्ता)
TypeAdjective
Root√yat (यत् धातु) + yatant (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक)
FormPresent active participle (शतृ), Masculine, Nominative, Plural; used substantively
apieven/also
api:
Nipāta (निपात)
TypeIndeclinable
Rootapi (अव्यय)
FormAvyaya; particle (निपात) 'also/even'
dvijātayaḥthe twice-born (Brahmins etc.)
dvijātayaḥ:
Karta (कर्ता)
TypeNoun
Rootdvi + jāti (प्रातिपदिक)
FormMasculine, Nominative (1st), Plural; तत्पुरुष: dvijāti = 'twice-born'

Īśvara (Lord Kurma/Vishnu as the Supreme Teacher within the Īśvara-gītā)

Primary Rasa: adbhuta

Secondary Rasa: shanta

Ī
Īśvara
D
Devas
D
Dvijātis

FAQs

It presents Self-knowledge (vijñāna) as eternal and inwardly hidden (ātma-guhya), ultimately beyond verbal description—implying realization rather than mere conceptual learning.

The verse implies that effort alone is insufficient unless it becomes direct realization; in the Īśvara-gītā context this points toward disciplined yogic practice (including Pāśupata-oriented inner restraint, contemplation, and devotion to Īśvara) culminating in experiential knowledge.

By framing the teaching as Īśvara’s inexpressible Self-knowledge, it supports the Purāṇic non-sectarian synthesis: the Supreme Lord (Īśvara) is the source of liberating wisdom, harmonizing Śaiva yogic language (Pāśupata emphasis) with Vaiṣṇava revelation (Kūrma/Vishnu as teacher).