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Chapter 15: Puruṣottama Yoga
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— begin anuṣṭubh meter (4x8) —
Śloka 15.1
श्रीभगवानुवाच
śrībhagavānuvāca
ऊर्ध्वमूलमधःशाखम्-
ūrdhvamūlamadhaḥśākham-
अश्वत्थं प्राहुरव्ययम् ।
aśvatthaṃ prāhuravyayam |
छन्दांसि यस्य पर्णानि
chandāṃsi yasya parṇāni
यस्तं वेद स वेदवित् ॥ १ ॥
yastaṃ veda sa vedavit ‖ 1 ‖
~~~
śrī-bhagavān-uvāca: The Blessed + Lord + he said; ūrdhva-mūlam-adhaḥ-śākham-aśvattham: above + roots + below + branches + Aśvattha tree; prāhuḥ-avyayam: they speak + imperishable; chandāṃsi: Vedic hymns; yasya: of which; parṇāni: leaves; yaḥ-tam: he who + that; veda: he has known; saḥ: he; vedavit: knower of the Vedas
The Blessed Lord said: “They speak of an imperishable Aśvattha tree with roots above and branches below, whose leaves are the Vedic hymns. Whoever has known that tree knows the Vedas.”
— begin triṣṭubh meter (4x11) —
Śloka 15.2
अधश्चोर्ध्वं प्रसृतास्तस्य शाखा
adhaścordhvaṃ prasṛtāstasya śākhā
गुणप्रवृद्धा विषयप्रवालाः ।
guṇapravṛddhā viṣayapravālāḥ |
अधश्च मूलान्यनुसन्ततानि
adhaśca mūlānyanusantatāni
कर्मानुबन्धीनि मनुष्यलोके ॥ २ ॥
karmānubandhīni manuṣyaloke ‖ 2 ‖
~~~
adhaḥ-ca-urdhvam: downward + and + upward; prasṛtāḥ-tasya: extending + its; śākhāḥ: branches; guṇa-pravṛddhāḥ: qualities + nourished; viṣaya-pravālāḥ: sense objects + budding twigs; adhaḥ-ca: downward + and; mūlāni-anusantatāni: roots + secondary; karma-anubandhīni: action + binding; manuṣyaloke: to the world of men
“Its branches extend upward and downward, nourished by the qualities. Its budding twigs are the sense objects. Its secondary roots extend downward to the world of men, binding them to action.”
Śloka 15.3
न रूपमस्येह तथोपलभ्यते
na rūpamasyeha tathopalabhyate
नान्तो न चादिर्न च सम्प्रतिष्ठा ।
nānto na cādirna ca sampratiṣṭhā |
अश्वत्थमेनं सुविरूढमूलम्-
aśvatthamenaṃ suvirūḍhamūlam-
असङ्गशस्त्रेण दृढेन छित्त्वा ॥ ३ ॥
asaṅgaśastreṇa dṛḍhena chittvā ‖ 3 ‖
~~~
na: not; rūpam-asya-iha: form + of this + in this world; tathā-upalabhyate: as such + it is perceivable; na-antaḥ: nor + end; na: nor; ca-ādiḥ-na: and + beginning + nor; ca: and; sampratiṣṭhā: middle; aśvattham-enam: Aśvattha tree + this; suvirūḍha-mūlam-asaṅga-śastreṇa: well established + roots + with non-attachment + axe; dṛḍhena: with the mighty; chittvā: having cut down
“The form of this Aśvattha tree cannot be perceived in this world as such, nor its beginning, nor its middle, nor its end. Having cut down this well-rooted tree with the mighty axe of non-attachment…”
Śloka 15.4
ततः पदं तत्परिमार्गितव्यं
tataḥ padaṃ tatparimārgitavyaṃ
यस्मिन्गता न निवर्तन्ति भूयः ।
yasmingatā na nivartanti bhūyaḥ |
तमेव चाद्यं पुरुषं प्रपद्ये
tameva cādyaṃ puruṣaṃ prapadye
यतः प्रवृत्तिः प्रसृता पुराणी ॥ ४ ॥
yataḥ pravṛttiḥ prasṛtā purāṇī ‖ 4 ‖
~~~
tataḥ: then; padam: state; tat-parimārgitavyam: that + to be sought out; yasmin-gatā: in which + having gone; na: not; nivartanti: they return; bhūyaḥ: again; tam-eva: that + certainly; ca-ādyam: and + Primordial; puruṣam: Spirit; prapadye: I seek; yataḥ: from which; pravṛttiḥ: activity; prasṛtā: emerged; purāṇī: long ago
“…then seek out that state from which, having gone, there is no return. ‘I seek that Primordial Spirit from which all this activity emerged long ago.’”
Śloka 15.5
निर्मानमोहा जितसङ्गदोषा
nirmānamohā jitasaṅgadoṣā
अध्यात्मनित्या विनिवृत्तकामाः ।
adhyātmanityā vinivṛttakāmāḥ |
द्वन्द्वैर्विमुक्ताः सुखदुःखसंज्ञैर्-
dvandvairvimuktāḥ sukhaduḥkhasaṃjñair-
गच्छन्त्यमूढाः पदमव्ययं तत् ॥ ५ ॥
gacchantyamūḍhāḥ padamavyayaṃ tat ‖ 5 ‖
~~~
nis-māna-mohā: without + pride + delusion; jita-saṅga-doṣāḥ: having overcome + attachments + evils; adhyātma-nityāḥ: soul + constantly; vinivṛtta-kāmāḥ: freed from + desire; dvandvaiḥ-vimuktāḥ: by (from) pairs of opposites + liberated; sukha-duḥkha-saṃjñaiḥ-gacchanti-amūḍhāḥ: happiness + suffering + by (from) known as + they reach + undeluded; padam-avyayam: State + Eternal; tat: that
“Without pride or delusion, having overcome the evils of worldly attachments, constantly in the soul, freed from desire, liberated from the pair of opposites known as happiness and suffering, the undeluded reach that Eternal State.”
— begin anuṣṭubh meter (4x8) —
Śloka 15.6
न तद्भासयते सूर्यो
na tadbhāsayate sūryo
न शशाङ्को न पावकः ।
na śaśāṅko na pāvakaḥ |
यद्गत्वा न निवर्तन्ते
yadgatvā na nivartante
तद्धाम परमं मम ॥ ६ ॥
taddhāma paramaṃ mama ‖ 6 ‖
~~~
na: neither; tat-bhāsayate: that + it illuminates; sūryaḥ: sun; na: nor; śaśāṅkaḥ: moon; na: nor; pāvakaḥ: fire; yat-gatvā: which + having gone to; na: not; nivartante: they return; tat-dhāma: that + State; paramam: Supreme; mama: my
“Neither the sun, nor the moon, nor fire illumines that state. Having gone to which, there is no return. That is my Supreme State.”
Śloka 15.7
ममैवांशो जीवलोके
mamaivāṃśo jīvaloke
जीवभूतः सनातनः ।
jīvabhūtaḥ sanātanaḥ |
मनःषष्ठानीन्द्रियाणि
manaḥṣaṣṭhānīndriyāṇi
प्रकृतिस्थानि कर्षति ॥ ७ ॥
prakṛtisthāni karṣati ‖ 7 ‖
~~~
mama-eva-aṃśaḥ: of me + certainly + part; jīvaloke: in the world of living beings; jīva-bhūtaḥ: soul + having become; sanātanaḥ: eternal; manaḥ-ṣaṣṭhāni-indriyāṇi: mind + six + senses; prakṛti-sthāni: nature + established in; karṣati: it draws to itself
“An eternal part of myself, having become a soul in the world of living beings, draws to itself from nature the six senses including mind.”
Śloka 15.8
शरीरं यदवाप्नोति
śarīraṃ yadavāpnoti
यच्चाप्युत्क्रामतीश्वरः ।
yaccāpyutkrāmatīśvaraḥ |
गृहीत्वैतानि संयाति
gṛhītvaitāni saṃyāti
वायुर्गन्धानिवाशयात् ॥ ८ ॥
vāyurgandhānivāśayāt ‖ 8 ‖
~~~
śarīram: body; yat-avāpnoti: which + it acquires; yat-ca-api-utkrāmati-īśvaraḥ: which + and + also + it departs + soul; gṛhītvā-etāni: having retained + these; saṃyāti: it carries away; vāyuḥ-gandhān-iva-āśayāt: wind + odors + like + from the source
“The soul acquires a body and departs it having retained these senses, just as the wind carries away odors from their source.”
Śloka 15.9
श्रोत्रं चक्षुः स्पर्शनं च
śrotraṃ cakṣuḥ sparśanaṃ ca
रसनं घ्राणमेव च ।
rasanaṃ ghrāṇameva ca |
अधिष्ठाय मनश्चायं
adhiṣṭhāya manaścāyaṃ
विषयानुपसेवते ॥ ९ ॥
viṣayānupasevate ‖ 9 ‖
~~~
śrotram: hearing; cakṣuḥ: seeing; sparśanam: touching; ca: and; rasanam: tasting; ghrāṇam-eva: smelling + certainly; ca: and; adhiṣṭhāya: by means of; manaḥ-ca-ayam: mind + and + this; viṣayān-upasevate: sense objects + it experiences
“By means of hearing, seeing, feeling, tasting, smelling, and the mind, the [soul] experiences the sense objects.”
Śloka 15.10
उत्क्रामन्तं स्थितं वाऽपि
utkrāmantaṃ sthitaṃ vā’pi
भुञ्जानं वा गुणान्वितम् ।
bhuñjānaṃ vā guṇānvitam |
विमूढा नानुपश्यन्ति
vimūḍhā nānupaśyanti
पश्यन्ति ज्ञानचक्षुषः ॥ १० ॥
paśyanti jñānacakṣuṣaḥ ‖ 10 ‖
~~~
utkrāmantam: departing; sthitam: remaining; vā-api: or + also; bhuñjānam: experiences; vā: or; guṇānvitam: in conjunction with the qualities; vimūḍhāḥ: deluded; na-anupaśyanti: not + they see; paśyanti: they see; jñānacakṣuṣaḥ: from (with) the eye of knowledge
“The [soul] experiences in conjunction with the qualities. The deluded do not see it depart or remain. But those with the eye of knowledge see it.”
Śloka 15.11
यतन्तो योगिनश्चैनं
yatanto yoginaścainaṃ
पश्यन्त्यात्मन्यवस्थितम् ।
paśyantyātmanyavasthitam |
यतन्तोऽप्यकृतात्मानो
yatanto’pyakṛtātmāno
नैनं पश्यन्त्यचेतसः ॥ ११ ॥
nainaṃ paśyantyacetasaḥ ‖ 11 ‖
~~~
yatantaḥ: aspiring; yoginaḥ-ca-enam: yogīs + and + this; paśyanti-ātmani-avasthitam: they see + in themselves + situated; yatantaḥ-api-akṛtātmānaḥ: trying + even though + unprepared; na-enam: not + this; paśyanti-acetasaḥ: they see + unintelligent
“Aspiring yogīs see this [soul] situated in themselves. But the unprepared and unintelligent cannot see it, even though they try.”
Śloka 15.12
यदादित्यगतं तेजो
yadādityagataṃ tejo
जगद्भासयतेऽखिलम् ।
jagadbhāsayate’khilam |
यच्चन्द्रमसि यच्चाग्नौ
yaccandramasi yaccāgnau
तत्तेजो विद्धि मामकम् ॥ १२ ॥
tattejo viddhi māmakam ‖ 12 ‖
~~~
yat-ādityagatam: which + in the sun; tejaḥ: light; jagat-bhāsayate-akhilam: world + it illuminates + entire; yat-candramasi: which + in the moon; yat-ca-agnau: which + and + in fire; tat-tejaḥ: that + light; viddhi: you should know; māmakam: mine
“The light which is in the sun, the moon, and fire, illuminating the whole world, know that to be my light.”
Śloka 15.13
गामाविश्य च भूतानि
gāmāviśya ca bhūtāni
धारयाम्यहमोजसा ।
dhārayāmyahamojasā |
पुष्णामि चौषधीः सर्वाः
puṣṇāmi cauṣadhīḥ sarvāḥ
सोमो भूत्वा रसात्मकः ॥ १३ ॥
somo bhūtvā rasātmakaḥ ‖ 13 ‖
~~~
gām-āviśya: earth + having entered; ca: and; bhūtāni: living beings; dhārayāmi-aham-ojasā: I sustain + I + with energy; puṣṇāmi: I nourish; ca-auṣadhīḥ: and + plants; sarvāḥ: all; somaḥ: moon; bhūtvā: having become; rasātmakaḥ: watery
“Having entered the earth, I sustain all living beings with my energy. Having become the watery moon, I nourish all plants.”
Śloka 15.14
अहं वैश्वानरो भूत्वा
ahaṃ vaiśvānaro bhūtvā
प्राणिनां देहमाश्रितः ।
prāṇināṃ dehamāśritaḥ |
प्राणापानसमायुक्तः
prāṇāpānasamāyuktaḥ
पचाम्यन्नं चतुर्विधम् ॥ १४ ॥
pacāmyannaṃ caturvidham ‖ 14 ‖
~~~
aham: I; vaiśvānaraḥ: digestive fire; bhūtvā: having become; prāṇinām: living beings; deham-āśritaḥ: bodies + situated; prāṇa-apāna-samāyuktaḥ: upward inhalation + downward exhalation + in conjunction with; pacāmi-annam: I digest + food; caturvidham: four types
“Having become the digestive fire in the bodies of all living beings, I digest the four kinds of food in conjunction with the upward inhalation and the downward exhalation.”
— begin triṣṭubh meter (4x11) —
Śloka 15.15
सर्वस्य चाहं हृदि सन्निविष्टो
sarvasya cāhaṃ hṛdi sanniviṣṭo
मत्तः स्मृतिर्ज्ञानमपोहनं ।
mattaḥ smṛtirjñānamapohanaṃ |
च वेदैश्च सर्वैरहमेव वेद्यो
ca vedaiśca sarvairahameva vedyo
वेदान्तकृद्वेदविदेव चाहम् ॥ १५ ॥
vedāntakṛdvedavideva cāham ‖ 15 ‖
~~~
sarvasya: of all; ca-aham: and + I; hṛdi: heart; sanniviṣṭaḥ: seated; mattaḥ: from me; smṛtiḥ-jñānam-apohanam: memory + knowledge + reasoning; ca: and; vedaiḥ-ca: by the Vedas + and; sarvaiḥ-aham-eva: by all + I + alone; vedyaḥ: to be known; vedāntakṛt-vedavit-eva: compiler of the Vedas + knower of the Vedas + certainly; ca-aham: and + I
“I am seated in the heart of all. From me comes memory, knowledge, and reasoning. I alone am the compiler of, knower of, and what is to be known by all the Vedas.”
— begin anuṣṭubh meter (4x8) —
Śloka 15.16
द्वाविमौ पुरुषौ लोके
dvāvimau puruṣau loke
क्षरश्चाक्षर एव च ।
kṣaraścākṣara eva ca |
क्षरः सर्वाणि भूतानि
kṣaraḥ sarvāṇi bhūtāni
कूटस्थोऽक्षर उच्यते ॥ १६ ॥
kūṭastho’kṣara ucyate ‖ 16 ‖
~~~
dvau-imau: two + these; puruṣa: spirits; loke: in the world; kṣaraḥ-ca-akṣaraḥ: perishable + and + imperishable; eva: only; ca: and; kṣaraḥ: perishable; sarvāṇi: all; bhūtāni: living beings; kūṭasthaḥ-akṣara: soul + imperishable; ucyate: it is said
“It is said there are only two spirits in the world. The ‘perishable’ is all living beings, and the ‘imperishable’ is the soul.”
Śloka 15.17
उत्तमः पुरुषस्त्वन्यः
uttamaḥ puruṣastvanyaḥ
परमात्मेत्युदाहृतः ।
paramātmetyudāhṛtaḥ |
यो लोकत्रयमाविश्य
yo lokatrayamāviśya
बिभर्त्यव्यय ईश्वरः ॥ १७ ॥
bibhartyavyaya īśvaraḥ ‖ 17 ‖
~~~
uttamaḥ: higher; puruṣaḥ-tu-anyaḥ: spirit + but + another; paramātmā-iti-udāhṛtaḥ: Supreme Self + thus + called; yaḥ: which; lokatrayam-āviśya: three worlds + having pervaded; bibharti-avyayaḥ: it supports + immutable; īśvaraḥ: Oversoul
“But there is another higher spirit called the ‘Supreme Self,’ which having pervaded the three worlds, supports them as the immutable Oversoul.”
Śloka 15.18
यस्मात्क्षरमतीतोऽहम्-
yasmātkṣaramatīto’ham-
अक्षरादपि चोत्तमः ।
akṣarādapi cottamaḥ |
अतोऽस्मि लोके वेदे च
ato’smi loke vede ca
प्रथितः पुरुषोत्तमः ॥ १८ ॥
prathitaḥ puruṣottamaḥ ‖ 18 ‖
~~~
yasmāt-kṣaram-atītaḥ-aham-akṣarāt-api: because + perishable [spirit] + beyond + I + than the imperishable [spirit] + even; ca-uttamaḥ: and + higher; ataḥ-asmi: therefore + I am; loke: in the world; vede: in the Vedas; ca: and; prathitaḥ: celebrated; puruṣottamaḥ: Supreme Spirit
“Because I am beyond the perishable [spirit] and am even higher than the imperishable [spirit], I am therefore celebrated as the ‘Supreme Spirit’ in the world and in the Vedas.”
Śloka 15.19
यो मामेवमसम्मूढो
yo māmevamasammūḍho
जानाति पुरुषोत्तमम् ।
jānāti puruṣottamam |
स सर्वविद्भजति मां
sa sarvavidbhajati māṃ
सर्वभावेन भारत ॥ १९ ॥
sarvabhāvena bhārata ‖ 19 ‖
~~~
yaḥ: he who; mām-evam-asammūḍhaḥ: me + thus + undeluded; jānāti: he knows; puruṣottamam: Supreme Spirit; saḥ: he; sarvavit-bhajati: knows all + he worships; mām: me; sarvabhāvena: wholeheartedly; bhārata: O Descendant of Bharata
“One who is undeluded and knows me as the Supreme Spirit, O Descendant of Bharata, knows all and worships me wholeheartedly.”
Śloka 15.20
इति गुह्यतमं शास्त्रम्-
iti guhyatamaṃ śāstram-
इदमुक्तं मयानघ ।
idamuktaṃ mayānagha |
एतद्बुद्ध्वा बुद्धिमान्स्यात्-
etadbuddhvā buddhimānsyāt-
कृतकृत्यश्च भारत ॥ २० ॥
kṛtakṛtyaśca bhārata ‖ 20 ‖
~~~
iti: thus; guhya-tamam: secret + most; śāstram-idam-uktam: teaching + this + has been revealed; mayā-anagha: by me + O Sinless; etat-buddhvā: this + having understood; buddhimān-syāt-kṛtakṛtyaḥ-ca: enlightened + he will be + having fulfilled one’s duty + and; bhārata: O Descendant of Bharata
“Thus has the most secret teaching been revealed by me, O Sinless. Having understood this, one will be enlightened and have fulfilled their duty, O Descendant of Bharata.”