Shloka 11

Īśvara-gītā: Brahman as All-Pervading—Kāla, Prakṛti–Puruṣa, Tattva-Evolution, and Mokṣa

Devanagari script

पुरुषः प्रकृतिस्थो हि भुङ्क्तेयः प्राकृतान् गुणान् / अहङ्कारविमुक्तत्वात् प्रोच्यते पञ्चविंशकः

Transliteration

puruṣaḥ prakṛtistho hi bhuṅkteyaḥ prākṛtān guṇān / ahaṅkāravimuktatvāt procyate pañcaviṃśakaḥ

Translation

پُرُش پرکرتی میں رہ کر پرکرتی کے گُنوں کا بھوگ کرتا ہے؛ مگر اَہنکار سے آزاد ہونے کے سبب اسے پچیسواں تَتّو کہا جاتا ہے۔

Word by Word

• पुरुषः: Puruṣa / spirit
• पुरुषः: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पुरुष (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; nominative singular masculine

• प्रकृति-स्थः: situated in Prakṛti
• प्रकृति-स्थः: Visheshana (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: प्रकृति (प्रातिपदिक) + स्थ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; तत्पुरुष (प्रकृतौ स्थितः)

• हि: indeed/for
• हि: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/particle)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: हि (अव्यय)
• Form: निपात (emphatic/causal particle)

• भुङ्क्ते: enjoys/experiences
• भुङ्क्ते: Kriya (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √भुज् (धातु)
• Form: लट् (वर्तमान), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; 3rd person singular present, आत्मनेपद

• इयः: (metrical particle)
• इयः: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/particle)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: इय (अव्यय/पदपूरण)
• Form: पदपूरण-निपात (metrical filler; often with verbs)

• प्राकृतान्: material/natural
• प्राकृतान्: Visheshana (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: प्राकृत (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, बहुवचन; adjective qualifying गुणान्

• गुणान्: qualities (guṇas)
• गुणान्: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: गुण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, बहुवचन; accusative plural masculine

• अहङ्कार-विमुक्तत्वात्: because of freedom from egoism
• अहङ्कार-विमुक्तत्वात्: Hetu/Apadana (हेतु/अपादान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अहङ्कार (प्रातिपदिक) + विमुक्तत्व (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, पञ्चमी-विभक्ति (अपादान/हेतु), एकवचन; तत्पुरुष (अहङ्कारात् विमुक्तत्वम्)

• प्रोच्यते: is called/said
• प्रोच्यते: Kriya (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: प्र-√वच् (धातु)
• Form: लट् (वर्तमान), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; कर्मणि-प्रयोग (passive), 3rd person singular

• पञ्च-विंशकः: the twenty-fifth (principle)
• पञ्च-विंशकः: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पञ्च (प्रातिपदिक) + विंशक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; द्विगु-समास (पञ्चविंशतिः संख्या)

Speaker

Lord Kūrma (Vishnu) teaching in the Ishvara Gita stream (Shaiva–Vaishnava synthesis)

Verse Rasa

Primary Rasa: shanta

Secondary Rasa: vira

Characters & Entities

• Puruṣa
• Prakṛti
• Guṇas
• Ahaṅkāra
• Twenty-five tattvas

More Details (3 sections)

FAQs

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

It defines the Self as Puruṣa: consciousness that may appear to ‘experience’ Prakṛti’s guṇas through association, yet in truth remains free from egoity (ahaṅkāra) and thus stands apart as the twenty-fifth tattva.

What Yoga or Meditative practices are highlighted here?

The implied practice is ahaṅkāra-kṣaya (dissolution of ego-sense): discerning Puruṣa from guṇa-driven experience, cultivating witness-consciousness, and detaching from identification with sattva-rajas-tamas—key to the Kurma Purana’s Yoga-oriented liberation teaching.

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

By presenting a shared Sankhya-Yoga framework (Puruṣa beyond ahaṅkāra and guṇas) within the Ishvara Gita milieu, it supports the Purana’s non-sectarian synthesis: the liberating knowledge taught is one, whether framed through Shaiva (Pāśupata) or Vaishnava (Kūrma/Vishnu) voice.