Shloka 19

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

Devanagari script

तेनायं संगतो ह्यात्मा कूटस्थो ऽपि निरञ्जनः / स्वात्मानमक्षरं ब्रह्म नावबुद्ध्येत तत्त्वतः

Transliteration

tenāyaṃ saṃgato hyātmā kūṭastho 'pi nirañjanaḥ / svātmānamakṣaraṃ brahma nāvabuddhyeta tattvataḥ

Translation

اسی (اَوِدیا) سے یہ آتما دےہ و من کے ساتھ وابستہ سی دکھائی دیتی ہے، حالانکہ وہ کُوٹستھ، نِرنجن گواہ ہے۔ اس لیے انسان اپنے آپ کو اَکشَر برہمن تَتّو کے طور پر نہیں جان پاتا۔

Word by Word

• tena: by that
• tena: Karaṇa (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Puṃ/Napुंसक (masc/neut), Tṛtīyā-vibhakti (instrumental/तृतीया), Ekavacana (singular/एकवचन); sarvanāma (pronoun/सर्वनाम)

• ayam: this
• ayam: Kartā (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: idam (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Puṃliṅga (masculine/पुंलिङ्ग), Prathamā-vibhakti (nominative/प्रथमा), Ekavacana (singular/एकवचन); sarvanāma

• saṃgataḥ: associated/connected
• saṃgataḥ: Kartṛ-samānādhikaraṇa (Predicative to subject/कर्तृसमानााधिकरण)
• Type: Verb
• Root: sam-√gam (धातु)
• Form: Kta-pratyaya (past passive participle/क्त), Puṃliṅga, Prathamā, Ekavacana; agrees with 'ātmā'

• hi: indeed
• hi: Sambandha-bodhaka (Discourse particle/निपात)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: hi (अव्यय)
• Form: Nipāta (particle/निपात), emphasis/indeed

• ātmā: the self
• ātmā: Kartā (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ātman (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Puṃliṅga (masculine/पुंलिङ्ग), Prathamā-vibhakti (nominative/प्रथमा), Ekavacana (singular/एकवचन)

• kūṭasthaḥ: immutable, unchanging
• kūṭasthaḥ: Viśeṣaṇa (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: kūṭa (प्रातिपदिक) + stha (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Puṃliṅga, Prathamā, Ekavacana; tatpuruṣa: 'kūṭe sthitaḥ' (standing in the immutable/peak); viśeṣaṇa of 'ātmā'

• api: even/also
• api: Sambandha-bodhaka (Particle/निपात)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: api (अव्यय)
• Form: Nipāta (particle/निपात), concessive 'even/also'

• nirañjanaḥ: stainless, untainted
• nirañjanaḥ: Viśeṣaṇa (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: nir-añjana (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Puṃliṅga, Prathamā, Ekavacana; viśeṣaṇa of 'ātmā'

• sva-ātmānam: one's own self
• sva-ātmānam: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: sva (प्रातिपदिक) + ātman (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Puṃliṅga, Dvitīyā-vibhakti (accusative/द्वितीया), Ekavacana; karmadhāraya: 'svaḥ ātmā' = one's own self; object of 'avabuddhyeta'

• akṣaram: imperishable
• akṣaram: Viśeṣaṇa (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: a-kṣara (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Napुंसकलिङ्ग, Dvitīyā, Ekavacana; viśeṣaṇa of 'brahma' (or apposition to 'svātmānam')

• brahma: Brahman
• brahma: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: brahman (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Napुंसकलिङ्ग, Dvitīyā, Ekavacana; in apposition: 'svātmānam ... brahma'

• na: not
• na: Pratiṣedha (Negation/निषेध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: na (अव्यय)
• Form: Pratiṣedha-nipāta (negation particle/निषेध)

• avabuddhyeta: would understand/realize
• avabuddhyeta: Kriyā (Verb/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: ava-√budh (धातु)
• Form: Vidhi-liṅ (optative/विधिलिङ्), Ātmanepada (आत्मनेपद), Prathama-puruṣa (3rd person), Ekavacana; potential/passive-like sense: 'would understand/realize'

• tattvataḥ: truly, in essence
• tattvataḥ: Kriyāviśeṣaṇa (Adverb/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: tattva (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Tasil-avyaya (तसिल्/ablatival adverb), 'in reality/from the truth'

Speaker

Lord Kurma (Vishnu) teaching the Ishvara Gita to the sages (contextually including King Indradyumna’s inquiry in the wider frame)

Verse Rasa

Primary Rasa: karuna

Secondary Rasa: shanta

Characters & Entities

• Atman
• Brahman

More Details (3 sections)

FAQs

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

It says the Self is inherently kūṭastha (unchanging) and nirañjana (untainted), yet due to ignorance it appears associated with body-mind, obscuring recognition of the Self as akṣara Brahman.

What Yoga or Meditative practices are highlighted here?

The verse emphasizes jñāna-yoga/ātma-viveka: withdrawing mistaken identification with the body-mind and meditating on the witness-Self as imperishable Brahman—an inner discipline aligned with the Ishvara Gita’s liberating knowledge.

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

While not naming Shiva or Vishnu directly, it reflects the Kurma Purana’s synthesis: the highest reality taught by Lord Kurma is the one stainless, imperishable Brahman—compatible with both Shaiva and Vaishnava understandings of the Supreme as non-dual consciousness.