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Bhagavad Gita Chapter 15

"The Yoga of The Supreme Person"

Bhagavad Gita for All - A practical guide to everyday
living Audio Lecture series by
Spiritual Master Nalin Nirula

Bhagavad Gita 15.1-15.2

Bhagavad Gita 15.1

śrī-bhagavān uvāca
ūrdhva-mūlam adhaḥ-śākham
aśvatthaṁ prāhur avyayam
chandāṁsi yasya parṇāni
yas taṁ veda sa veda-vit

Synonyms

śrī-bhagavān uvāca — the Supreme Lord said; ūrdhva-mūlam —
upward rising roots (in aversion to the Supreme Lord); adhaḥ — downwards
facing; śākham — branches (representing the beings in the material world
from Lord Brahma to those in the lowest species) ; aśvattham — a banyan
tree that is transient (for those in devotion to the Supreme Lord Kṛṣṇa);
prāhuḥ — is said in the scriptures (in describing the material world);
avyayam — eternal; chandāṁsi — the Vedic hymns (specially the
Chandayoga Upanisad); yasya — of which banyan tree; parṇāni — the
nourishing leaves; yaḥ — anyone who; tam — that; veda — knows; saḥ —
he; veda-vit — the knower of the Vedas.

Translation
The Supreme Lord Sri Krishna said: The scriptures say that the
material world is like a banyan tree which is imperishable for those
averse to the highest principle—the Supreme Lord, and yet temporary for those who are devoted to the Lord. It has its roots rising upward and its branches going downward, and the leaves nourishing this tree are the vedic hymns. One who knows the truth of the nature of this tree is called a knower of the vedas.

Bhagavad Gita 15.2

adhaś cordhvaṁ prasṛtās tasya śākhā
guṇa-pravṛddhā viṣaya-pravālāḥ
adhaś ca mūlāny anusantatāni
karmānubandhīni manuṣya-loke

Synonyms

adhaḥ — downward; ca — and; ūrdhvam — upward (to the plane of
celestial beings); prasṛtāḥ — extended; tasya śākhāḥ — Its branches,
representing the living beings; guṇa — by the three modes of material nature;
pravṛddhāḥ — nourished; viṣaya — sense objects; pravālāḥ — twigs (with
its shoots, representing the objects of the senses); adhaḥ — extending downward
(to the planes of human, animal, and lower beings); ca — and; mūlāni —
roots; anusantatāni — have extended (as a secondary causal factor, as the search
to enjoy the fruits of actions); karma — to work; anubandhīni — bound
(karma anubandhīni –According to religious and irreligious actions) ; manuṣyaloke — in the world of human society in the plane of karma and karmic
consequences.

Translation
The branches of this tree represent the jivas, the shoots represent the objects of the senses. The upward rising branches extend to the higher planes of existence, while the downward branches extend to the plane of human, animal and lower species of existence, taking root in the world of humans governed by binding karma.

Bhagavad Gita 15.3-15.4

Bhagavad Gita 15.3-4

na rūpam asyeha tathopalabhyate
nānto na cādir na ca sampratiṣṭhā
aśvattham enaṁ su-virūḍha-mūlam
asaṅga-śastreṇa dṛḍhena chittvā

tataḥ padaṁ tat parimārgitavyaṁ
yasmin gatā na nivartanti bhūyaḥ
tam eva cādyaṁ puruṣaṁ prapadye
yataḥ pravṛttiḥ prasṛtā purāṇī

Synonyms

na — not; rūpam — the inverted form; asya — of this tree; iha — within this world; tathā — also; upalabhyate — that which is realized; na — never (without vedic knowledge); antaḥ — end; na — nor; ca — also; ādiḥ — its origins; na — never; ca — also; sampratiṣṭhā — the foundation; aśvattham — banyan tree; enam — this; su-virūḍha — strongly; mūlam — rooted; asaṅga-śastreṇa — getting the weapon of detachment form association with devotees- sadhu sanga; dṛḍhena — strong; chittvā —cutting; tataḥ —thereafter; padam — that place, (the lotus feet of the Lord); tat — that; parimārgitavyam — the way to which has to be searched out; yasmin — where; gatāḥ — going; na — never; nivartanti — they come back; bhūyaḥ — again; tam — to Him; eva — certainly; ca — also; ādyam — original; puruṣam — the Personality of Godhead; prapadye — surrender, take shelter of; yataḥ — from whom; pravṛttiḥ — the beginning; prasṛtā — extended; purāṇi — very old.

Translation
The true form of this inverted ashvattha tree cannot be seen in the material world and cannot be realized without vedic knowledge. Its beginning, foundation and end cannot be perceived or understood by anyone. Thereafter, getting the sharp axe of detachment through the association of the saintly devotees, one must firmly cut down this illusory tree of material association that is rooted in aversion to the Supreme Lord. Then, one must search out the place, where having once gone, one never returns to the material plane of existence, which is lotus feet of the Supreme Lord Viṣṇu. From there one must also certainly surrender to the Supreme Personality of Godhead, from whom this unending illusory tree of the material world has appeared.

Bhagavad Gita 15.5-15.9

Bhagavad Gita 15.5

nirmāna-mohā jita-saṅga-doṣā
adhyātma-nityā vinivṛtta-kāmāḥ
dvandvair vimuktāḥ sukha-duḥkha-saṁjñair
gacchanty amūḍhāḥ padam avyayaṁ tat

Synonyms

nir — without; māna — false prestige; mohāḥ — and delusion (false belief) – [Having become free from pride and delusion]; jita — having conquered, becoming free; saṅga — of association, attachment; doṣāḥ — the faults; adhyātma —spiritual knowledge of the self, self-realization; nityāḥ — (dedicated to/engrossed in the) eternal; vinivṛtta — disassociated; kāmāḥ — from lust; dvandvaiḥ — from the dualities; vimuktāḥ — liberated; sukhaduḥkha — happiness and distress; saṁjñaiḥ — named; gacchanti — attain; amūḍhāḥ — un-bewildered; padam — position, shelter ; avyayam — eternal; tat — that.

Translation
Free from false prestige, and the delusion of being a creator; free of faulty and unholy association; dedicated to spiritual knowledge and realization of the eternal self; free from the lust for the temporary material, and liberated from the duality known as happiness and distress—those un-deluded and surrendered souls reach that position which is the eternal shelter.

Bhagavad Gita 15.6

na tad bhāsayate sūryo
na śaśāṅko na pāvakaḥ
yad gatvā na nivartante
tad dhāma paramaṁ mama

Synonyms

na — not; tat — that; bhāsayate — illuminates; sūryaḥ — the sun; na — nor; śaśāṅkaḥ — the moon; na — nor; pāvakaḥ — fire, electricity; yat — where; gatvā — going; na — never; nivartante — they come back; tat dhāma — that abode; paramam — supreme; mama — My.

Translation
Neither the sun nor the moon nor fire nor electricity illuminate My Supreme abode, Goloka Vrindavana and the Vaikuntha planets. One who Bhagavad Gita for All (Lectures by Nalin Nirula) © 2017, All Rights Reserved, Nalin Nirula 5 reaches My all-illuminating abode never comes back to the material world.

Bhagavad Gita 15.7

mamaivāṁśo jīva-loke
jīva-bhūtaḥ sanātanaḥ
manaḥ-ṣaṣṭhānīndriyāṇi
prakṛti-sthāni karṣati

Synonyms

mama — My; eva — certainly; aṁśaḥ — fragmental particle; jīvaloke — in the world of conditional life; jīva-bhūtaḥ — the conditioned living entity; sanātanaḥ — eternal; manaḥ — with the mind; ṣaṣṭhāni — the six; indriyāṇi — senses; prakṛti — in material nature (the separated inferior and separated superior); sthāni — situated; karṣati — attract, adopts, struggles.

Translation
The individual spirit souls are certainly the separated particles and potencies of Mine. These entities are eternal, but under the influence of material nature they are situated in a conditioned form of life, adopting and struggling with the five senses, and the mind which is the sixth sense.

Bhagavad Gita 15.8

śarīraṁ yad avāpnoti
yac cāpy utkrāmatīśvaraḥ
gṛhītvaitāni saṁyāti
vāyur gandhān ivāśayāt

Synonyms

śarīram — the body; yat — as; avāpnoti — gets; yat — as; ca api — also; utkrāmati — gives up; īśvaraḥ — the lord of the body; gṛhītvā — taking; etāni — all these; saṁyāti — goes away; vāyuḥ — the air; gandhān — smells; iva — like; āśayāt — from their source.

Translation
In any bodily form that it enters and from which it departs to enter another, the soul as the master of that body carries with it these six subtle senses and the impressions they have created, just as the air carries the fragrance of a flower from its source to another place.

Bhagavad Gita 15.9

śrotraṁ cakṣuḥ sparśanaṁ ca
rasanaṁ ghrāṇam eva ca
adhiṣṭhāya manaś cāyaṁ
viṣayān upasevate

Synonyms

śrotram — ears; cakṣuḥ — eyes; sparśanam — touch (via the skin); ca — also; rasanam — tongue; ghrāṇam — smelling power; eva — also; ca — and; adhiṣṭhāya — presiding over; manaḥ — mind; ca — also; ayam — the living entity; viṣayān — sense objects; upasevate — enjoys.

Translation
Having entered a material body, the living being presides over the ears, eyes, skin, tongue, nose and the mind, and enjoys the sense objects of sound, form, touch, taste and smell.

Bhagavad Gita 15.10-15.14

Bhagavad Gita 15.10

utkrāmantaṁ sthitaṁ vāpi
bhuñjānaṁ vā guṇānvitam
vimūḍhā nānupaśyanti
paśyanti jñāna-cakṣuṣaḥ

Synonyms

utkrāmantam — departing the body; sthitam — situated in the body; vā api — either bhuñjānam — enjoying; vā — or guṇa-anvitam —(senses and their objects) under influence of the material modes of nature ; vimūḍhāḥ — deluded and foolish persons; na anupaśyanti — can not see; paśyanti — can see; jñāna-cakṣuṣaḥ — those who have the eyes of spiritual intelligence.

Translation
The deluded and foolish cannot see the soul when it leaves the body, nor when it is in the body, nor when it is enjoying the body through its senses and its objects under the influence of the material modes of nature, but one who has the eyes of spiritual intelligence can see this.

Bhagavad Gita 15.11

yatanto yoginaś cainaṁ,
paśyanty ātmany avasthitam
yatanto ’py akṛtātmāno,
nainaṁ paśyanty acetasaḥ

Synonyms

yatantaḥ — sincere, persevering; yoginaḥ — seeking transcendentalists; ca — also; enam — this; paśyanti — can see; ātmani — in the self; avasthitam — situated; yatantaḥ api — although making efforts; akṛta-ātmānaḥ — those without controlled senses and without self-realization; na — do not; enam — this; paśyanti — see; acetasaḥ — having undeveloped minds.

Translation
Among the different types of yogis, the sincere seekers situated in self realization can see the soul self within. Those who lack self control cannot see this even though they make efforts, because their minds and understanding are undeveloped.

Bhagavad Gita 15.12

yad āditya-gataṁ tejo,
jagad bhāsayate ’khilam
yac candramasi yac cāgnau
tat tejo viddhi māmakam

Synonyms

yat — that which; āditya-gatam — in the sunshine; tejaḥ —effulgent splendor; jagat — the whole world; bhāsayate — illuminates; akhilam — entirely; yat candramasi — that (light) which is in the moon; yat — that which; ca —is also; agnau — in fire; tat — that; tejaḥ — brilliant heat and splendor; viddhi — understand; māmakam — from Me.

Translation
The effulgent splendor of the sun that illuminates the entire universe, the light that is in the moon, and the brilliant heat and splendor of fire all come from Me.

Bhagavad Gita 15.13

gām āviśya ca bhūtāni,
dhārayāmy aham ojasā
puṣṇāmi cauṣadhīḥ sarvāḥ,
somo bhūtvā rasātmakaḥ

Synonyms

gām — the planets; āviśya — entering; ca — also; bhūtāni — the living entities; dhārayāmi — maintain and sustain ; aham — I; ojasā — by My potency; puṣṇāmi — am nourishing; ca — and; auṣadhīḥ — plants, herbs and vegetables; sarvāḥ — all; somaḥ — the moon’s life-giving rays; bhūtvā — becoming; rasa-ātmakaḥ — essential juice.

Translation
Entering the planets and the earth, I maintain and sustain all the living entities by My potency, and by becoming the moon and through its life-giving rays I provide the essential nourishing juice of life in plants, herbs and vegetables.

Bhagavad Gita 15.14

ahaṁ vaiśvānaro bhūtvā,
prāṇināṁ deham āśritaḥ
prāṇāpāna-samāyuktaḥ,
pacāmy annaṁ catur-vidham

Synonyms

aham — I; vaiśvānaraḥ —the fire of digestion; bhūtvā — becoming; prāṇinām — of all living entities; deham — in the bodies; āśritaḥ — situated; prāṇa — the outgoing air; apāna — the down-going air; samāyuktaḥ — keeping in balance; pacāmi — I digest; annam — foodstuff; catuḥ-vidham — the four kinds (chewed, sucked, licked or drunk).

Translation
I enter into the bodies of the living entities as the fire of digestion and acting with the ascending outgoing prana, and inward descending apana life airs, I digest the four kinds of foodstuff—that which is chewed (khadva), sucked (soshva), licked (lehya) and drank (peya).

Bhagavad Gita 15.15 Sarvasya Chaham

Bhagavad Gita 15.15

sarvasya cāhaṁ hṛdi sanniviṣṭo
mattaḥ smṛtir jñānam apohanaṁ ca
vedaiś ca sarvair aham eva vedyo
vedānta-kṛd veda-vid eva cāham

Synonyms

sarvasya — of all living beings; ca aham — and I; hṛdi — in the heart; sanniviṣṭaḥ — situated; mattaḥ — from Me; smṛtiḥ — remembrance of the self; jñānam — knowledge; apohanam — that drives away both (forgetfulness); ca — and; vedaiḥ — by the Vedas; ca — also; sarvaiḥ — all; aham — I am; eva — alone; vedyaḥ — the knowable Absolute object; vedānta-krt — the creator, compiler of the Vedas and the deliverer of the fruits of vedic sacrifices = Vedānta; veda-vit — the knower of the Vedas; eva — certainly; ca — and; aham — I.

Translation
I am situated in the heart of all souls as the observing and guiding Supersoul, and from Me arise the soul’s remembrance of the self, knowledge, as well as forgetfulness of both. I am the creator of the Vedas and I alone am the Sweet Absolute to be known through the Vedas. “As Veda Vyāsa, I am the compiler and revealer of the conclusion of the Vedas—the Vedānta, and I am the knower of the Vedas and the deliverer of the results of following the vedic procedures.

Bhagavad Gita 15.16 Two Types Being

“There are only two types of living beings that exist in the world—the fallible, and the infallible. All the living beings from Lord Brahma to the lowest entity are perishable due to having fallen away from their true nature and having come in contact with material nature. Those who are situated in their eternally perfect nature in oneness of eternal association with the Supreme Lord, are known as infallible.”

Bhagavad Gita 15.16

dvāv imau puruṣau loke
kṣaraś cākṣara eva ca
kṣaraḥ sarvāṇi bhūtāni
kūṭa-stho ’kṣara ucyate

Synonyms

dvau — two; imau (eva)— (only) of these [imau dvau eva]; puruṣau — living entities; loke — in the world; kṣaraḥ — changeable, perishable, fallible; ca — and; akṣaraḥ — immutable, infallible; eva — certainly; ca — and; kṣaraḥ —perishable, fallible; sarvāṇi — all; bhūtāni — living entities; kūṭa-sthaḥ — spiritually situated in oneness; akṣaraḥ — infallible; ucyate — are described.

Translation
“There are only two types of living beings that exist in the world—the fallible, and the infallible. All the living beings from Lord Brahma to the lowest entity are perishable due to having fallen away from their true nature and having come in contact with material nature. Those who are situated in their eternally perfect nature in oneness of eternal association with the Supreme Lord, are known as infallible.”

Bhagavad Gita 15.17-15.18

Bhagavad Gita 15.17

uttamaḥ puruṣas tv anyaḥ
paramātmety udāhṛtaḥ
yo loka-trayam āviśya
bibharty avyaya īśvaraḥ

Synonyms

uttamaḥ — the supreme, highest, best; puruṣaḥ — person, personality; tu — but; anyaḥ — another; parama-ātmā — the Supreme Soul; iti — thus; udāhṛtaḥ — is described; yaḥ — who; loka trayam—the three divisions of the world (universe); āviśya — enters; bibharti — maintains, sustains; avyayaḥ — eternal; īśvaraḥ — the Lord.

Translation
“Other than these two types of living beings, there is another who is described as the Supreme Soul, Paramatma, the imperishable transcendental Lord who has Himself entered the three worlds in His eternal form and is maintaining all living beings.”

Bhagavad Gita 15.18

yasmāt kṣaram atīto ’ham
akṣarād api cottamaḥ
ato ’smi loke vede ca
prathitaḥ puruṣottamaḥ

Synonyms

yasmāt — because; kṣaram —to the perishable beings; atītaḥ — transcendental; aham — I am; akṣarāt — the imperishable beings; api — also; ca — and; uttamaḥ — superior; ataḥ — therefore; asmi — I am; loke — in the world; vede — in the Vedic literature; ca — and; prathitaḥ — celebrated; puruṣa-uttamaḥ — as the Supreme Person.

Translation
“Because I am transcendental to the perishable beings, and am also superior to My infallible eternal associates, My glories are sung throughout the universe and in the Vedas as that Supreme Person— Puruṣottamaḥ.”

Bhagavad Gita 15.19-15.20

Bhagavad Gita 15.19

yo mām evam asammūḍho
jānāti puruṣottamam
sa sarva-vid bhajati māṁ
sarva-bhāvena bhārata

Synonyms

yaḥ — anyone who; mām — Me; evam — only, thus; asammūḍhaḥ — without a doubt; jānāti — knows; puruṣa-uttamam — the Supreme Personality of Godhead; saḥ — he; sarva-vit — the knower of everything; bhajati — renders devotional service; mām — unto Me; sarva-bhāvena — in all moods; bhārata — O son of Bharata.

Translation
“One who knows Me thus without doubt as the Supreme Person Puruṣottama, of the eternal blissful form, such a one is the knower of everything. He therefore engages himself in rendering devotional service to Me in many ways, O son of Bharata.”

Bhagavad Gita 15.20

iti guhya-tamaṁ śāstram
idam uktaṁ mayānagha
etad buddhvā buddhimān syāt
kṛta-kṛtyaś ca bhārata

Synonyms

iti — thus; guhya-tamam — the most confidential; śāstram — revealed scripture; idam — this; uktam — disclosed; mayā — by Me; anagha — O sinless one; etat — this; buddhvā — understanding; buddhi-mān — intelligent; syāt — one becomes; kṛta-kṛtyaḥ — the most perfect in his endeavors; ca — and; bhārata — O son of Bharata.

Translation
“This most confidential hidden treasure of the Vedic scriptures has now been revealed and described by Me, O sinless one. Whoever takes this understanding to heart becomes wise, and attains perfection in his endeavors, O son of Bharata.”