श्रीमद्भगवद्गीताBhagavad Gītā · in the light of Sri Aurobindo, home
Sign in

Chapter XV20 verses

अथ पंचदशोऽध्यायः

पुरुषोत्तमयोगः

The Yoga of the Supreme Person (Purushottama)

Puruṣottama-yoga

Cut the downward roots of desire with the sword of detachment, and find above the world-tree the Supreme Person, who is the light of sun and moon and the flame of life in every heart. — The Delight of Krishna

The soul enters in
guṇātīta — the soul free above the modes, on the verge of a greater mystery
and is led towards
puruṣottama — the Supreme who exceeds the mutable and the immutable, adored with the whole being
Begin at 15 · 1 Play chapter

Recitations

  1. Swami Sarvagananda ji0:00
  2. Ashit Desai0:00
In this chapter

20 verses

Summary of chapter 15

The Three Purushas - The entire doctrine of the Gita converges. on all its lines and through all the flexibility of its turns. towards one central thought -the idea of a triple consciousness, three and yet one. present in the whole scale of existence. All that is now brought together into one lows of grouping vision.

This chapter Opens with a description of cosmic existence in the Vedantic image of the ashwattha tree.

Chapter 15 illustration, titled पुरुषोत्तमयोगः
Illustration · Sushanto Nath, Sri Aurobindo Society

Chapter outline

Choose a range to read just those verses.

  1. 15·1–6The Cosmic Tree, liberation and the supreme Status of the Divine.
  2. 15·7–15The individual soul as the eternal portion of the Divine; the world as manifestation of the dynamic Divine.
  3. 15·16–19The three Purushas; knowledge and love of the Purushottama.
  4. 15·1–20Show all 20 verses

The verses

Śrī Bhagavān uvācaश्रीभगवानुवाच

  1. 15·1, a key verseऊर्ध्वमूलमधःशाखमश्वत्थं प्राहुरव्ययम् । छन्दांसि यस्य पर्णानि यस्तं वेद स वेदवित् ॥ १ ॥ūrdhvamūlamadhaḥśākhamaśvatthaṁ prāhuravyayam, chandāṁsi yasya parṇāni yastaṁ veda sa vedavit.With its original source above (in the Eternal), its branches stretching below, the Ashwattha is said to be…
  2. 15·2अधश्चोर्ध्वं प्रसृतास्तस्य शाखा गुणप्रवृद्धा विषयप्रवालाः । अधश्च मूलान्यनुसन्ततानि कर्मानुबन्धीनि मनुष्यलोके ॥ २ ॥adhaścordhvaṁ prasṛtāstasya śākhā guṇapravṛddhā viṣayapravālāḥ, adhaśca mūlānyanusantatāni karmānubandhīni manuṣyaloke.The branches of this cosmic tree extend both below and above (below in the material, above in the…
  3. 15·3न रूपमस्येह तथोपलभ्यते नान्तो न चादिर्न च सम्प्रतिष्ठा । अश्वत्थमेनं सुविरूढमूलं असङ्गशस्त्रेण दृढेन छित्त्वा ॥ ३ ॥na rūpamasyeha tathopalabhyate nānto na cādirna ca sampratiṣṭhā, aśvatthamenaṁ suvirūḍhamūlaṁ asaṅgaśastreṇa dṛḍhena chittvā.The real form of it cannot be perceived by us in this material world of man’s embodiment, nor its beginning…
  4. 15·4ततः पदं तत्परिमार्गितव्यं यस्मिन्गता न निवर्तन्ति भूयः । तमेव चाद्यं पुरुषं प्रपद्ये । यतः प्रवृत्तिः प्रसृता पुराणी ॥ ४ ॥tataḥ padaṁ tatparimārgitavyaṁ yasmingatā na nivartanti bhūyaḥ, tameva cādyaṁ puruṣaṁ prapadye, yataḥ pravṛttiḥ prasṛtā purāṇī.Having cut down the firmly rooted Ashvattha by the strong sword of detachment, one should seek for that…
  5. 15·5निर्मानमोहा जितसङ्गदोषा अध्यात्मनित्या विनिवृत्तकामाः । द्वन्द्वैर्विमुक्ताः सुखदुःखसंज्ञैः गच्छन्त्यमूढाः पदमव्ययं तत् ॥ ५ ॥nirmānamohā jitasaṅgadoṣā adhyātmanityā vinivṛttakāmāḥ, dvandvairvimuktāḥ sukhaduḥkhasaṁjñaiḥ gacchantyamūḍhāḥ padamavyayaṁ tat.To be free from the bewilderment of this lower Maya, without egoism, the great fault of attachment conquered…
  6. 15·6न तद्भासयते सूर्यो न शशाङ्को न पावकः । यद्गत्वा न निवर्तन्ते तद्धाम परमं मम ॥ ६ ॥na tadbhāsayate sūryo na śaśāṅko na pāvakaḥ, yadgatvā na nivartante taddhāma paramaṁ mama.There we find the timeless being which is not illumined by sun or moon or fire (but is itself the light of the…
  7. 15·7, a key verseममैवांशो जीवलोके जीवभूतः सनातनः । मनःषष्ठानीन्द्रियाणि प्रकृतिस्थानि कर्षति ॥ ७ ॥mamaivāṁśo jīvaloke jīvabhūtaḥ sanātanaḥ, manaḥṣaṣṭhānīndriyāṇi prakṛtisthāni karṣati.It is an eternal portion of Me that becomes the Jiva in the world of living creatures and cultivates the…
  8. 15·8शरीरं यदवाप्नोति यच्चाप्युत्क्रामतीश्वरः । गृहित्वैतानि संयाति वायुर्गन्धानिवाशयात् ॥ ८ ॥śarīraṁ yadavāpnoti yaccāpyutkrāmatīśvaraḥ, gṛhitvaitāni saṁyāti vāyurgandhānivāśayāt.When the Lord takes up this body (he brings in with him the mind and the senses) and in his going forth too…
  9. 15·9श्रोत्रं चक्षुः स्पर्शनं च रसनं घ्राणमेव च । अधिष्ठाय मनश्चायं विषयानुपसेवते ॥ ९ ॥śrotraṁ cakṣuḥ sparśanaṁ ca rasanaṁ ghrāṇameva ca, adhiṣṭhāya manaścāyaṁ viṣayānupasevate.The ear, the eye, the touch, the taste and the smell, using these and the mind also, he enjoys the objects of…
  10. 15·10उत्क्रामन्तं स्थितं वाऽपि भुञ्जानं वा गुणान्वितम् । विमूढा नानुपश्यन्ति पश्यन्ति ज्ञानचक्षुषः ॥ १० ॥utkrāmantaṁ sthitaṁ vā’pi bhuñjānaṁ vā guṇānvitam, vimūḍhā nānupaśyanti paśyanti jñānacakṣuṣaḥ.The deluded do not perceive him in his coming in and his going forth or in his staying and enjoying and…
  11. 15·11यतन्तो योगिनश्चैनं पश्यन्त्यात्मन्यवस्थितम् । यतन्तोऽप्यकृतात्मानो नैनं पश्यन्त्यचेतसः ॥ ११ ॥yatanto yoginaścainaṁ paśyantyātmanyavasthitam, yatanto’pyakṛtātmāno nainaṁ paśyantyacetasaḥ.The Yogins who strive, see the Lord in themselves; but though they strive to do so, the ignorant perceive Him…
  12. 15·12यदादित्यगतं तेजो जगद्भासयतेऽखिलम् । यच्चन्द्रमसि यच्चाग्नौ तत्तेजो विद्धि मामकम् ॥ १२ ॥yadādityagataṁ tejo jagadbhāsayate’khilam, yaccandramasi yaccāgnau tattejo viddhi māmakam.The light of the sun that illumines all this world, that which is in the moon and in fire, that light know as…
  13. 15·13गामाविश्य च भूतानि धारयाम्यहमोजसा । पुष्णामि चौषधीः सर्वाः सोमो भूत्वा रसात्मकः ॥ १३ ॥gāmāviśya ca bhūtāni dhārayāmyahamojasā, puṣṇāmi cauṣadhīḥ sarvāḥ somo bhūtvā rasātmakaḥ.I have entered into this form of earth (and am the spirit of its material force) and sustain by My might these…
  14. 15·14अहं वैश्वानरो भूत्वा प्राणिनां देहमाश्रितः । प्राणापानसमायुक्तः पचाम्यन्नं चतुर्विधम् ॥ १४ ॥ahaṁ vaiśvānaro bhūtvā prāṇināṁ deham āśritaḥ, prāṇāpānasamāyuktaḥ pacāmyannaṁ caturvidham.I, having become the flame of life, sustain the physical body of living creatures, and united with Prana and…
  15. 15·15, a key verseसर्वस्य चाहं हृदि सन्निविष्टो मत्तः स्मृतिर्ज्ञानमपोहनञ्च । वेदैश्च सर्वैरहमेव वेद्यो वेदान्तकृद्वेदविदेव चाहम् ॥ १५ ॥sarvasya cāhaṁ hṛdi sanniviṣṭo mattaḥ smṛtirjñānamapohanañca, vedaiśca sarvairahameva vedyo vedāntakṛdvedavideva cāham.I am lodged in the heart of all; from Me are memory and knowledge and their absence.
  16. 15·16द्वाविमौ पुरुषौ लोके क्षरश्चाक्षर एव च । क्षरः सर्वाणि भूतानि कूटस्थोऽक्षर उच्यते ॥ १६ ॥dvāvimau puruṣau loke kṣaraścākṣara eva ca, kṣaraḥ sarvāṇi bhūtāni kūṭastho’kṣara ucyate.There are two Purushas (spiritual beings) in this world, the immutable (and impersonal) and the mutable (and…
  17. 15·17, a key verseउत्तमः पुरुषस्त्वन्यः परमात्मेत्युदाहृतः । यो लोकत्रयमाविश्य बिभर्त्यव्यय ईश्वरः ॥ १७ ॥uttamaḥ puruṣastvanyaḥ paramātmetyudāhṛtaḥ, yo lokatrayamāviśya bibhartyavyaya īśvaraḥ.But other than these two is that highest spirit called the supreme Self, who enters the three worlds and…
  18. 15·18, a key verseयस्मात्क्षरमतीतोऽहमक्षरादपि चोत्तमः । अतोऽस्मि लोके वेदे च प्रथितः पुरुषोत्तमः ॥ १८ ॥yasmātkṣaramatīto’hamakṣarādapi cottamaḥ, ato’smi loke vede ca prathitaḥ puruṣottamaḥ.Since I am beyond the mutable and am greater and higher even than the immutable, in the world and the Veda I…
  19. 15·19, a key verseयो मामेवमसम्मूढो जानाति पुरुषोत्तमम् । स सर्वविद्भजति मां सर्वभावेन भारत ॥ १९ ॥yo māmevamasammūḍho jānāti puruṣottamam, sa sarvavidbhajati māṁ sarvabhāvena bhārata.He who undeluded thus has knowledge of Me as the Purushottama, adores Me (has bhakti for Me) with…
  20. 15·20इति गुह्यतमं शास्त्रमिदमुक्तं मयाऽनघ । एतत्बुद्ध्वा बुद्धिमान्स्यात्कृतकृत्यश्च भारत ॥ २० ॥iti guhyatamaṁ śāstramidamuktaṁ mayā’nagha, etatbuddhvā buddhimānsyātkṛtakṛtyaśca bhārata.Thus by Me the most secret Shastra (the supreme teaching and science) has been told, O sinless one.

End of the chapter

ॐ तत्सदिति श्रीमद्भगवद्गीतासूपनिषत्सुब्रह्मविद्यायां योगशास्त्रे श्रीकृष्णार्जुनसंवादेपुरुषोत्तमयोगो नाम पञ्चदशोऽध्यायः ॥ १५॥

om tatsaditi śrīmadbhagavadgītāsūpaniṣatsubrahmavidyāyāṁ yogaśāstre śrīkṛṣṇārjunasaṁvādepuruṣottamayogo nāma pañcadaśo’dhyāyaḥ

Thus, in the Upanishad sung by the Lord, the science of Brahman, the scripture of Yoga, the dialogue between Sri Krishna and Arjuna, ends the fifteenth chapter entitled “The Yoga of the Supreme Personality”

Go to a verse

  1. 1
  2. 2
  3. 3
  4. 4
  5. 5
  6. 6
  7. 7
  8. 8
  9. 9
  10. 10
  11. 11
  12. 12
  13. 13
  14. 14
  15. 15
  16. 16
  17. 17
  18. 18
  19. 19
  20. 20