Purushottama Yoga
Using the metaphor of the sacred ashvattha tree (whose roots are above and branches below), Krishna describes the nature of the world. He speaks of two purushAs — the perishable and the imperishable — and a third, the Purushottama (Supreme Person), who pervades and sustains both.
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Translation
The Blessed Lord said: They speak of an imperishable ashvattha tree with its roots above and its branches below, whose leaves are the Vedic hymns. One who knows this tree is a knower of the Vedas.
The Blessed Lord said: They say there is an imperishable Ashvattha tree with roots above and branches below; its leaves are the Vedas — one who knows it is a knower of the Vedas.
Chapter 15 opens with one of the Gita's most striking metaphors: the cosmic Ashvattha (sacred fig) tree, inverted — roots above (in Brahman), branches below (spreading into the manifested world). The Vedas are its leaves — the scripture as the elaborated expression of the cosmic structure.
In Advaita, the inverted tree is one of the oldest Vedāntic symbols (from the Kaṭha Upaniṣad): the tree of saṃsāra with its roots in the transcendent and its branches in the phenomenal. 'The knower of the Vedas' (vedavit) is not the scholar of texts but the one who knows the cosmic reality the Vedas describe.
Osho loved this image: the tree upside down — roots in heaven, branches in the world. Reality is inverted from ordinary perception: we think the world is the foundation (the roots) and the spiritual is 'above' as superstructure. In truth, the spiritual is the root; the world is the flowering.
Aśvattham — the Ashvattha tree. Literally 'where the horse stands' (aśva + stha), the sacred fig tree (Ficus religiosa) that is also called the Bo Tree — under which the Buddha attained enlightenment. Its use here is both the specific sacred tree and a play on its other meaning: 'a-śva-stha' = not-standing-tomorrow = impermanent.
Ūrdhvamūlam adhaḥśākham — roots above, branches below. The inversion of the ordinary tree structure is the Gita's way of saying: reality is the opposite of what we ordinarily see. We see the material as primary, the spiritual as secondary. The cosmos reveals the opposite: spirit is primary, matter secondary.
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Translation
Its branches, nourished by the three gunas and budding with the objects of sense, spread out below and above; and below, stretching into the world of men, run its secondary roots that bind through action.
Its branches spread below and above, nourished by the gunas, with sense-object buds — and its roots stretch downward also, bound to actions in the human world.
The elaboration of the cosmic tree metaphor: branches spread both above (higher realms) and below (lower realms), nourished by the gunas (which give them their quality), with viṣaya-pravāla (sense-object shoots/buds) as their offshoots. And roots extend downward into the human world — the roots of karma-action.
In Advaita, the cosmic tree has roots in two directions: above (in Brahman, the transcendent ground) and below (in karma, the human world). The downward roots are the karmic tendencies that keep consciousness attached to the human realm.
Osho said: 'branches nourished by the gunas' — the entire diversity of existence — heavens, earths, underworlds — are the branches of one tree, all nourished by the same three gunas. The variety of existence is not random but structured by the guna-composition of each branch.
Viṣayapravāla — 'sense-object shoots.' The tender shoots at the ends of branches represent sense-objects — the temptations that attract consciousness downward into further involvement with the world. The senses are drawn to their objects as shoots are drawn to light.
Karmānubandhīni manuṣyaloke — 'bound to actions in the human world.' The downward roots of the cosmic tree are the karma-bonds that hold consciousness in the human realm. Every action creates a root — an attachment — that pulls the being back.
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Translation
Its true form is not perceived here as such — it has no end, no beginning, and no enduring foundation. Having cut down this firmly rooted ashvattha tree with the strong axe of non-attachment,
Its form is not perceived thus here — nor its end, nor beginning, nor firm foundation. Having cut this firmly rooted Ashvattha tree with the firm weapon of non-attachment —
V.3-4 together: the cosmic tree as perceived in the world (here/iha) has no perceivable form, end, beginning, or foundation — because what we see is only the surface. The instruction: cut this tree (of saṃsāric attachment) with the weapon of non-attachment (asaṃgaśastra).
In Advaita, asaṃgaśastreṇa — 'with the weapon of non-attachment.' The sword of viveka (discrimination) wielded by non-attachment (vairāgya). These two — discrimination and non-attachment — are the classical prerequisites for Vedāntic inquiry, and here they are the weapon to cut the cosmic tree.
Osho loved the image of cutting the tree: 'with the firm weapon of non-attachment.' The tree of saṃsāra is cut by non-attachment — by the clear seeing that sense-objects, achievements, relationships, are not the source of fulfillment. This seeing severs the root of desire.
Na rūpam... na antaḥ na ādiḥ na sampratiṣṭhā — 'no perceivable form, end, beginning, or foundation.' The world as we ordinarily experience it cannot be understood on its own terms. Its roots are invisible (in the transcendent). Its nature is not grasped from within it.
Suviru̥ḍhamūlam — 'firmly rooted.' The tree of saṃsāra is deeply rooted — the habits of attachment, the patterns of desire, the grooves of karma are ancient and strong. The weapon must be equally firm: dṛḍhena asaṃgaśastreṇa — a firm, sharp weapon of non-attachment.
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Translation
one should then seek out that state from which, once reached, none return again — saying, 'I take refuge in that primal Person from whom the ancient outflowing of the world has streamed forth.'
Then that state is to be sought — having gone to which, one does not return again — 'I take refuge in that primal Purusha from whom the ancient flow of activity has issued.'
After cutting the tree (v.3), one seeks that supreme state (padam) from which there is no return — and takes refuge in the ādi Puruṣa (primal Person) from whom the ancient creation has flowed. This is prapattiḥ — complete surrender — to the Supreme.
In Advaita, na nivartanti bhūyaḥ — 'do not return again' — is the definition of liberation: the state of no-return from which the liberated soul does not fall back into the cycle of rebirth. This state is Brahman; the ādi Puruṣa is Brahman's personal aspect.
Osho said: 'having gone to which, one does not return.' The state of no-return — this is the definition of the spiritual destination. Not a temporary meditative state, not a moment of bliss that passes — the permanent, irreversible recognition of one's nature as Brahman.
Prapadye — 'I take refuge/surrender.' The verb from pra + pad: to fall before, to take complete refuge. This is the language of prapatti (complete surrender) — the deepest form of bhakti. 'I take refuge in the primal Purusha' is the devotional formula for liberation.
Ādyam Puruṣam — 'the primal Purusha.' The first, original, primordial being — the source from whom all creation flows. This is Brahman with a personal face: the eternal ground from whom the entire cosmic process has issued and to whom it returns.
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Translation
Free from pride and delusion, the evil of attachment conquered, ever dwelling in the Self, their desires stilled, released from the dualities known as pleasure and pain — such undeluded ones reach that imperishable state.
Free from pride and delusion, having conquered the faults of attachment, ever dwelling in the Self, desires turned away — freed from the pairs of opposites known as pleasure and pain — the undeluded go to that imperishable state.
The description of those who attain the imperishable state: free from māna (pride) and moha (delusion), having overcome saṃga-doṣa (the faults of attachment), adhyātma-nitya (ever in the Self), vinivṛttakāma (desires withdrawn), freed from the pleasure-pain dvandva.
In Advaita, adhyātmanityāḥ — 'ever dwelling in the Self' — is the defining quality: these are those who have stabilized in the witness-self, the Ātman. Not temporarily visiting the Self in meditation but continuously abiding there.
Osho said: 'desires turned away' — vinivṛttakāmāḥ. Not that they have suppressed desire, but that desire has naturally withdrawn — like a child who has grown up and no longer desires toys. The evolved consciousness has grown beyond ordinary desires; they have fulfilled themselves.
Dvandvaiḥ vimuktāḥ — 'freed from the pairs of opposites.' The dvandvas (pairs: hot/cold, pleasure/pain, gain/loss, fame/infamy) are the swings of ordinary experience. The undeluded are not eliminated from experience — they are freed from being defined and disturbed by the swings.
Amūḍhāḥ — 'the undeluded.' Not the intellectually sophisticated but the genuinely undeluded: those whose moha (fundamental confusion about their own nature) has dissolved. The undeluded know who they are; this knowing is their freedom.
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Translation
Neither the sun nor the moon nor fire illumines that place; having gone there, none return. That is My supreme abode.
Neither the sun nor the moon nor fire illumines that — having gone to which, one does not return. That is My supreme abode.
The nature of the supreme abode: it is not illumined by the sun, moon, or fire — because it is self-luminous (svaprakāśa). It is the source of all light; secondary lights cannot illuminate it. From it, there is no return — it is the final destination.
In Advaita, na sūryas tad bhāsayate — 'the sun does not illuminate that' — is the classic description of Brahman from the Kaṭha, Muṇḍaka, and Śvetāśvatara Upaniṣads. Brahman is svayam jyotiḥ (self-luminous). It illumines everything; nothing illumines it.
Osho loved this verse: 'neither sun, nor moon, nor fire illumines that.' The light by which you see the sun — that is Brahman. The awareness by which you notice the moon — that is the supreme abode. It is never seen as object because it is pure subjectivity, the subject of all seeing.
Tad dhāma paramam mama — 'that is My supreme abode.' The devotional note: the supreme philosophical absolute (self-luminous, beyond all secondary lights) is also 'Mine' — the personal Divine's home. The impersonal and personal converge: the infinite is the Divine's own nature.
Na nivartante — 'do not return.' The no-return quality: once the supreme abode is attained (recognized as one's true nature), the being does not fall back into ignorance. This is the irreversible nature of true knowledge: once you know the sun is self-luminous, you cannot 'un-know' it.
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Translation
An eternal fragment of My own Self, become a living soul in the world of the living, draws to itself the senses, of which the mind is the sixth, that abide in material nature.
My very own eternal portion — having become an individual soul in the world of the living — draws to itself the six sense organs (including mind) situated in Prakriti.
The individual soul (jīva) is described as an eternal fragment (sanātana aṃśa) of the Divine. The jīva draws the six sense organs (five + mind) to itself from Prakṛti — the instruments of experience. This is the jīva's constitution: divine fragment + natural instruments.
In Advaita, mamaiva aṃśaḥ sanātanaḥ — 'My very own eternal portion.' This verse is central to the debate between Advaita and Viśiṣṭādvaita: is the jīva a literal portion of Brahman (with a real distinction) or is the jīva identical to Brahman (with only apparent distinction)? Śaṃkara reads aṃśa as upādhikṛta-bhedabhāvanā — difference created by limitation.
Osho said: 'My very own eternal portion.' Even the individual soul is not truly separate from the Divine. The jīva (individual self) is a fragment of the universal — not a completely separate being. The seeming separation is the play of the cosmic drama.
Sanātanaḥ — 'eternal.' The individual soul is eternal — not created at birth, not destroyed at death. The jīva pre-exists its current embodiment and will continue after the body's dissolution. This eternal nature of the soul is the foundation of karma and rebirth.
Karṣati — 'draws/pulls.' The jīva draws the sense instruments to itself. The assembly of body-mind is not accidental — the consciousness (jīva) attracts the instruments it needs for its stage of development. The meeting of soul and instruments is purposive.
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Translation
When the Lord of the body takes on a body, and likewise when he departs from it, he carries these senses away with him, as the wind carries scents from their dwelling-places.
As the wind carries fragrances from their source — the lord (inner master), taking these (sense organs), departs from and obtains bodies.
The migration of the soul: the jīvātman (inner master/īśvara) takes its sense instruments with it when it departs a body and obtains a new body — just as the wind carries fragrances from their source (flower) to elsewhere.
In Advaita, the wind-fragrance simile (vāyur gandhān ivāśayāt): the wind doesn't produce the fragrance but carries what it finds. Similarly, the jīva carries the saṃskāras (impressions) gathered in one life into the next, like the wind carries scents.
Osho loved this simile: the wind and the fragrance. When you die, what you carry with you is not the body (which is left behind) but the fragrance you have gathered — the impressions, the qualities, the karma. These are deposited in a new form.
Īśvaraḥ — 'the lord/the inner master.' The jīva is here called īśvara — the inner lord who governs the body. Not the cosmic Īśvara but the microcosmic īśvara — the self that is the master of this particular body-temple.
Gṛhītvā etāni saṃyāti — 'having taken these (sense organs), departs.' The departure from the body at death: the soul takes with it the sūkṣmaśarīra (subtle body) — the impressions, desires, and tendencies accumulated. The gross body is left; the subtle continues.
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Translation
Presiding over the ear, the eye, the senses of touch, taste, and smell, and over the mind as well, this soul enjoys the objects of the senses.
Presiding over the ear, eye, touch, taste, and smell — and the mind — this (soul) experiences the sense-objects.
The mechanism of experience: the jīva presides over (adhiṣṭhāya) the five jñānendriyas (hearing, seeing, touching, tasting, smelling) and the mind — through these instruments, it experiences sense-objects (viṣayān upasevate).
In Advaita, adhiṣṭhāya — 'presiding over' — describes the relationship of consciousness to the sense organs. Consciousness doesn't see; the eye sees. But the eye's seeing is only possible because consciousness illumines it. The consciousness presides; the organ acts.
Osho said: 'presiding over' — not imprisoned in, not identified with — presiding over. The soul is the master of the sense organs, not their slave. But through identification, the master has become the servant of the senses. Liberation reverses this: the soul reclaims its presiding position.
The five sense organs and the mind — six instruments. The jīva's experience is mediated through all six. Nothing reaches the jīva directly; everything comes through the instrument-complex. This mediation is both the opportunity for experience and the source of misidentification.
Viṣayān upasevate — 'experiences/enjoys sense-objects.' Upasevate — a strong word: to attend to, to serve, to enjoy. The soul through its instruments serves and enjoys the sense-world. The entire project of embodied existence is this attending-to-the-world through the sense instruments.
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Translation
The deluded do not perceive him as he departs, abides, or experiences, accompanied by the gunas; but those who possess the eye of wisdom behold him.
The deluded do not perceive (the soul) departing, abiding, or experiencing — accompanied by the gunas. Those with the eye of knowledge see.
The two types of perception: the deluded (vimūḍhāḥ) do not see the soul as it departs (utkrāmantam), as it abides in the body (sthitam), or as it experiences accompanied by the gunas (guṇānvitam bhuñjānam). Those with jñānacakṣus (the eye of knowledge) do see.
In Advaita, jñānacakṣuṣaḥ — 'those with the eye of knowledge' — is the jñānī who has developed the discriminative faculty to see the Ātman/jīva as distinct from the body-mind. This seeing is not physical but the insight that arises from sustained self-inquiry.
Osho said: 'the deluded do not see.' Not because the soul is hidden but because the deluded are looking in the wrong direction — outward, at the senses and their objects. The soul cannot be seen by the senses; it can only be recognized by the awareness that is itself soul.
Vimūḍhāḥ na anupaśyanti — 'the deluded do not perceive.' The moha (delusion) that covers the seeing is the identification with the body-mind. As long as 'I am this body' is the operative assumption, the soul behind the body is invisible.
Pśyanti jñānacakṣuṣaḥ — 'those with the eye of knowledge see.' The eye of knowledge is not a different sense organ but the discriminating awareness cultivated through sādhana (spiritual practice). It sees what ordinary perception misses: the eternal soul behind the transient body.
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Translation
Yogis who strive behold him seated within their own selves; but those of unripe understanding, lacking discernment, do not behold him though they strive.
Striving yogis see this (soul) abiding in the self — but those whose selves are not purified, the mindless — striving, also do not see.
Two outcomes of the yogic effort: the striving yogis (yatantaḥ yoginaḥ) who have purified the self (kṛtātman) see the soul (ātmani avasthitam). Those who strive but haven't purified themselves (akṛtātmāna) and are mindless (acetasa) — even striving, do not see.
In Advaita, kṛtātman vs. akṛtātman — 'purified self' vs. 'unpurified self.' The purification of the inner instrument (antaḥkaraṇa-śuddhi) is the prerequisite for Self-recognition. Effort without purification cannot penetrate to the Ātman.
Osho said: 'striving also, they do not see.' This is an important warning. Mechanical religious effort — going through the motions of practice without genuine inner work — does not produce the vision. The practice must penetrate, must actually purify the instrument.
Akṛtātmānaḥ — 'those whose self has not been made/created.' The spiritual self is to be cultivated, developed, purified. It doesn't automatically function as a clear mirror. The antaḥkaraṇa (inner instrument) must be actively refined through sādhana.
Acetasaḥ — 'mindless.' Not literally without a mind but operating without genuine attention, without the quality of awareness that discriminates. The mind that is not applied to the spiritual question cannot find the spiritual answer.
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Translation
The radiance dwelling in the sun that illumines the whole world, and that which is in the moon and in fire — know that radiance to be Mine.
The radiance that dwells in the sun and illumines the entire world — that which is in the moon, and that in fire — know that radiance as Mine.
The teaching of Divine immanence through light: the light of the sun that illumines the world, the cool light of the moon, the transforming light of fire — all are the one Divine radiance (tejas). Know this tejas as Mine (māmakam).
In Advaita, yad ādityagatam tejas — 'the radiance in the sun' — points to the one Consciousness that shines through all sources of light. The sun's fire is ultimately the manifestation of the same Brahman-consciousness that illumines all things.
Osho said: 'know that light as Mine.' When you see the sunrise — know that is the Divine's own radiance. When you see the moon — that is the Divine's light reflected. When you sit by a fire — the same tejas, the same divine consciousness expressing as warmth and light.
Māmakam — 'Mine.' The radical claim: the radiance of the sun, moon, and fire is not merely a physical phenomenon — it is the Divine's own light. The universe is luminous with divine radiance. Every photon is a message from the Absolute.
The three lights — solar, lunar, and fire — represent the three main sources of illumination in the ancient world. By identifying the Divine's radiance with all three, the verse covers the entire range of the light-experience. Light is divine.
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Translation
Entering the earth, I sustain all beings by My vital power; and becoming the sap-bearing moon, I nourish every plant and herb.
Having entered the earth, I sustain beings with vigor — and having become the moon of the nature of sap, I nourish all plants.
The Divine as the sustaining force of nature: entering the earth (gām āviśya), the Divine sustains all beings with ojas (vital force/vigor). And having become the moon (soma) — the cosmic liquid/sap — nourishes all vegetation.
In Advaita, dhārayāmyaham ojasā — 'I sustain with vigor.' The ojas (vital essence) that holds the world together is the Divine's own energy. Not a metaphor: the physical cohesion of matter, the force of gravity, the chemical bonds — all manifestations of divine sustaining power.
Osho said: 'I nourish all plants through the moon.' Ancient understanding: the moon's light affects plant growth, the tides, biological cycles. The Divine is the Soma — the cosmic sap that flows through all vegetation. Every plant that grows is the Divine's nourishment.
Soma rasātmakaḥ — 'Soma, of the nature of sap/juice.' Soma in the Vedas is the sacred drink — the cosmic vitality. Here it is identified with the moon as the source of nourishment. The moonlight that nourishes plants is the Divine's gift.
Gām āviśya — 'having entered the earth.' The Divine is not outside the earth looking in — it enters the earth, pervades it, sustains it from within. The gravity that holds the earth together, the geological forces that shape continents — all are the Divine's indwelling sustaining power.
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Translation
Becoming the fire of life lodged in the bodies of living beings, joined with the upward and downward breaths, I digest the four kinds of food.
Having become Vaishvanara (the digestive fire), taking residence in the bodies of living beings — combined with prana and apana — I digest the four kinds of food.
The Divine as the digestive fire (vaiśvānara) within every living being: combined with the upward breath (prāṇa) and downward breath (apāna), the Divine as inner fire digests all four types of food (chewed, swallowed, licked, drunk).
In Advaita, vaiśvānara is one of the five fires of the cosmic process (from the Chāndogya Upaniṣad). Here it is interiorized: the fire that enables digestion in every living being is the Divine's own presence. Eating is a divine act — the Divine digesting through all beings.
Osho said: 'I become the digestive fire.' The most intimate divine presence: not in temples or mountains but in the process of digestion in your belly right now. The fire that transforms food into life-energy is the divine fire. The most ordinary bodily process is the Divine at work.
Prāṇāpānasamāyuktaḥ — 'combined with prana and apana.' The two prāṇas (vital energies) that regulate breathing and digestion work in coordination with the vaiśvānara fire. This triad — prāṇa, apāna, agni — is the Divine's instrument of life within the body.
Caturvidham annam — 'four kinds of food.' In the Upaniṣads and Āyurveda: chewed (khādya), swallowed (lehya), licked (carvya), and drunk (peyya). All four types, all forms of nourishment, are processed by the same divine fire. Every meal is a sacrament.
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Translation
I am seated in the hearts of all; from Me come memory, knowledge, and their loss. I alone am that which is to be known through all the Vedas; I am the author of Vedanta and the knower of the Vedas.
I am seated in the heart of all. From Me come memory, knowledge, and their removal. I alone am to be known by all the Vedas; I am the Vedanta-maker, and I alone am the knower of the Vedas.
The most comprehensive statement of divine immanence in Chapter 15: the Divine is seated in the heart of all (sannivisṭaḥ hṛdi sarvasya). Memory (smṛti), knowledge (jñāna), and their removal (apohanam) all come from the Divine. The Divine is the sole object of all Vedic knowledge — and the maker and knower of the Vedas.
In Advaita, hṛdi sarvasya sannivisṭaḥ — 'seated in the heart of all' — is the antaryāmin (inner ruler) teaching: the Divine is not outside as creator and judge but inside as the innermost reality. The Ātman dwelling in the heart-lotus is identical with Brahman.
Osho loved 'from Me come memory and forgetting.' Even forgetting is divine — when you forget something unimportant, the Divine is managing your attention. When a memory surfaces at the right moment, the Divine is at work. Both remembering and forgetting are divine acts.
Smṛtiḥ jñānam ca apohanam — 'memory, knowledge, and their removal.' The three cognitive functions: retention (smṛti), recognition (jñāna), and non-retention (apohanam = forgetting/negating). All three are divine operations. The mind in all its functions is the Divine at work.
Vedāntakṛt vedavid — 'maker of Vedanta, knower of the Vedas.' The Divine is both the source (kṛt) and the knower (vid) of the Vedas. The scriptures are the Divine's own self-expression; when the scholar reads the Vedas, the Divine is studying its own expression.
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Translation
There are two Persons in this world — the perishable and the imperishable. The perishable is all beings; the imperishable is called the unchanging.
There are two Purushas in the world — the perishable and the imperishable. The perishable is all beings; the immovable-peak-one is called the imperishable.
The philosophical framework of Chapter 15's climax: two Puruṣas — Kṣara (perishable — all of manifestation) and Akṣara (imperishable — kūṭastha, the unchanging). All beings are kṣara; the ground of being (kūṭastha) is akṣara. And beyond both is the Uttama Puruṣa.
In Advaita, kūṭastha — 'standing at the peak, immovable.' The Kṣara is the world of change (Prakṛti). The Akṣara is the witness-consciousness (Puruṣa/Ātman) that does not change. Both are aspects of the one Brahman — the Uttama Puruṣa revealed in the next verse.
Osho noted: 'two Purushas.' The chapter is setting up a triad: perishable, imperishable, and beyond-both. The world is perishable (everything changes and ends). The witness-self is imperishable (unchanged by any experience). And the Purushottama encompasses both.
Kṣaraḥ sarvāṇi bhūtāni — 'the perishable is all beings.' Every being that exists in time is kṣara — subject to change, death, dissolution. The entire manifest universe is kṣara. This is not pessimism but clear seeing.
Kūṭasthaḥ — 'the immovable peak.' Kūṭa means 'the peak/summit of a mountain' — the highest, most stable point. Akṣara Puruṣa is like the summit: while everything below changes and moves, the summit remains unmoved. This is the Ātman as witness.
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Translation
But there is another, the Supreme Person, spoken of as the Supreme Self — the imperishable Lord who, entering the three worlds, upholds and sustains them.
But the supreme Purusha is yet another — spoken of as the Supreme Self — who, having entered the three worlds, sustains them as the imperishable Lord.
The climactic teaching: beyond both Kṣara (perishable world) and Akṣara (imperishable witness), there is the Uttama Puruṣa (Supreme Person) — the Paramātmā — who pervades all three worlds and sustains them as the imperishable Lord (avyaya Īśvara).
In Advaita, the Uttama Puruṣa is Brahman in its full nature — encompassing both the world (Kṣara) and the witness (Akṣara) and transcending both. The Paramātmā is not a third separate entity but the recognition that Kṣara and Akṣara are both aspects of the one non-dual Brahman.
Osho said: 'the supreme Purusha — spoken of as the Supreme Self.' The three-tier structure: world/beings (Kṣara) + unchanging witness (Akṣara) + the Supreme that encompasses and transcends both (Uttama). This is the Gita's ultimate metaphysics.
Lokatrayam āviśya bibharti — 'having entered the three worlds, sustains them.' The Supreme is not distant from the worlds — it enters them, pervades them, and sustains them from within. The three worlds (earth, mid-realm, heaven) are all within and sustained by the Supreme.
Avyayaḥ Īśvaraḥ — 'the imperishable Lord.' The Supreme is both transcendent (Paramātmā, beyond name and form) and immanent (Īśvara, the Lord who sustains). The teaching of Chapter 15 is the recognition of this dual nature of the Supreme.
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Translation
Because I transcend the perishable and am higher even than the imperishable, I am celebrated in the world and in the Veda as Purushottama, the Supreme Person.
Because I transcend the perishable, and am higher even than the imperishable — therefore I am celebrated as Purushottama (the Supreme Person) in the world and in the Veda.
The self-declaration: 'I transcend the Kṣara (world of beings) and am even higher than the Akṣara (unchanging witness) — therefore I am celebrated as Purushottama.' The Divine declares its identity as the Supreme Person who transcends both the world and the witness.
In Advaita, kṣaram atītaḥ akṣarāt apy uttamaḥ — 'beyond Kṣara and higher than Akṣara.' This is the non-dual resolution: the Uttama Puruṣa is not a third entity separate from Kṣara and Akṣara — it is the recognition that both Kṣara and Akṣara are aspects of the one, which in its fullness is Purushottama.
Osho said: 'Purushottama — celebrated in the world and in the Veda.' This name — the Supreme Person — is the meeting point of all the names of the Divine. It says: there is a Person here, not just an abstract principle. And this Person is the ultimate, beyond all categories.
Loke vede ca prathitaḥ — 'celebrated in the world and in the Veda.' Two sources of validation: the universal human experience of the sacred (loka) and the revealed scripture (Veda). The Purushottama is known through both inner experience and scriptural revelation.
Puruṣottamaḥ — 'the Supreme among Purushas.' The uttama (highest, best, most elevated) among all the Puruṣas. Not one among many equals but the incomparable Supreme. This name unites the philosophical (Puruṣa — the cosmic conscious principle) with the devotional (uttama — the most beloved).
▶ Word by Word
Translation
Whoever, undeluded, knows Me thus as the Supreme Person — that one knows all and worships Me with his whole being, O Bharata.
Whoever thus, undeluded, knows Me as the Supreme Person — that one is the knower of all and worships/loves Me with all modes of being, O Bharata.
The fruit of the Purushottama-knowledge: the one who knows Krishna as Purushottama, undeluded (asammūḍha) — is sarvavid (the knower of all) and naturally worships with all modes of being (sarvabhāvena). Knowing the Supreme, one knows all; and this knowing is inseparable from loving.
In Advaita, sarvavid — 'knower of all.' The Muṇḍaka Upaniṣad (1.1.3) declares: 'knowing which, all this is known.' The knowledge of Brahman (Purushottama) is the knowledge of everything — not encyclopedic but the recognition of the one ground of all things.
Osho loved sarvabhāvena bhajati — 'worships with all modes of being.' Not with one aspect — with the entire being. Not just the mind in prayer, not just the body in ritual, not just the emotions in devotion — with all of what one is. This wholeness of worship is itself liberation.
Asammūḍhaḥ — 'undeluded.' The opposite of moha (delusion). The one who knows the Supreme is undeluded because moha (the fundamental confusion about one's own nature) has dissolved. The knowledge of Purushottama is the dissolution of moha.
Sarvavid — 'knower of all.' Not omniscient in the ordinary sense (knowing all facts) but knowing the ground of all — which is the essential knowing. Once you know the one that is the ground of all appearances, you know the essential truth of all appearances.
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Translation
Thus this most secret teaching has been declared by Me, O sinless one. Knowing it, a person becomes truly wise and has accomplished all that is to be done, O Bharata.
Thus this most secret teaching has been declared by Me, O sinless one. Having understood this, one would be intelligent and would have done what is to be done, O Bharata.
The closing verse of Chapter 15: this teaching (Purushottama Yoga) is declared the most secret (guhyatamam) of all shāstras. Having understood it, one is buddhimān (truly intelligent) and kṛtakṛtya — one who has accomplished everything that needs to be accomplished.
In Advaita, kṛtakṛtyaḥ — 'one who has done what is to be done.' Liberation is not the beginning of an endless list of further tasks — it is the completion of the one essential task: knowing the Supreme. Once Brahman is known, nothing remains to be done. The seeker becomes the 'accomplished.''
Osho said: 'this most secret teaching.' Guhyatamam — the most hidden, the deepest secret. Not because it is withheld but because it can only be received when the seeker is ready. The Purushottama-teaching is the deepest layer of the Gita's revelation.
Buddhimān syāt — 'would be truly intelligent.' True intelligence (buddhi) is the recognition of the Supreme. Not intellectual cleverness — the wisdom that discerns the permanent from the impermanent, the real from the apparent, the Purushottama from the Kṣara and Akṣara.
Chapter 15 — Purushottama Yoga — is complete. It has moved from the cosmic tree (the world as upside-down banyan) to the three Purushas (perishable, imperishable, supreme), to the immanence of the Divine (in light, earth, food, digestion, memory, heart) — to the supreme declaration of Purushottama and the teaching that knowing it completes all knowing.