Chapter 15 – The Bhagawad Gita
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ॐ तत्सदिति श्रीमद्भगवद्गीतासूपनिषत्सु ब्रह्मविद्यायां योगशास्त्रे
श्रीकृष्णार्जुन संवादे पुरुषोत्तमयोगो नाम पञ्चदशोऽध्यायः ॥15॥
Chapter 15 – The Bhagawad Gita
(संसार वृक्ष का कथन और भगवत्प्राप्ति का उपाय) श्रीभगवानुवाच-ऊर्ध्वमूलमधः शाखमश्वत्थं प्राहुरव्ययम् । छन्दांसि यस्य पर्णानि यस्तं वेद स वेदवित् ॥
The Supreme Divine Personality said: They speak of an eternal aśhvatth tree with its roots above and branches below. Its leaves are the Vedic hymns, and one who knows the secret of this tree is the knower of the Vedas.
अधश्चोर्ध्वं प्रसृतास्तस्य शाखा गुणप्रवृद्धा विषयप्रवालाः ।अधश्च मूलान्यनुसन्ततानि कर्मानुबन्धीनि मनुष्यलोके ॥
The branches of the tree extend upward and downward, nourished by the three guṇas, with the objects of the senses as tender buds. The roots of the tree hang downward, causing the flow of karma in the human form. Below, its roots branch out causing (karmic) actions in the world of humans.
न रूपमस्येह तथोपलभ्यते नान्तो न चादिर्न च सम्प्रतिष्ठा । अश्वत्थमेनं सुविरूढमूल मसङ्गशस्त्रेण दृढेन छित्त्वा ॥
The real form of this tree is not perceived in this world, neither its beginning nor end, nor its continued existence. But this deep-rooted aśhvatth tree must be cut down with a strong axe of detachment. Then one must search out the base of the tree,
ततः पदं तत्परिमार्गितव्यं यस्मिन्गता न निवर्तन्ति भूयः ।तमेव चाद्यं पुरुषं प्रपद्ये यतः प्रवृत्तिः प्रसृता पुराणी ॥
which is the Supreme Lord, from whom streamed forth the activity of the universe a long time ago. Upon taking refuge in Him, one will not return to this world again.
निर्मानमोहा जितसङ्गदोषाअध्यात्मनित्या विनिवृत्तकामाः । द्वन्द्वैर्विमुक्ताः सुखदुःखसञ्ज्ञैर्गच्छन्त्यमूढाः पदमव्ययं तत् ॥
Those who are free from vanity and delusion, who have overcome the evil of attachment, who dwell constantly in the self and God, who are freed from the desire to enjoy the senses, and are beyond the dualities of pleasure and pain, such liberated personalities attain My eternal Abode.
📖 Related: Killing of Aksha Kumara (Chapter 47)
न तद्भासयते सूर्यो न शशाङ्को न पावकः । यद्गत्वा न निवर्तन्ते तद्धाम परमं मम ॥
Neither the sun nor the moon, nor fire can illumine that Supreme Abode of Mine. Having gone There, one does not return to this material world again.
(जीवात्मा का विषय)श्रीभगवानुवाच-ममैवांशो जीवलोके जीवभूतः सनातनः ।मनः षष्ठानीन्द्रियाणि प्रकृतिस्थानि कर्षति ॥
The embodied souls in this material world are My eternal fragmental parts. But bound by material nature, they are struggling with the six senses including the mind.
शरीरं यदवाप्नोति यच्चाप्युत्क्रामतीश्वरः ।गृहीत्वैतानि संयाति वायुर्गन्धानिवाशयात् ॥
As the air carries fragrance from place to place, so does the embodied soul carry the mind and senses with it, when it leaves an old body and enters a new one.
श्रोत्रं चक्षुः स्पर्शनं च रसनं घ्राणमेव च ।अधिष्ठाय मनश्चायं विषयानुपसेवते ॥
Using the sense perceptions of the ears, eyes, skin, tongue, and nose, which are grouped around the mind, the embodied soul savors the objects of the senses.
उत्क्रामन्तं स्थितं वापि भुञ्जानं वा गुणान्वितम् ।विमूढा नानुपश्यन्ति पश्यन्ति ज्ञानचक्षुषः ॥
The ignorant do not perceive the soul as it resides in the body, and as it enjoys sense objects; nor do they perceive it when it departs. But those who possess the eyes of knowledge can behold it.
यतन्तो योगिनश्चैनं पश्यन्त्यात्मन्यवस्थितम् । यतन्तोऽप्यकृतात्मानो नैनं पश्यन्त्यचेतसः ॥
Striving yogis too are able to realize the soul enshrined in the body. However, those whose minds are not purified cannot cognize it, even though they strive to do so.
(प्रभाव सहित परमेश्वर के स्वरूप का विषय)यदादित्यगतं तेजो जगद्भासयतेऽखिलम् ।यच्चन्द्रमसि यच्चाग्नौ तत्तेजो विद्धि मामकम् ॥
Know that I am like the brilliance of the sun that illuminates the entire solar system. The radiance of the moon and the brightness of the fire also come from Me.
गामाविश्य च भूतानि धारयाम्यहमोजसा ।पुष्णामि चौषधीः सर्वाः सोमो भूत्वा रसात्मकः ॥
Permeating the earth, I nourish all living beings with My energy. Becoming the moon, I nourish all plants with the juice of life.
अहं वैश्वानरो भूत्वा प्राणिनां देहमाश्रितः ।प्राणापानसमायुक्तः पचाम्यन्नं चतुर्विधम् ॥
It is I who take the form of the fire of digestion in the stomachs of all living beings, and combine with the incoming and outgoing breaths, to digest and assimilate the four kinds of foods.
सर्वस्य चाहं हृदि सन्निविष्टोमत्तः स्मृतिर्ज्ञानमपोहनं च ।वेदैश्च सर्वैरहमेव वेद्योवेदान्तकृद्वेदविदेव चाहम् ॥
I am seated in the hearts of all living beings, and from Me come memory, knowledge, as well as forgetfulness. I alone am to be known by all the Vedas, am the author of the Vedānt, and the knower of the meaning of the Vedas.
(क्षर, अक्षर, पुरुषोत्तम का विषय) द्वाविमौ पुरुषौ लोके क्षरश्चाक्षर एव च ।क्षरः सर्वाणि भूतानि कूटस्थोऽक्षर उच्यते ॥
There are two kinds of beings in creation, the kṣhar (perishable) and the akṣhar (imperishable). The perishable are all beings in the material realm. The imperishable are the the liberated beings.
उत्तमः पुरुषस्त्वन्यः परमात्मेत्युदाहृतः । यो लोकत्रयमाविश्य बिभर्त्यव्यय ईश्वरः ॥
Besides these, is the Supreme Divine Personality, who is the indestructible Supreme Soul. He enters the three worlds as the unchanging controller and supports all living beings.
यस्मात्क्षरमतीतोऽहमक्षरादपि चोत्तमः ।अतोऽस्मि लोके वेदे च प्रथितः पुरुषोत्तमः ॥
I am transcendental to the perishable world of matter, and even to the imperishable soul; hence I am celebrated, both in the Vedas and the Smṛitis, as the Supreme Divine Personality.
यो मामेवमसम्मूढो जानाति पुरुषोत्तमम् ।स सर्वविद्भजति मां सर्वभावेन भारत ॥
Those who know Me without doubt as the Supreme Divine Personality truly have complete knowledge. O Arjun, they worship Me with their whole being.
इति गुह्यतमं शास्त्रमिदमुक्तं मयानघ ।एतद्बुद्ध्वा बुद्धिमान्स्यात्कृतकृत्यश्च भारत ॥
I have shared this most secret principle of the Vedic scriptures with you, O sinless Arjun. By understanding this, a person becomes enlightened, and fulfills all that is to be accomplished.
📖 Related: Yajnavalkya Upanishad