Shloka 15

Īśvara-gītā: Antaryāmin, Kāla, and the Divine Ordinance Governing Creation, Preservation, and Pralaya

Devanagari script

यो ऽन्तकः सर्वभूतानां रुद्रः कालात्मकः प्रभुः / मदाज्ञयासौ सततं संहरिष्यति मे तनुः

Transliteration

yo 'ntakaḥ sarvabhūtānāṃ rudraḥ kālātmakaḥ prabhuḥ / madājñayāsau satataṃ saṃhariṣyati me tanuḥ

Translation

Rudra—Đấng kết liễu mọi loài, Chúa tể có bản tính chính là Thời gian—sẽ theo mệnh lệnh của Ta mà không ngừng thu nhiếp (hòa tan) hình tướng hiển lộ của Ta.

Word by Word

• yaḥ: who
• yaḥ: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: yad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Nominative singular; relative pronoun

• antakaḥ: the ender (death)
• antakaḥ: Karta/Predicate nominative (कर्ता/विशेष्य)
• Type: Noun
• Root: antaka (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Nominative singular; epithet

• sarvabhūtānām: of all beings
• sarvabhūtānām: Ṣaṣṭhī-sambandha (सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: sarva + bhūta (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Genitive plural; tatpuruṣa (karmadhāraya-like determinative) = sarvāṇi bhūtāni; Masculine/Neuter genitive plural (form bhūtānām)

• rudraḥ: Rudra
• rudraḥ: Karta/Predicate nominative (कर्ता/विशेष्य)
• Type: Noun
• Root: rudra (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Nominative singular

• kālātmakaḥ: time-natured/embodying time
• kālātmakaḥ: Viśeṣaṇa (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: kāla + ātmaka (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Nominative singular; tatpuruṣa = kālasya ātmā (having the nature of time)

• prabhuḥ: lord
• prabhuḥ: Karta/Predicate nominative (कर्ता/विशेष्य)
• Type: Noun
• Root: prabhu (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Nominative singular

• madājñayā: by my command
• madājñayā: Karaṇa (करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: mad + ājñā (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Feminine, Instrumental/Tṛtīyā (तृतीया) singular; tatpuruṣa = mama ājñā (my command)

• asau: he/that one
• asau: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: adas (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Nominative singular; demonstrative pronoun

• satatam: always
• satatam: Kriyā-viśeṣaṇa (क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: satatam (अव्यय/प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Adverb (क्रियाविशेषण)

• saṃhariṣyati: will withdraw/destroy
• saṃhariṣyati: Kriyā (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: saṃ-hṛ (धातु)
• Form: Future/Lṛṭ (लृट्), Parasmaipada, 3rd person singular

• me: of me/my
• me: Ṣaṣṭhī-sambandha (सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: asmad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Genitive/Ṣaṣṭhī singular (enclitic)

• tanuḥ: body/form
• tanuḥ: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tanu (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Feminine, Accusative/Dvitīyā singular (object sense; form identical to nominative in some stems, but here karma)

Speaker

Lord Kūrma (Viṣṇu) speaking as the Supreme Īśvara who appoints Rudra for saṃhāra

Verse Rasa

Primary Rasa: raudra

Secondary Rasa: shanta

Characters & Entities

• Rudra (Śiva)
• Kāla (Time)
• Antaka (Death/Ender)

More Details (4 sections)

FAQs

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

It presents a single supreme Īśvara whose will governs cosmic functions: even Rudra-as-Time performs dissolution by that supreme command, implying one ultimate sovereignty behind all deities and processes.

What Yoga or Meditative practices are highlighted here?

The verse foregrounds kāla-darśana (contemplation of Time) and vairāgya: meditating on dissolution (saṃhāra) supports detachment from the body-form and steadies the mind toward the imperishable Lord taught throughout the Kūrma tradition.

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

It depicts functional unity: Rudra (Śiva) acts as the agent of dissolution while the supreme speaker (Kūrma/Viṣṇu) remains the commanding Īśvara—harmonizing Śaiva and Vaiṣṇava theologies within one non-contradictory cosmic order.