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Chapter 15

Purushottama Yoga

पुरुषोत्तमयोग

The Yoga of the Supreme Person · 20 verses

Summary

The tree of the world grows upside down from the roots of the Vedas; cut it with the axe of detachment and seek the place from where there is no return. The Lord is the imperishable Self in all beings — sunlight, moonlight, and the fire in every belly. Two purushas exist: the mutable and the immutable; above both stands the Supreme.

world-treedetachmentsupreme purusha
1 Purushottama Yoga श्रीभगवानुवाच | ऊर्ध्वमूलमधःशाखमश्वत्थं प्राहुरव्ययम् | छन्दांसि यस्य पर्णानि यस्तं वेद स वेदवित् ||१५-१|| 15.1 The Lord said They speak of an immutable Asvattha tree with its roots above and branches below. Its leaves are the Vedas. He who knows it knows the Vedas. ›2 Purushottama Yoga अधश्चोर्ध्वं प्रसृतास्तस्य शाखा गुणप्रवृद्धा विषयप्रवालाः | अधश्च मूलान्यनुसन्ततानि कर्मानुबन्धीनि मनुष्यलोके ||१५-२|| 15.2 (a) Its branches extend both above and below, nourished by the Gunas. Their shoots are sense objects ৷৷. (b) ৷৷. And their secondary roots extend downwards, resulting in acts which bind in the world of men. ›3 Purushottama Yoga न रूपमस्येह तथोपलभ्यते नान्तो न चादिर्न च सम्प्रतिष्ठा | अश्वत्थमेनं सुविरूढमूलं असङ्गशस्त्रेण दृढेन छित्त्वा ||१५-३|| 15.3 Its form as such is not perceived here, nor its end, nor its beginning, nor its support. Having cut off this firm-rooted Asvattha with the strong axe of detachment৷৷. ›4 Purushottama Yoga ततः पदं तत्परिमार्गितव्यं यस्मिन्गता न निवर्तन्ति भूयः | तमेव चाद्यं पुरुषं प्रपद्ये | यतः प्रवृत्तिः प्रसृता पुराणी ||१५-४|| 15.4 Then, one should seek that goal attaining which one never returns. One should seek refuge with that Primal Person from whom streamed forth this ancient activity. ›5 Purushottama Yoga निर्मानमोहा जितसङ्गदोषा अध्यात्मनित्या विनिवृत्तकामाः | द्वन्द्वैर्विमुक्ताः सुखदुःखसंज्ञैर्- गच्छन्त्यमूढाः पदमव्ययं तत् ||१५-५|| 15.5 Without the delusion of perverse notions (concerning the self), victorious over the evil of attachment, ever devoted to the self, turned away from desires and liberated from dualities called pleasure and pain, the undeluded go to that imperishable status. ›6 Purushottama Yoga न तद्भासयते सूर्यो न शशाङ्को न पावकः | यद्गत्वा न निवर्तन्ते तद्धाम परमं मम ||१५-६|| 15.6 That supreme light (i.e. the individual self), reaching which they do not return any more, is Mine; the sun does not illumine It, nor moon, nor the fire. ›7 Purushottama Yoga Essential ममैवांशो जीवलोके जीवभूतः सनातनः | मनःषष्ठानीन्द्रियाणि प्रकृतिस्थानि कर्षति ||१५-७|| 15.7 An everlasting part of Myself, having become the bound self in the world of life, attracts the senses, of which the mind is the sixth, and which abide in Prakrti. ›8 Purushottama Yoga शरीरं यदवाप्नोति यच्चाप्युत्क्रामतीश्वरः | गृहीत्वैतानि संयाति वायुर्गन्धानिवाशयात् ||१५-८|| 15.8 Whatever body Its lord acires and from whatever body It departs, It goes on Its way, taking these senses as the wind carrying scents from their places. ›9 Purushottama Yoga श्रोत्रं चक्षुः स्पर्शनं च रसनं घ्राणमेव च | अधिष्ठाय मनश्चायं विषयानुपसेवते ||१५-९|| 15.9 Presiding over the ear, the eye, the sense of touch, the tongue and the nose, and the mind, It experiences these objects of senses. ›10 Purushottama Yoga उत्क्रामन्तं स्थितं वापि भुञ्जानं वा गुणान्वितम् | विमूढा नानुपश्यन्ति पश्यन्ति ज्ञानचक्षुषः ||१५-१०|| 15.10 The deluded do not perceive It (i.e., the self) conjoined with the Gunas when departing or staying or experiencing. They who have the eye of knowledge see It. ›11 Purushottama Yoga यतन्तो योगिनश्चैनं पश्यन्त्यात्मन्यवस्थितम् | यतन्तोऽप्यकृतात्मानो नैनं पश्यन्त्यचेतसः ||१५-११|| 15.11 The striving Yogins see It established in themselves. But, though striving, those of unrefined minds, devoid of intelligence, perceive It not. ›12 Purushottama Yoga यदादित्यगतं तेजो जगद्भासयतेऽखिलम् | यच्चन्द्रमसि यच्चाग्नौ तत्तेजो विद्धि मामकम् ||१५-१२|| 15.12 That brilliance in the sun which illumines the whole universe, that in the moon and that in fire, know that brilliance as Mine. ›13 Purushottama Yoga गामाविश्य च भूतानि धारयाम्यहमोजसा | पुष्णामि चौषधीः सर्वाः सोमो भूत्वा रसात्मकः ||१५-१३|| 15.13 And entering the earth I uphold all beings by My strength. I nourish all herbs, becoming the juicy Soma. ›14 Purushottama Yoga अहं वैश्वानरो भूत्वा प्राणिनां देहमाश्रितः | प्राणापानसमायुक्तः पचाम्यन्नं चतुर्विधम् ||१५-१४|| 15.14 Becoming the digestive fire, I function within the bodies of all living beings. In union with inward and outward breath, I digest the four kinds of food. ›15 Purushottama Yoga सर्वस्य चाहं हृदि सन्निविष्टो मत्तः स्मृतिर्ज्ञानमपोहनञ्च | वेदैश्च सर्वैरहमेव वेद्यो वेदान्तकृद्वेदविदेव चाहम् ||१५-१५|| 15.15 And I am seated in the hearts of all. From Me are memory, knowledge and their removal also. Indeed I alone am to be known from all the Vedas. I bring about the fruition of the rituals of Vedas; I alone am the knower of the Vedas. ›16 Purushottama Yoga द्वाविमौ पुरुषौ लोके क्षरश्चाक्षर एव च | क्षरः सर्वाणि भूतानि कूटस्थोऽक्षर उच्यते ||१५-१६|| 15.16 There are two kinds of Persons (Purusas) spoken of in the Sastra - the perishable (Ksara) and the imperishable (Aksara). The perishable is all beings and the imperishable is called the unchanging (Kutastha). ›17 Purushottama Yoga उत्तमः पुरुषस्त्वन्यः परमात्मेत्युधाहृतः | यो लोकत्रयमाविश्य बिभर्त्यव्यय ईश्वरः ||१५-१७|| 15.17 There is the Supreme Person other than these. He is named the Supreme Self (Paramatma) in all the Vedas. He who, as the Immutable One and the Lord, entering the threefold world, supports it. ›18 Purushottama Yoga यस्मात्क्षरमतीतोऽहमक्षरादपि चोत्तमः | अतोऽस्मि लोके वेदे च प्रथितः पुरुषोत्तमः ||१५-१८|| 15.18 Because I transcend the perishable Person and am also higher than the imperishable person, therefore I am styled in the Smrti and the Veda as the Supreme Person (Purusotama). ›19 Purushottama Yoga यो मामेवमसम्मूढो जानाति पुरुषोत्तमम् | स सर्वविद्भजति मां सर्वभावेन भारत ||१५-१९|| 15.19 He who, without delusion thus knows Me as the Supreme Self, knows all, O Arjuna, and worships Me in every way. ›20 Purushottama Yoga इति गुह्यतमं शास्त्रमिदमुक्तं मयानघ | एतद्बुद्ध्वा बुद्धिमान्स्यात्कृतकृत्यश्च भारत ||१५-२०|| 15.20 Thus, O sinless one, has this most mysterious doctrine been imparted by Me. By understanding this, a man will become truly wise and will have fulfilled his duty. ›