Shloka 6

The True Liṅga as Formless Brahman — Self-Luminous Īśa and the Yoga of Liberation

Devanagari script

यज्ज्ञानं निर्मलं सूक्ष्मं निर्विकल्पं यदव्ययम् / ममात्मासौ तदेवेमिति प्राहुर्विपश्चितः

Transliteration

yajjñānaṃ nirmalaṃ sūkṣmaṃ nirvikalpaṃ yadavyayam / mamātmāsau tadevemiti prāhurvipaścitaḥ

Translation

凡无垢、微妙、离分别、且不坏之智——那正是我的自性我（Ātman）；明哲之士如是宣说。

Word by Word

• yat: which
• yat: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध; relative)
• Type: Noun
• Root: yad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा एकवचन; सम्बन्धसूचक

• jñānam: knowledge
• jñānam: Karta/Viṣaya (कर्ता/विषय)
• Type: Noun
• Root: jñāna (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा एकवचन

• nirmalam: stainless/pure
• nirmalam: Viśeṣaṇa (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: nir-mala (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा एकवचन; नञ्-तत्पुरुष (निर्मल = मल-रहित)

• sūkṣmam: subtle
• sūkṣmam: Viśeṣaṇa (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: sūkṣma (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा एकवचन; विशेषण

• nirvikalpam: free from distinctions
• nirvikalpam: Viśeṣaṇa (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: nir-vikalpa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा एकवचन; नञ्-तत्पुरुष (निर्विकल्प = विकल्प-रहित)

• yat: which
• yat: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध; relative)
• Type: Noun
• Root: yad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा एकवचन; सम्बन्धसूचक (repeated)

• avyayam: imperishable
• avyayam: Viśeṣaṇa (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: a-vyaya (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा एकवचन; नञ्-समासार्थ (अव्यय = undecaying)

• mama: my
• mama: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/षष्ठी)
• Type: Noun
• Root: asmad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठी एकवचन (genitive)

• ātmā: Self
• ātmā: Karta/Viṣaya (कर्ता/विषय)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ātman (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा एकवचन

• asau: that (very one)
• asau: Viśeṣaṇa/Anuvṛtti (विशेषण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: asau (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा एकवचन; दूरवाचक demonstrative pronoun

• tat: that
• tat: Anuvṛtti (अनुवृत्ति)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया एकवचन

• eva: alone/indeed
• eva: Emphasis (निपातार्थ)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: eva (अव्यय)
• Form: अवधारण-निपात (restrictive particle)

• idam: this
• idam: Anuvṛtti/Predicate (विधेय)
• Type: Noun
• Root: idam (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया एकवचन

• iti: thus
• iti: Vākyārtha-dyotaka (वाक्यार्थद्योतक)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: iti (अव्यय)
• Form: उद्धरण-निपात (quotative)

• prāhuḥ: declare/say
• prāhuḥ: Kriyā (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √ah (अह् धातु; 'to say')
• Form: लिट्-लकार (Perfect), परस्मैपद, प्रथमपुरुष, बहुवचन

• vipaścitaḥ: the wise
• vipaścitaḥ: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: vipaścit (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा बहुवचन

Speaker

Lord Kurma (Vishnu) teaching in the Ishvara Gita

Verse Rasa

Primary Rasa: shanta

Secondary Rasa: adbhuta

Characters & Entities

• Atman
• Jnana
• Vishnu (Kurma)
• Ishvara

More Details (3 sections)

FAQs

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

It identifies the Supreme Self with imperishable, stainless, subtle, and nirvikalpa (concept-free) knowledge—implying the Atman is not an object of thought but the self-luminous ground of true knowing.

What Yoga or Meditative practices are highlighted here?

The verse points to jñāna-oriented meditation: refining the mind toward nirmala (purity) and nirvikalpa (freedom from conceptualization), aligning with the Ishvara Gita’s contemplative discipline that culminates in direct realization of the Self.

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

By presenting the highest truth as nirvikalpa Atman-knowledge spoken by Lord Kurma, it supports the Purana’s synthesis: the supreme reality taught in Shaiva (Pashupata) and Vaishnava idioms is one, realized as the same non-dual Self.