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Ananta

पुरुषोत्तमयोग

Chapter 15

Purushottama Yoga

The Yoga of the Supreme Divine Personality · 20 verses

This chapter is traditionally called Purushottama Yoga, the yoga of the Supreme Person. It opens with a strange picture: an upside-down tree whose root is above and whose branches grow downward. The root above is the supreme source; the branches are the unfolding world. The tree stands for samsara, the round of worldly life. Krishna says to cut it with asanga, non-attachment, an inner sword sharpened by viveka, steady discernment. Then seek the supreme abode, the refuge from which no one returns, by taking shelter in the primal Person. The living being, the jiva, is an eternal portion (amsha) of the Lord, carrying the senses and the mind from body to body, seen only by the eye of knowledge. The Lord also sustains the world: he holds up the earth, ripens the plants, digests food as the inner fire, and sits in every heart as the source of memory. Finally Krishna names three: the perishable (kshara), the imperishable (akshara), and the Supreme Person (Purushottama) beyond both. He closes by calling this teaching a scripture whose knowing completes the seeker's task. The schools differ on whether the world-tree is an illusion or the Lord's real display, and on what the portion, the imperishable, and the goal truly are. Advaita Vedanta, Vishishtadvaita, Dvaita, and Shuddhadvaita each read them their own way.

श्लोकाः
15.1श्री भगवानुवाचऊर्ध्वमूलमधःशाखमश्वत्थं प्राहुरव्ययम्।छन्दांसि यस्य पर्णानि यस्तं वेद स वेदवित्

The Blessed Lord said: They speak of an imperishable fig tree with its roots above and its branches below, whose leaves are the Vedic hymns. The one who knows this tree knows the Vedas.

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15.2अधश्चोर्ध्वं प्रसृतास्तस्य शाखा गुणप्रवृद्धा विषयप्रवालाः।अधश्च मूलान्यनुसन्ततानि कर्मानुबन्धीनि मनुष्यलोके

Its branches spread below and above, nourished by the gunas, with sense objects for buds. And below, in the world of humans, its roots stretch onward, binding to action.

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15.3न रूपमस्येह तथोपलभ्यते नान्तो न चादिर्न च संप्रतिष्ठा।अश्वत्थमेनं सुविरूढमूल मसङ्गशस्त्रेण दृढेन छित्त्वा

Its form is not perceived here in that way, nor its end, nor its beginning, nor its foundation. This deep-rooted fig tree must be cut down with the strong axe of detachment.

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15.4ततः पदं तत्परिमार्गितव्य यस्मिन्गता न निवर्तन्ति भूयः।तमेव चाद्यं पुरुषं प्रपद्ये यतः प्रवृत्तिः प्रसृता पुराणी

Then that state must be sought, the place from which, once reached, there is no return. I take refuge in that primal Person, from whom the ancient unfolding has streamed forth.

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15.5निर्मानमोहा जितसङ्गदोषा अध्यात्मनित्या विनिवृत्तकामाः।द्वन्द्वैर्विमुक्ताः सुखदुःखसंज्ञै र्गच्छन्त्यमूढाः पदमव्ययं तत्

Free from pride and delusion, having conquered the evil of attachment, ever devoted to the Self, with desire stilled, released from the dualities known as pleasure and pain, the undeluded reach that changeless state.

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15.6न तद्भासयते सूर्यो न शशाङ्को न पावकः।यद्गत्वा न निवर्तन्ते तद्धाम परमं मम

Neither the sun nor the moon nor fire lights that place. Those who reach it do not return. That is my supreme abode.

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15.7ममैवांशो जीवलोके जीवभूतः सनातनः।मनःषष्ठानीन्द्रियाणि प्रकृतिस्थानि कर्षति

An eternal part of myself becomes the embodied self in the world of the living. It draws to itself the senses, with the mind as the sixth, which abide in material nature.

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15.8शरीरं यदवाप्नोति यच्चाप्युत्क्रामतीश्वरः।गृहीत्वैतानि संयाति वायुर्गन्धानिवाशयात्

When the embodied self takes on a body, and when it departs from one, it carries these with it, as the wind carries scents from their source.

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15.9श्रोत्रं चक्षुः स्पर्शनं च रसनं घ्राणमेव च।अधिष्ठाय मनश्चायं विषयानुपसेवते

Presiding over the ears, the eyes, touch, taste, and smell, and over the mind, it enjoys the objects of the senses.

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15.10उत्क्रामन्तं स्थितं वापि भुञ्जानं वा गुणान्वितम्।विमूढा नानुपश्यन्ति पश्यन्ति ज्ञानचक्षुषः

The deluded do not see it as it departs, as it remains, or as it experiences, joined with the gunas. Those who have the eye of knowledge see it.

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15.11यतन्तो योगिनश्चैनं पश्यन्त्यात्मन्यवस्थितम्।यतन्तोऽप्यकृतात्मानो नैनं पश्यन्त्यचेतसः

The yogis who strive see it seated within themselves. But those of unrefined mind, lacking self-control, do not see it, even though they strive.

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15.12यदादित्यगतं तेजो जगद्भासयतेऽखिलम्।यच्चन्द्रमसि यच्चाग्नौ तत्तेजो विद्धि मामकम्

The light in the sun that illumines the whole world, the light in the moon, and the light in fire: know that light to be mine.

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15.13गामाविश्य च भूतानि धारयाम्यहमोजसा।पुष्णामि चौषधीः सर्वाः सोमो भूत्वा रसात्मकः

Entering the earth, I sustain all beings by my power. Becoming Soma, the moon full of sap, I nourish every plant.

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15.14अहं वैश्वानरो भूत्वा प्राणिनां देहमाश्रितः।प्राणापानसमायुक्तः पचाम्यन्नं चतुर्विधम्

Becoming the digestive fire, I dwell in the bodies of living beings. Joined with the inward and outward breath, I digest the four kinds of food.

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15.15सर्वस्य चाहं हृदि सन्निविष्टो मत्तः स्मृतिर्ज्ञानमपोहनं च।वेदैश्च सर्वैरहमेव वेद्यो वेदान्तकृद्वेदविदेव चाहम्

I am seated in the hearts of all. From me come memory, knowledge, and their loss. I alone am what is to be known through all the Vedas. I am the author of the Vedanta, and I am the knower of the Vedas.

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15.16द्वाविमौ पुरुषौ लोके क्षरश्चाक्षर एव च।क्षरः सर्वाणि भूतानि कूटस्थोऽक्षर उच्यते

There are two beings in the world: the perishable and the imperishable. All beings are the perishable. The unchanging is called the imperishable.

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15.17उत्तमः पुरुषस्त्वन्यः परमात्मेत्युदाहृतः।यो लोकत्रयमाविश्य बिभर्त्यव्यय ईश्वरः

But the Supreme Person is other than these. He is called the Supreme Self. Imperishable and the Lord, he enters the three worlds and upholds them.

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15.18यस्मात्क्षरमतीतोऽहमक्षरादपि चोत्तमः।अतोऽस्मि लोके वेदे च प्रथितः पुरुषोत्तमः

Since I transcend the perishable and am higher even than the imperishable, I am celebrated in the world and in the Vedas as the Supreme Person.

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15.19यो मामेवमसम्मूढो जानाति पुरुषोत्तमम्।स सर्वविद्भजति मां सर्वभावेन भारत

Whoever knows me in this way, free from delusion, as the Supreme Person, knows all and worships me with their whole being.

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15.20इति गुह्यतमं शास्त्रमिदमुक्तं मयाऽनघ।एतद्बुद्ध्वा बुद्धिमान्स्यात्कृतकृत्यश्च भारत

I have now spoken this most secret scripture. Understanding it, one becomes wise and accomplishes all that is to be done.

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