Did Adi Shankara say anything about the Ishvara Gita?

Question

Ishvara Gita of the Kurma Purana, dedicated to Lord Shiva, is very similar to the Bhagavad Gita. However, it is not very popular as the Bhagavad Gita. Now my question is that did Adi Shankara ever write anything about the Ishvara Gita in any of His works?

Answer 1

No, Adi Shankaracharya hasn't written anything on Ishvara Gita.

There are the list of his works including his commentaries, stotras in Kanchi Kamakoti peetham official website. We won't find anything about Ishvara Gita in the Kurma Purana.

There is another website named advaita-vedanta.org.

Even in this website, there is no mention of it.

In his commentary to the Brahma sutras 2.3.45, he has mentioned the word Ishvara Gita.

ईश्वर गीतास्वापि च इष्वरांशत्वं जीवस्य स्मर्यते

After saying this, he quoted the Bhagavad Gita verse 15.07.

ममैवांशो जीवलोके जीवभूतः सनातनः

So, it is clear that Adi Shankaracharya meant Bhagavad Gita by Ishvara Gita and not the gita from the Kurma Purana.

So, it is safe to conclude that he has not written anything about Ishvara Gita also he meant Bhagavad Gita by writing Ishvara Gita. The only Gita he has commented and quoted is Bhagavad Gita.

Answer 2

Yes, Aadi Guru Shankracharya ji Quoted Srimad Ishvara Gita in his Brahm sutra bhashya 2:3:45.:

“īśvaragītāsvapi ca īśvarāṃśatvaṃ jīvasya smaryate” (Shankara’s Brahmasutra Bhashya 2:3:45).

“In the 'Ishvaragita’ also, the Smriti mentions how the Jiva-Self is a part of the God”.

Brahm Sutra Shankar Bhashya in Hindi.:

"ईश्वर गीतास्वापि च इष्वरांशत्वं जीवस्य स्मर्यते"

'ईश्वर गीता' में उल्लेख है कि कैसे जीव-आत्मा ईश्वर का एक अंश है।

ये रहा ईश्वर गीता का वो श्लोक जहाँ लिखा है.: "संपूर्ण जगत (जीवात्मा) ईश्वर का अंश रूप है"

मैं सनातन सर्वात्मा ( अनन्त सबकी आत्मा; संपूर्ण विश्व की आत्मा ) हूँ। मैं सब कुछ में स्थित हूँ। लेकिन मेरा कोई सीमा नहीं है। मैं अपने अंश रूप जगत को प्रेरित करता हूँ। ( ईश्वर गीता 6:2-6 ).

English Translation.:

Here is the verse of Ishwara Geeta where it is written.: "The whole world (Jeevatma) is a part and parcel of God".

"I am Sanatan Sarvatma (Eternal Soul of all; Soul of The Entire Universes). I am situated in everything. But I have no limits. I inspire the whole world, which is nothing but a part of mine. (Ishwara Gita 6:2-6).

‘ishvara gita’, which was originally discoursed by Bhagawan Shiva, and which was transmitted by various other personalities to sages mentioned above, in same lines, Bhagavan Narayana also himself as Krishna, the son of Devaki had discoursed to Arjuna.

“nārāyaṇo ‘pi bhagavān devakītanayo hariḥ | arjunāya svayaṃ sākṣāt dattavānidamuttamam ||” (Ishvara Gita 11:131).

“Also the Lord Narayana, who is also called as Hari, had himself passed on that excellent knowledge (of Sri Ishwara Gita of Lord Shiva) to Arjuna in the form of Krishna, the son of Devaki”.

The above verse of Srimad Ishvara Gita is also quoted by Sripati Panditacharya ji in his Brahm Sutra bhashya 1:3:23.:

In Kurma Purana, there is yet another chapter where Vyāsa and Arjuna converse on the topic of symptoms and duties of Kali age. In that chapter, Vyāsa stresses many a times on the necessity of worship of Lord Rudra, and finally with much delight Vyāsa touches Arjuna with both his hands and calling him as the greatest of the devotees of Shiva praises him for being the luckiest to have witnessed the cosmic form of lord Shiva during the Bhagavad Gītā discourse that hṛṣīkeśa spoke to him.

“dṛṣṭavānasi taṃ devaṃ viśvākṣaṃ viśvatomukham | pratyakṣameva sarveśaṃ rudraṃ sarvajaganmayam ||60 jñānaṃ tadaiśvaraṃ divyaṃ yathāvad viditaṃ tvayā | svayameva hṛṣīkeśaḥ prītyovāca sanātanaḥ ||” (Kurma Purana 1:28:61).

“[Vyasa says].: You have directly perceived that (Universal Form of) Lord Rudra who has his eyes everywhere, who has his faces everywhere, who is the very embodiment of the universe. That divine lordly knowledge (of śiva) has been precisely understood by you. That ancient Hrsikesha (Krishna) himself had recounted it to you out of delight”.

In Srimad Ishwara Gita, the set of Tradition of passing the Knowledge of Ishwara (Shiva) is elaborated. And the Bhagvat Gita too says that from tradition, the royal sages came to know it.

“evaṃ paramparāprāptam imaṃ rājarṣayo viduḥ | sa kāleneha mahatā yogo naṣṭaḥ paraṃtapa || sa evāyaṃ mayā te ‘dya yogaḥ proktaḥ purātanaḥ | bhakto ‘si me sakhā ceti rahasyaṃ hy etad uttamam ||” (Bhagvat Gita 4:2-3).

“Descending thus from tradition, the Royal sages came to know it. But, O chastiser of foes, by (lapse of a) long time, that knowledge became lost to the world. Even the same knowledge hath today been declared by me to thee, for thou art my devotee and friend, (and) this is a great mystery”.

So, here Arjuna's delusion played an important part for Lord Krishna to again follow the chain of tradition of passing Lord Shiva's grand knowledge to everyone through Vedavyasa by connecting himself in yoga with Lord Shiva himself.

Therefore Bhagavad Gita was the same discourse of Shiva passed on to us by the teacher (Acharya) Krishna, in his yogic trance where through Krishna Shiva spoke the Gita. Hence Krishna is our gitacharya.

Srimad Ishvara Gita - The Origin of Bhagwad Gita.

Answer 3

Yes. 6.2.6 of Ishvara Gita has been referred by Adi Shankaracharya in his commentary on Brahma sutras 2.3.45:

"īśvaragītāsvapi ca īśvarāṃśatvaṃ jīvasya smaryate”

“In the 'Ishvaragita’ also, the Smriti mentions how the Jiva-Self is a part of the God”.

Also many other scholars prior to 10 CE like Sripathi Panditaradhya have referred to the source of Bhagavadgita i.e the Ishvara Gita which was iterated by Bhagavan millions and millions of years before Mahabharata or Dwaparayuga.