Bhagvad Gita - Chapter: 15 Purusottama Yogah

Purusottama Yogah - That supreme abode of Mine is not illuminated by the sun, moon, or fire. Having reached there, one never returns. That is My supreme abode.

न तद्भासयते सूर्यो न शशाङ्को न पावक: |
यद्गत्वा न निवर्तन्ते तद्धाम परमं मम ||6||

That supreme abode of Mine is not illuminated by the sun, moon, or fire. Having reached there, one never returns. That is My supreme abode.

Paramam Dham: The supreme abode of Krishna, beyond material existence.
Surya: The Sun, symbolizing worldly light.

Krishna now reveals the nature of his supreme abode, distinct from the perishable world. Unlike the sun or fire that illuminates material existence, his realm is self-luminous, a space beyond return. This verse reinforces that true liberation means reaching a state where suffering and rebirth cease completely.

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ममैवांशो जीवलोके जीवभूत: सनातन: |
मन:षष्ठानीन्द्रियाणि प्रकृतिस्थानि कर्षति ||7||

The eternal soul in the material world is My fragmental part. It is drawn into material existence by the mind and the senses.

Jiva: The individual soul, a part of the Supreme.
Indriyas: The senses, which pull the soul towards the material world.

The soul’s entanglement in the material world is due to the mind and senses, which pull it toward external experiences. Though a fragment of Krishna himself, the soul, bound by desires, struggles within this cycle. This verse highlights the essential struggle of human existence—the conflict between material pull and spiritual longing.

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Purusottama Yogah - When the soul leaves one body and enters another, it carries the senses and the mind with it, just as the wind carries scents from one place to another.

शरीरं यदवाप्नोति यच्चाप्युत्क्रामतीश्वर: |
गृहीत्वैतानि संयाति वायुर्गन्धानिवाशयात् ||8||

When the soul leaves one body and enters another, it carries the senses and the mind with it, just as the wind carries scents from one place to another.

Sharira: The physical body which the soul occupies.
Vayu: Wind, used metaphorically for how the soul moves from body to body.

Using the analogy of wind carrying scents, Krishna explains the transmigration of the soul. The departure of the soul does not erase its tendencies; instead, it carries forward impressions and desires, shaping the next life. This reinforces the idea that liberation is not just about escape but about purification of the self.

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श्रोत्रं चक्षु: स्पर्शनं च रसनं घ्राणमेव च |
अधिष्ठाय मनश्चायं विषयानुपसेवते ||9||

The soul, presiding over the senses—ear, eye, touch, taste, and smell—enjoys sense objects through the mind.

Shrotra: Hearing, one of the five senses.
Vishaya: Sense objects that the soul experiences through the mind.

The soul, though distinct from the body, engages with the world through senses, continuously experiencing joy and sorrow. Krishna subtly points out that the senses are merely tools, and their control is crucial in breaking free from worldly attachments, setting up the need for higher spiritual vision.

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Purusottama Yogah - The ignorant do not perceive the soul as it departs, stays, or enjoys; but the wise, endowed with the eye of knowledge, see it clearly.

उत्क्रामन्तं स्थितं वापि भुञ्जानं वा गुणान्वितम् |
विमूढा नानुपश्यन्ति पश्यन्ति ज्ञानचक्षुष: ||10||

The ignorant do not perceive the soul as it departs, stays, or enjoys; but the wise, endowed with the eye of knowledge, see it clearly.

Jnana Chakshushah: The eyes of wisdom, which perceive the soul.
Vimudha: The ignorant who cannot see beyond the material.

Most people fail to recognize the journey of the soul—its arrival, its experiences, and its departure. Only those with wisdom, who have cultivated inner vision, can perceive this truth. Krishna highlights that ignorance blinds people to the reality of their own existence, keeping them bound to suffering.

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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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