पुरुषोत्तमयोगः
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Play chapter gamesśrī-bhagavānuvāca ।
ūrdhvamūlamadhaḥ(ś)śākham aśvatthaṃ prāhuravyayam ।
chandāṃsi yasya parṇāni yas taṃ(v̐) veda sa vedavit ॥
Śrī Bhagavān describes samsāra as a beginningless aśvattha tree whose root is Brahman above, whose branches are the visible universe below, and whose leaves are Vedic karmas; the one who understands this tree along with its root truly understands the Veda.
Open shloka /kids/chapter/15/verse/1
adhaś cordhvaṃ prasṛtās tasya śākhā(ḥ)guṇa-pravṛddhā viṣaya-pravālāḥ ।
adhaś ca mūlāny anusantatāni karmānubandhīni manuṣya-loke ॥
The branches of the samsāra tree spread above, below, and in the middle, nourished by the guṇas, with sense objects as tender shoots; its secondary roots, rāga-dveṣa-vāsanās, spread below in manuṣya-loka and bind the jīva through karma.
Open shloka /kids/chapter/15/verse/2
na rūpamasyeha tathopalabhyate nānto na cādirna ca sampratiṣṭhā ।
aśvatthamenaṃ suvirūḍhamūlam asaṅgaśastreṇa dṛḍhena chittvā ॥
The real nature, beginning, end, or middle of this well-rooted samsāra tree cannot be fully grasped here; therefore, one should firmly cut it with the strong weapon of asaṅga, detachment.
Open shloka /kids/chapter/15/verse/3
tataḥ(f) padaṃ(n) tat parimārgitavyaṃ(y̐) yasmingatā na nivartanti bhūyaḥ ।
tameva cādyaṃ puruṣaṃ prapadye yataḥ(f) pravṛttiḥ(f) prasṛtā purāṇī ॥
After cutting dependence on samsāra through vairāgyam, the seeker must enquire into Brahman, the goal from which there is no return, and surrender to the original Puruṣa from whom the ancient creation has emerged.
Open shloka /kids/chapter/15/verse/4
nirmānamohā jita-saṅga-doṣā(ḥ) adhyātmanityā vinivṛttakāmāḥ ।
dvandvairvimuktāḥ(s) sukhaduḥkhasaṃjñaiḥ(r) gacchantyamūḍhāḥ(f) padamavyayaṃ(n) tat ॥
Those who cultivate Vedānta-friendly virtues — humility, freedom from delusion, mastery over attachment, freedom from binding desires, endurance of pleasure and pain, and steady commitment to spiritual pursuit — become wise and attain the imperishable Brahman.
Open shloka /kids/chapter/15/verse/5
na tad bhāsayate sūryo(aḥ)
na śaśāṅko na pāvakaḥ ।
yad gatvā na nivartante
tad dhāma paramaṃ mama ॥
That supreme Brahman, Bhagavān’s highest nature, is self-effulgent consciousness, not illumined by the sun, moon, or fire; attaining that, the wise do not return to samsāra.
Open shloka /kids/chapter/15/verse/6
mamaivāṃśo jīvaloke
jīvabhūtaḥ(ṣ) sanātanaḥ ।
manaḥ(ṣ) ṣaṣṭhānīndriyāṇi
prakṛtisthāni karṣati ॥
Brahman alone, as Bhagavān’s own reflection in the mind, appears as the eternal jīva in living beings, and at death that jīva draws away the five sense faculties along with the mind from the physical body.
Open shloka /kids/chapter/15/verse/7
śarīraṃ(y̐) yadavāpnoti
yaccāpyutkrāmatīśvaraḥ ।
gṛhītvaitāni saṃyāti
vāyurgandhānivāśayāt ॥
When the jīva, the master of the body, leaves one body and takes another, it carries the subtle mind and sense faculties with it, just as the invisible wind carries fragrance from a flower.
Open shloka /kids/chapter/15/verse/8
śrotraṃ(ñ) cakṣuḥ(s) sparśanaṃ(ñ) ca
rasanaṃ(ṅ) ghrāṇameva ca ।
adhiṣṭhāya manaścāyaṃ(v̐)
viṣayānupasevate ॥
The jīva, after entering a body, operates through the ear, eye, skin, tongue, nose, and mind, and experiences the sense objects of the world.
Open shloka /kids/chapter/15/verse/9
utkrāmantaṃ sthitaṃ(v̐) vāpi
bhuñjānaṃ(v̐) vā guṇānvitam ।
vimūḍhā nānupaśyanti
paśyanti jñānacakṣuṣaḥ ॥
The deluded do not recognize the jīva as it leaves the body, stays in the body, experiences through the body-mind, and is associated with the guṇas; but those with the eye of knowledge recognize it.
Open shloka /kids/chapter/15/verse/10
yatanto yoginaścainaṃ
paśyantyātmanyavasthitam ।
yatanto’pyakṛtātmāno(naḥ)
nainaṃ paśyantyacetasaḥ ॥
Those yogis who strive with a purified and prepared mind recognize Brahman present in the body-mind as the jīva, while the impure-minded and undiscriminating do not recognize it even though they may make effort.
Open shloka /kids/chapter/15/verse/11
yad āditya-gataṃ(n) tejo(jaḥ)
jagadbhāsayate’khilam ।
yaccandramasi yaccāgnau
tattejo viddhi māmakam ॥
The light and energy present in the sun, moon, and fire, which illumine and sustain the world, should be understood as Bhagavān’s own power.
Open shloka /kids/chapter/15/verse/12
gāmāviśya ca bhūtāni
dhārayāmyahamojasā ।
puṣṇāmi cauṣadhīḥ(s) sarvāḥ(s)
somo bhūtvā rasātmakaḥ ॥
Bhagavān says: entering the earth, I sustain all living beings through solar energy and vital power; becoming the nourishing Soma, I nourish all plants with life-giving rasa.
Open shloka /kids/chapter/15/verse/13
ahaṃ(v̐) vaiśvānaro bhūtvā
prāṇināṃ(n) deham āśritaḥ ।
prāṇāpānasamāyuktaḥ(f)
pacāmyannaṃ(ñ) caturvidham ॥
Bhagavān says: becoming the digestive fire called Vaiśvānara, residing in the bodies of living beings and supported by prāṇa and apāna, I digest the four kinds of food.
Open shloka /kids/chapter/15/verse/14
sarvasya cāhaṃ hṛdi sanniviṣṭo(ṭaḥ)
mattaḥ(s) smṛtirjñānamapohanaṃ(ñ) ca ।
vedaiśca sarvairahameva vedyo(dyaḥ)
vedāntakṛdvedavideva cāham ॥
Bhagavān says: I am present in the heart of all as consciousness; from Me arise memory, knowledge, and forgetfulness; I alone am to be known through all the Vedas, and I am the revealer and knower of Vedānta.
Open shloka /kids/chapter/15/verse/15
dvāvimau puruṣau loke
kṣaraścākṣara eva ca ।
kṣaraḥ(s) sarvāṇi bhūtāni
kūṭastho’kṣara ucyate ॥
In the world, there are two material principles: the perishable manifest universe called kṣara-puruṣaḥ, and the relatively imperishable unmanifest matter, māyā, called akṣara-puruṣaḥ.
Open shloka /kids/chapter/15/verse/16
uttamaḥ(f) puruṣastvanyaḥ(f)
paramātmetyudāhṛtaḥ ।
yo lokatrayamāviśya
bibhartyavyaya īśvaraḥ ॥
Different from both kṣara, the manifest changing universe, and akṣara, the unmanifest māyā, is the highest Puruṣa, the changeless consciousness called Paramātmā, which pervades and sustains the entire material order.
Open shloka /kids/chapter/15/verse/17
yasmātkṣaramatīto’ham
akṣarādapi cottamaḥ ।
ato’smi loke vede ca
prathitaḥ(f) puruṣottamaḥ ॥
Because Bhagavān, as nirguṇa caitanyam, is beyond the perishable manifest universe and superior even to unmanifest māyā, He is known in the world and in the Vedas as Puruṣottama, the highest Puruṣa.
Open shloka /kids/chapter/15/verse/18
yo māmevamasammūḍho(ḍhaḥ)
jānāti puruṣottamam ।
sa sarvavidbhajati māṃ
sarvabhāvena bhārata ॥
O Bhārata, the one who knows Me without delusion as Puruṣottama knows the essence of everything and worships Me with the whole being.
Open shloka /kids/chapter/15/verse/19
iti guhyatamaṃ śāstram idamuktaṃ mayānagha ।
etadbuddhvā buddhimānsyāt kṛtakṛtyaśca bhārata ॥
O sinless Bhārata, this most secret teaching has been given by Me; having understood and assimilated it, one becomes truly wise and fulfilled.
Open shloka /kids/chapter/15/verse/20