Bhagavad Gita Chapter 15: The Supreme Person

Bhagavad Gita chapter 15 in English

Every verse below comes from Diya's Bhagavad Gita library, in verse order.

Sanskrit and transliteration	English
15.1 ऊर्ध्वमूलमधःशाखमश्वत्थं प्राहुरव्ययम्। छन्दांसि यस्य पर्णानि यस्तं वेद स वेदवित्॥ ūrdhvamūlamadhaḥśākhamaśvatthaṃ prāhuravyayam \| chandāṃsi yasya parṇāni yastaṃ veda sa vedavit \|\|	They speak of an eternal Ashvattha rooted above and branching below, whose leaves are the Vedas; one who knows it, is a Veda-knower.
15.2 अधश्चोर्ध्वं प्रसृतास्तस्य शाखा गुणप्रवृद्धा विषयप्रवालाः। अधश्च मूलान्यनुसन्ततानि कर्मानुबन्धीनि मनुष्यलोके॥ adhaścordhvaṃ prasṛtāstasya śākhā guṇapravṛddhā viṣayapravālāḥ \| adhaśca mūlānyanusantatāni karmānubandhīni manuṣyaloke \|\|	Its branches spread below and above, nourished by the guṇas, with sense objects as their shoots. and roots extend downward in the human world, binding through action.
15.3 न रूपमस्येह तथोपलभ्यते नान्तो न चादिर्न च सम्प्रतिष्ठा। अश्वत्थमेनं सुविरूढमूलमसङ्गशस्त्रेण दृढेन छित्त्वा॥ na rūpamasyeha tathopalabhyate nānto na cādirna ca sampratiṣṭhā \| aśvatthamenaṃ suvirūḍhamūlamasaṅgaśastreṇa dṛḍhena chittvā \|\|	Its true form, end, beginning, and foundation are truly not perceived here. Cut down this deeply rooted Ashvattha tree with the strong axe of non-attachment.
15.4 ततः पदं तत्परिमार्गितव्यं यस्मिन्गता न निवर्तन्ति भूयः। तमेव चाद्यं पुरुषं प्रपद्ये यतः प्रवृत्तिः प्रसृता पुराणी॥ tataḥ padaṃ tatparimārgitavyaṃ yasmingatā na nivartanti bhūyaḥ \| tameva cādyaṃ puruṣaṃ prapadye yataḥ pravṛttiḥ prasṛtā purāṇī \|\|	Then that goal is to be sought for, going whither the wise do not return again. I seek refuge in that Primeval Purusha where streamed forth the eternal Activity.
15.5 निर्मानमोहा जितसङ्गदोषा अध्यात्मनित्या विनिवृत्तकामाः। द्वन्द्वैर्विमुक्ताः सुखदुःखसंज्ञैर्गच्छन्त्यमूढाः पदमव्ययं तत्॥ nirmānamohā jitasaṅgadoṣā adhyātmanityā vinivṛttakāmāḥ \| dvandvairvimuktāḥ sukhaduḥkhasaṃjñairgacchantyamūḍhāḥ padamavyayaṃ tat \|\|	Free from pride and delusion, with the evil of attachment conquered, ever dwelling in the Self, with desires completely receded, liberated from opposites known as pleasure and pain, the undeluded reach that goal eternal.
15.6 न तद्भासयते सूर्यो न शशाङ्को न पावकः। यद्गत्वा न निवर्तन्ते तद्धाम परमं मम॥ na tadbhāsayate sūryo na śaśāṅko na pāvakaḥ \| yadgatvā na nivartante taddhāma paramaṃ mama \|\|	That the sun illumines not, nor the moon, nor fire; that is My Supreme abode, going whither they return not.
15.7 ममैवांशो जीवलोके जीवभूतः सनातनः। मनःषष्ठानीन्द्रियाणि प्रकृतिस्थानि कर्षति॥ mamaivāṃśo jīvaloke jīvabhūtaḥ sanātanaḥ \| manaḥṣaṣṭhānīndriyāṇi prakṛtisthāni karṣati \|\|	An eternal portion of Myself having become a living soul in the world of life, draws (to itself) the (five) senses with mind for the sixth, abiding in prakriti.
15.8 शरीरं यदवाप्नोति यच्चाप्युत्क्रामतीश्वरः। गृहीत्वैतानि संयाति वायुर्गन्धानिवाशयात्॥ śarīraṃ yadavāpnoti yaccāpyutkrāmatīśvaraḥ \| gṛhītvaitāni saṃyāti vāyurgandhānivāśayāt \|\|	When the embodied self takes up or leaves a body, it carries the senses along, as wind carries scents from their source.
15.9 श्रोत्रं चक्षुः स्पर्शनं च रसनं घ्राणमेव च। अधिष्ठाय मनश्चायं विषयानुपसेवते॥ śrotraṃ cakṣuḥ sparśanaṃ ca rasanaṃ ghrāṇameva ca \| adhiṣṭhāya manaścāyaṃ viṣayānupasevate \|\|	Presiding over hearing, sight, touch, taste, smell, and the mind, the embodied self experiences sense objects.
15.10 उत्क्रामन्तं स्थितं वापि भुञ्जानं वा गुणान्वितम्। विमूढा नानुपश्यन्ति पश्यन्ति ज्ञानचक्षुषः॥ utkrāmantaṃ sthitaṃ vāpi bhuñjānaṃ vā guṇānvitam \| vimūḍhā nānupaśyanti paśyanti jñānacakṣuṣaḥ \|\|	Him while transmigrating from one body to another, or residing (in the same) or experiencing, or when united with the guṇas,—the deluded do not see; but those who have the eye of wisdom behold Him.
15.11 यतन्तो योगिनश्चैनं पश्यन्त्यात्मन्यवस्थितम्। यतन्तोऽप्यकृतात्मानो नैनं पश्यन्त्यचेतसः॥ yatanto yoginaścainaṃ paśyantyātmanyavasthitam \| yatanto’pyakṛtātmāno nainaṃ paśyantyacetasaḥ \|\|	The Yogis striving (for perfection) behold Him dwelling in themselves. but the unrefined and unintelligent, even though striving, see Him not.
15.12 यदादित्यगतं तेजो जगद्भासयतेऽखिलम्। यच्चन्द्रमसि यच्चाग्नौ तत्तेजो विद्धि मामकम्॥ yadādityagataṃ tejo jagadbhāsayate’khilam \| yaccandramasi yaccāgnau tattejo viddhi māmakam \|\|	The light which, residing in the sun illumines the whole world, that which is truly in the moon and in the fire—know that light to be Mine.
15.13 गामाविश्य च भूतानि धारयाम्यहमोजसा। पुष्णामि चौषधीः सर्वाः सोमो भूत्वा रसात्मकः॥ gāmāviśya ca bhūtāni dhārayāmyahamojasā \| puṣṇāmi cauṣadhīḥ sarvāḥ somo bhūtvā rasātmakaḥ \|\|	Entering the earth with My power, I sustain all beings. becoming the moon, the essence of sap, I nourish all plants.
15.14 अहं वैश्वानरो भूत्वा प्राणिनां देहमाश्रितः। प्राणापानसमायुक्तः पचाम्यन्नं चतुर्विधम्॥ ahaṃ vaiśvānaro bhūtvā prāṇināṃ dehamāśritaḥ \| prāṇāpānasamāyuktaḥ pacāmyannaṃ caturvidham \|\|	Abiding in the body of living beings as (the fire) Vaishvanara, I, associated with Prana and Apana, digest the fourfold food.
15.15 सर्वस्य चाहं हृदि सन्निविष्टो मत्तः स्मृतिर्ज्ञानमपोहनं च। वेदैश्च सर्वैरहमेव वेद्यो वेदान्तकृद्वेदविदेव चाहम्॥ sarvasya cāhaṃ hṛdi sanniviṣṭo mattaḥ smṛtirjñānamapohanaṃ ca \| vedaiśca sarvairahameva vedyo vedāntakṛdvedavideva cāham \|\|	I am centred in the hearts of all; memory and perception as well as their loss come from Me. I am that which has to be known by all the Vedas, I indeed am the Author of the Vedanta, and the Knower of the Veda am I.
15.16 द्वाविमौ पुरुषौ लोके क्षरश्चाक्षर एव च। क्षरः सर्वाणि भूतानि कूटस्थोऽक्षर उच्यते॥ dvāvimau puruṣau loke kṣaraścākṣara eva ca \| kṣaraḥ sarvāṇi bhūtāni kūṭastho’kṣara ucyate \|\|	There are two purusas in the world: the perishable and the imperishable. All beings are perishable; the unchanging principle is called imperishable.
15.17 उत्तमः पुरुषस्त्वन्यः परमात्मेत्युदाहृतः। यो लोकत्रयमाविश्य बिभर्त्यव्यय ईश्वरः॥ uttamaḥ puruṣastvanyaḥ paramātmetyudāhṛtaḥ \| yo lokatrayamāviśya bibhartyavyaya īśvaraḥ \|\|	But (there is truly) another, the Supreme Purusha, called the Highest Self, the immutable Lord, who pervading the three worlds, sustains them.
15.18 यस्मात्क्षरमतीतोऽहमक्षरादपि चोत्तमः। अतोऽस्मि लोके वेदे च प्रथितः पुरुषोत्तमः॥ yasmātkṣaramatīto’hamakṣarādapi cottamaḥ \| ato’smi loke vede ca prathitaḥ puruṣottamaḥ \|\|	Because I transcend the perishable and am higher even than the imperishable, I am celebrated in the world and in the Veda as the Supreme Person.
15.19 यो मामेवमसम्मूढो जानाति पुरुषोत्तमम्। स सर्वविद्भजति मां सर्वभावेन भारत॥ yo māmevamasammūḍho jānāti puruṣottamam \| sa sarvavidbhajati māṃ sarvabhāvena bhārata \|\|	One who free from delusion thus knows Me, the Highest Spirit, he knowing all, worships Me with all his heart, O descendant of Bharata.
15.20 इति गुह्यतमं शास्त्रमिदमुक्तं मयानघ। एतद्बुद्ध्वा बुद्धिमान्स्यात्कृतकृत्यश्च भारत॥ iti guhyatamaṃ śāstramidamuktaṃ mayānagha \| etadbuddhvā buddhimānsyātkṛtakṛtyaśca bhārata \|\|	Thus this most secret teaching has been declared by Me, O sinless one. Understanding it, one becomes wise and has fulfilled all that must be done.

You can read all 18 chapters in Diya. To see where chapter 15 sits in the whole text, start with the 18 chapters of the Bhagavad Gita, or read how to start the Bhagavad Gita as a beginner.

Previous chapter: Chapter 14: The Three Guṇas. Next chapter: Chapter 16: Divine and Demonic Tendencies.

Bhagavad Gita Chapter 15: The Supreme Person

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Bhagavad Gita chapter 15 in English

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