Bhagvad Gita - Chapter: 15 Purusottama Yogah

Purusottama Yogah - The yogis, striving diligently, perceive the soul within. The ignorant, whose minds are unrefined, do not perceive it despite their efforts.

यतन्तो योगिनश्चैनं पश्यन्त्यात्मन्यवस्थितम् |
यतन्तोऽप्यकृतात्मानो नैनं पश्यन्त्यचेतस: ||11||

The yogis, striving diligently, perceive the soul within. The ignorant, whose minds are unrefined, do not perceive it despite their efforts.

Yogi: One who seeks union with the divine.
Atman: The eternal soul residing within.

Yogis, through disciplined practice, develop the ability to perceive the presence of the soul, realizing its true nature. However, those who remain engrossed in material distractions, despite their efforts, fail to attain this realization. This verse contrasts the seekers of truth with those lost in worldly illusion.

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यदादित्यगतं तेजो जगद्भासयतेऽखिलम् |
यच्चन्द्रमसि यच्चाग्नौ तत्तेजो विद्धि मामकम् ||12||

The light that is in the sun, which illumines the whole world, the light in the moon and in the fire—know that it is from Me.

Tejas: Divine light that illuminates the world.
Aditya: The Sun, whose energy comes from the divine.

Krishna expands on his divine presence, stating that all sources of light—sun, moon, and fire—are but manifestations of his energy. This connects material perception with spiritual understanding, urging Arjuna to recognize the divine essence behind all things, rather than seeing them as independent entities.

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गामाविश्य च भूतानि धारयाम्यहमोजसा |
पुष्णामि चौषधी: सर्वा: सोमो भूत्वा रसात्मक: ||13||

Entering the earth, I sustain all beings with My energy. Becoming the moon, I nourish all plants with life-giving juice.

Ojas: Vital energy that sustains life.
Soma: The moon, responsible for nourishing plants.

Extending his influence to nature, Krishna explains how he sustains all beings through the earth’s nourishment. He is not only the creator but the sustainer, providing life-giving energy. This verse reinforces that everything in the universe operates through his divine will and presence.

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अहं वैश्वानरो भूत्वा प्राणिनां देहमाश्रित: |
प्राणापानसमायुक्त: पचाम्यन्नं चतुर्विधम् ||14||

As the fire of digestion in the bodies of all living beings, I digest the four kinds of food by uniting with the vital air.

Vaishvanara: The digestive fire present in all beings.
Prana: Life force energy that governs bodily functions.

Krishna further deepens this connection by explaining that he is present in digestion itself. The act of nourishment is not independent of the divine but part of a greater cosmic order. This highlights that even the most fundamental processes of survival are connected to spiritual reality.

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Purusottama Yogah - I dwell in the hearts of all beings, and from Me come memory, knowledge, and forgetfulness. I am the object of the Vedas and the knower of the Vedas.

सर्वस्य चाहं हृदि सन्निविष्टो मत्त: स्मृतिर्ज्ञानमपोहनं च |
वेदैश्च सर्वैरहमेव वेद्यो वेदान्तकृद्वेदविदेव चाहम् ||15||

I dwell in the hearts of all beings, and from Me come memory, knowledge, and forgetfulness. I am the object of the Vedas and the knower of the Vedas.

Vedanta: The ultimate conclusion of the Vedic scriptures.
Smriti: Memory, which is controlled by the divine.

As the indwelling presence in all beings, Krishna is the source of knowledge, memory, and forgetfulness. He also establishes himself as the ultimate goal of the Vedas, not just as an intellectual pursuit but as the very essence of wisdom that leads to liberation.

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Purusottama Yogah - There are two kinds of beings—the perishable and the imperishable. All beings in the material world are perishable, while the eternal soul is imperishable.

द्वाविमौ पुरुषौ लोके क्षरश्चाक्षर एव च |
क्षर: सर्वाणि भूतानि कूटस्थोऽक्षर उच्यते ||16||

There are two kinds of beings—the perishable and the imperishable. All beings in the material world are perishable, while the eternal soul is imperishable.

Kshara: The perishable, material existence.
Akshara: The imperishable, eternal soul.

Now, Krishna categorizes existence into two—perishable (material world) and imperishable (soul). While everything in the material realm is subject to decay, the eternal essence remains unchanged. This distinction lays the foundation for understanding the supreme reality beyond both.

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उत्तम: पुरुषस्त्वन्य: परमात्मेत्युदाहृत: |
यो लोकत्रयमाविश्य बिभर्त्यव्यय ईश्वर: ||17||

Beyond these two is the Supreme Person, the unchanging Lord who pervades and sustains the three worlds.

Uttama Purusha: The Supreme Person, beyond perishable and imperishable.
Ishvara: The Lord who sustains all worlds.

Beyond both perishable and imperishable, Krishna describes himself as the ultimate being, sustaining everything. This verse marks the transition from understanding the temporary and eternal to recognizing the Supreme as the source of both, emphasizing his transcendence.

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