gita-chapter-15-en
{
"title": "Chapter 15: Puruṣhottam Yog",
"chapterIntro": "Shree Krishna had enlightened Arjun in the previous chapter that by transcending the effects of the three gunas (modes of material nature), one can achieve the divine goal. He also declared that engaging in exclusive devotion is the best means of transcending beyond these gunas. Such devotion is practiced by detaching the mind from the world and attaching it to God alone. Therefore, it is essential to understand both. He has already explained the nature of God in the previous chapters. In this chapter, He explains the material world graphically—so that Arjun can understand its nature and develop detachment from it.\nShree Krishna compares the material world to an upside-down aśhvatth (sacred fig) tree. On the branches of this mysterious tree, the embodied souls wander up and down, from lifetime after lifetime. They are unable to comprehend its origin, age, expanse, or how it continues to grow. However, as God is the source of this tree, its roots face upwards toward the sky. Its leaves are the fruitive activities defined in the Vedas. The three gunas irrigate this tree, which creates the objects of the senses that are like buds on the tree branches. These buds sprout aerial roots that further propagate this aśhvatth tree over a large area.\nBy describing in detail this symbolism of the upside-down aśhvatth (sacred fig) tree, this chapter conveys the concept of how in ignorance of this tree of material existence, the embodied souls keep growing their bondage in the material world. Shree Krishna declares that if we are searching for the Supreme Lord, then we must first cut this tree of material existence with the axe of detachment. Then we must look for its base because the Supreme Lord Himself is the source of the material world as well. Once we find the source and surrender to Him as advised in this chapter, we will reach the Abode of God forever and never return to this material world.\nShree Krishna then explains that, as the souls are also His eternal fragments, they too are divine. However, they are under the influence of material nature, thus, struggle with their six senses, including the mind. The embodied soul, ignorant of its divine nature, savors the material objects of the senses. He then describes the transmigration of the soul to a new body at the time of death and how it carries with it the mind and senses; from the present and previous lives. The ignorant can neither perceive the presence of the soul in the body when alive nor its departure upon death. However, the yogis see this process clearly with the eyes of knowledge and purity of their minds. Similarly, God is everywhere in His creation; one needs to use the eyes of knowledge to realize His presence.\nLord Krishna reveals that, by recognizing the glories of God that shine forth all around us in this world, we can realize His existence. At the end of this chapter, He explains the terms: kshar, akshar, and Purushottam. Kshar are the perishable beings residing in the material world. The liberated beings who live in the Abode of God are called akshar. The Supreme Divine Personality, who is the eternal source, sustainer, and regulator of the entire world, is called Purushottam or God. He is transcendental to both imperishable and perishable beings. Therefore, we must worship God with complete surrender.",
"verseList": [
{
"verseTitle": "Bhagavad Gita 15.1",
"verse": "1",
"chapter": 15,
"lang": "en",
"shloka": {
"speaker": "",
"sanskrit": "श्रीभगवानुवाच |\nऊर्ध्वमूलमध:शाखमश्वत्थं प्राहुरव्ययम् |\nछन्दांसि यस्य पर्णानि यस्तं वेद स वेदवित् || 1||",
"text": "श्रीभगवानुवाच |\nऊर्ध्वमूलमध:शाखमश्वत्थं प्राहुरव्ययम् |\nछन्दांसि यस्य पर्णानि यस्तं वेद स वेदवित् || 1||",
"audioLink": "https://www.holy-bhagavad-gita.org/public/audio/015_001.mp3"
},
"wordMeanings": "",
"translation": {
"text": "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.",
"hindiAudioLinks": [
"https://www.gitasupersite.iitk.ac.in/sites/default/files/audio/Tejomayananda/chapter/C15-H-01.mp3"
],
"englishAudioLinks": [
"https://www.gitasupersite.iitk.ac.in/sites/default/files/audio/Purohit/15.1.mp3"
]
},
"commentary": "Lord Shree Krishna speaks of the eternal Aśhvatth tree, which is an upside-down peepal (sacred fig) tree with its roots above and branches below. Aśhvatth also means; which will not remain the same even on the next day or something which is constantly changing. The Sanskrit word for the world, Sansar is defined in the Sanskrit dictionary as sansaratīti sansāraḥ; something that is constantly shifting. Another Sanskrit word for the world Jagat is also defined as gachchhatīti jagat, that means it is a constantly moving world. The world is not just moving or constantly changing, but someday it will be completely destroyed and reverted unto God. Therefore, the world we live in is temporary, or Aśhvatth.\nThe Lord explains that this material world is like a huge Aśhvatth tree for the soul. Its roots are going upwards (ūrdhva-mūlam) originating from God; nourished and supported by Him. The trunk and branches which are extending downwards (adhaḥ-śhākham) encompass all the life-forms from different abodes of the material realm. Its leaves are the Vedic mantras (chhandānsi), which describe rituals, ceremonies, and its reward. By performing such rituals, the soul can ascend to the heavenly abodes and enjoy celestial pleasures, but eventually, when the rewards deplete, they have to fall back to earth.\nIn this way, the leaves of the Aśhvatth tree nourish the material existence of the souls and perpetuate the continuous cycle of life and death. Due to this continuity, the beginning and the end are not experienced by the souls. Hence, this tree form of the world is Avyayam or eternal. As the water from the oceans evaporates forming clouds that rain the earth, which then forms rivers, and eventually flows back to the oceans. Likewise, the cycle of life and death is also continuous.\nThe Vedas also mention this tree:\nūrdhvamūlo ’vākśhākha eṣho ’śhvatthaḥ sanātanaḥ (Kaṭhopaniṣhad 2.3.1)\n“The aśhvatth tree, with its roots upward and branches downward is eternal.”\nūrdhvamūlaṁ arvākśhākhaṁ vṛikṣhaṁ yo samprati\nna sa jātu janaḥ śhraddhayātmṛityutyurmā mārayaditi (Taittirīya Āraṇyak 1.11.5)\n“Those who know this tree with its roots upward and branches downward will not believe that death can finish them.”\nThe intention of describing this tree in the Vedas was to make us understand that, we are beyond the cycle of life and death, and we should work towards cutting this tree down. For the same purpose, Lord Shree Krishna has mentioned that one who understands the secret (of cutting) this tree of samsara is the knower of the Vedas (veda vit)."
},
{
"verseTitle": "Bhagavad Gita 15.2",
"verse": "2",
"chapter": 15,
"lang": "en",
"shloka": {
"speaker": "",
"sanskrit": "अधश्चोर्ध्वं प्रसृतास्तस्य शाखा\nगुणप्रवृद्धा विषयप्रवाला: |\nअधश्च मूलान्यनुसन्ततानि\nकर्मानुबन्धीनि मनुष्यलोके || 2||",
"text": "अधश्चोर्ध्वं प्रसृतास्तस्य शाखा\nगुणप्रवृद्धा विषयप्रवाला: |\nअधश्च मूलान्यनुसन्ततानि\nकर्मानुबन्धीनि मनुष्यलोके || 2||",
"audioLink": "https://www.holy-bhagavad-gita.org/public/audio/015_002.mp3"
},
"wordMeanings": "",
"translation": {
"text": "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.",
"hindiAudioLinks": [
"https://www.gitasupersite.iitk.ac.in/sites/default/files/audio/Tejomayananda/chapter/C15-H-02.mp3"
],
"englishAudioLinks": [
"https://www.gitasupersite.iitk.ac.in/sites/default/files/audio/Purohit/15.2.mp3"
]
},
"commentary": "Lord Krishna went on to explain how the human form is similar to the aśhvatth tree. While in the human form the soul performs karmas, which is the trunk of the tree, and its branches (śhākhās) extend both upward (ūrddhva) and downward (adhaḥ). Based on how the soul performed in its past and present forms it is reborn. If it led a virtuous life, when reborn, it moves to the upward branches which denote the celestial abodes of the gandharvas, devatās, etc. In case, a soul was involved in sinful acts, in the next birth, it gets degraded to the downwards branches, which are for the nether regions and animal species.\nSimilar to how water irrigates a tree, the three modes of material nature or the three gunas irrigate this eternal tree of material existence. The sense objects generated by these gunas are like buds on the tree (viṣhaya-pravālāḥ), which sprout causing further growth. These buds sprout creating several aerial roots of material desires. For example, another tree of the fig family, the banyan tree has aerial roots which grow straight from the branches, down to the ground, and with the passage of time these turn into secondary trunks. This makes the banyan tree grow huge, covering a large area. “The Great Banyan” in the Botanical Garden of Kolkata, is one of the largest known banyan trees. It is spread across a vast area of about 4.7 acres, with over 3700 aerial roots and crown circumference of about 486 meters.\nLikewise, in the context of the material world, the sense objects are like the buds on the aśhvatth tree, which sprout into aerial roots as they evoke desires of bodily pleasures in a person. To satiate these desires, a living being performs karma. But these desires are unending and keep increasing; similar to the aerial roots, which provide nourishment to this metaphorical tree, causing its unlimited expansion. Eventually, the soul gets further entangled into this web of material consciousness."
},
{
"verseTitle": "Bhagavad Gita 15.3 – 15.4",
"verse": "3-4",
"chapter": 15,
"lang": "en",
"shloka": {
"speaker": "",
"sanskrit": "न रूपमस्येह तथोपलभ्यते\nनान्तो न चादिर्न च सम्प्रतिष्ठा |\nअश्वत्थमेनं सुविरूढमूल\nमसङ्गशस्त्रेण दृढेन छित्त्वा || 3||\nतत: पदं तत्परिमार्गितव्यं\n यस्मिन्गता न निवर्तन्ति भूय: |\nतमेव चाद्यं पुरुषं प्रपद्ये\nयत: प्रवृत्ति: प्रसृता पुराणी || 4||",
"text": "न रूपमस्येह तथोपलभ्यते\nनान्तो न चादिर्न च सम्प्रतिष्ठा |\nअश्वत्थमेनं सुविरूढमूल\nमसङ्गशस्त्रेण दृढेन छित्त्वा || 3||\nतत: पदं तत्परिमार्गितव्यं\n यस्मिन्गता न निवर्तन्ति भूय: |\nतमेव चाद्यं पुरुषं प्रपद्ये\nयत: प्रवृत्ति: प्रसृता पुराणी || 4||",
"audioLink": "https://www.holy-bhagavad-gita.org/public/audio/015_003-004.mp3"
},
"wordMeanings": "",
"translation": {
"text": "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, 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.",
"hindiAudioLinks": [
"https://www.gitasupersite.iitk.ac.in/sites/default/files/audio/Tejomayananda/chapter/C15-H-03.mp3",
"https://www.gitasupersite.iitk.ac.in/sites/default/files/audio/Tejomayananda/chapter/C15-H-04.mp3"
],
"englishAudioLinks": [
"https://www.gitasupersite.iitk.ac.in/sites/default/files/audio/Purohit/15.3.mp3",
"https://www.gitasupersite.iitk.ac.in/sites/default/files/audio/Purohit/15.4.mp3"
]
},
"commentary": "Shree Krishna says that the mystery of the aśhvatth tree is not easy to understand for the embodied souls, as they are deeply entangled in the continuous cycle of life and death. The buds of the tree, which are the objects of the senses lure them into developing desires. Ignorant souls keep working hard towards fulfilling these desires, which only keep increasing and nourish the tree to grow further. When such desires are fulfilled, they return with double the intensity forming greed. But when obstructed it causes anger, which fogs the intellect and further deepens the ignorance.\nIn the bodily form, the soul only thinks of itself to be the person in flesh and bones. It is forgetful of its origin and its eternal existence. It identifies itself with its human name, family, country, etc. Thus, to satisfy the bodily needs and in quest of material happiness, the living being gets involved in unfruitful endeavors. Sometimes to satiate one’s materialistic desires knowingly or unknowingly a human being commits sins. These cause it to move downward and it is reborn in the lower species and nether regions. Whereas, sometimes it gets attracted towards the leaves of this tree, which are the ritualistic ceremonies of the Vedas, these help in accumulating pious merits. The propensity of material pleasures drives the human being to involve in such pious activities. The pious merits help the soul move upward in the celestial abodes, but once these merits deplete, it is sent back to the lower forms, and this cycle continues. Thus, Chaitanya Mahaprabhu said:\nkṛiṣhṇa bhuli ’sei jīva anādi-bahirmukha, ataeva māyā tāre deya samsāra-duḥkhakabhu swarge uṭhāya, kabhu narake ḍubāya, daṇḍya-jane rājā yena nadīte chubāy(Chaitanya Charitāmṛit, Madhya Leela 20.117-118)\n“Since the soul is forgetful of God since eternity, the material energy is subjecting it to worldly miseries. Sometimes, it lifts the soul to the celestial abodes, and other times it drops it down to the hellish regions. This is akin to the torture meted by kings in olden times.” In the olden days, some kings ordered a very torturous punishment, wherein a person’s head was immersed into the water almost till suffocation, then released for a few gasps, again put back into the water, and was repeated. The condition is similar for a soul trapped in the tree of material existence, it is pushed back and forth between the upper and lower regions according to its merits. When born in the celestial forms it enjoys some temporary relief, which fades soon and the soul gets dropped back to the human form.\nSeveral lifetimes have passed, and the soul continues to work towards material enjoyment. This has caused the tree to expand its roots of desire farther and has become huge. Yet, this tree can be cut with dispassion says, Lord Shree Krishna. The remedy for the soul’s never-ending suffering is asaṅg, which means detachment. The axe of detachment can cut the roots of desires which are nourished by the three modes of material nature. The Lord further explains that this axe of detachment can only be developed with the knowledge of the self. One has to realize that, “I am not this material body, but an eternal spiritual being. The everlasting happiness that I pursue cannot be achieved with material things. My endeavors towards gratification of the material desires of this material body have no satiation, they are only getting me further trapped in the samsara or the web of life and death.” With detachment, one can stop further growth of the tree roots, and due to lack of nourishment, the tree starts to wither.\nThe next step is to look for the base of this upside-down tree, which in real terms is on the top and much higher than everything else. It’s here that the Supreme Lord of all creation resides. As Lord Shree Krishna had earlier mentioned, “I am the origin of all creation. Everything proceeds from Me. The wise who know this perfectly worship Me with great faith and devotion.” (Verse 10.8) Therefore, to find the ultimate source, we must surrender to God as explained in this verse: “I submit unto Him from whom the universe came into being a long time ago.”\nThis way, the unfathomable tree can be conquered and axed. However, in an earlier verse Shree Krishna has also said that, “My divine energy, Maya, consisting of the three modes of nature, is very difficult to overcome. But those who surrender unto Me cross over it easily.” (Verse 7.14) Therefore, the only way to cut down the aśhvatth tree is by totally surrendering to the Supreme Lord and taking his refuge. By doing this, we will not return to this material world, and after death will go to His divine Abode.\nIn the next verse, Shree Krishna has revealed the requirements for the process of surrender."
},
{
"verseTitle": "Bhagavad Gita 15.5",
"verse": "5",
"chapter": 15,
"lang": "en",
"shloka": {
"speaker": "",
"sanskrit": "निर्मानमोहा जितसङ्गदोषा\nअध्यात्मनित्या विनिवृत्तकामा: |\nद्वन्द्वैर्विमुक्ता: सुखदु:खसंज्ञै\nर्गच्छन्त्यमूढा: पदमव्ययं तत् || 5||",
"text": "निर्मानमोहा जितसङ्गदोषा\nअध्यात्मनित्या विनिवृत्तकामा: |\nद्वन्द्वैर्विमुक्ता: सुखदु:खसंज्ञै\nर्गच्छन्त्यमूढा: पदमव्ययं तत् || 5||",
"audioLink": "https://www.holy-bhagavad-gita.org/public/audio/015_005.mp3"
},
"wordMeanings": "",
"translation": {
"text": "Those who are free from vanity and delusion, who have overcome the evil of attachment, who dwell constantly on the self and on God, who are free from the desire to enjoy the senses, and are beyond the dualities of pleasure and pain, such liberated personalities attain My eternal Abode.",
"hindiAudioLinks": [
"https://www.gitasupersite.iitk.ac.in/sites/default/files/audio/Tejomayananda/chapter/C15-H-05.mp3"
],
"englishAudioLinks": [
"https://www.gitasupersite.iitk.ac.in/sites/default/files/audio/Purohit/15.5.mp3"
]
},
"commentary": "In this verse, Shree Krishna has explained the requisites for complete surrender to the Supreme Lord, who is at the base of this enigmatic aśhvatth tree. The first step is to give up all pride, which is due to ignorance. The embodied souls have an illusion that they are the governors of all the material wealth that they have acquired, and continue accumulating more. Their minds are blinded by pride borne by ignorance, they think that all this is for their enjoyment, and would continue giving them happiness. A soul in such a state does not comprehend God as the owner of all. Thus, cannot surrender unto his will.\nOnly through proper knowledge of God can this false notion of being the enjoyer be removed. It is necessary to realize that God alone is the owner of all the material energy and it needs to be used for his service only. He is the master of the entire creation, and the souls are his eternal servants. The souls should give up the attitude of pride and develop an attitude of selfless service to the Lord. This can be achieved by understanding the true nature of the self as the eternal servant, eliminating material attachments that pull us towards the world and away from him. The Padma Purāṇ states:\ndāsa bhūtamidaṁ tasya jagatsthāvara jangamamśhrīmannārāyaṇa swāmī jagatānprabhurīśhwaraḥ\n“The Supreme Lord Narayan is the controller and the Lord of the world. All moving and non-moving beings and entities in this creation are His servants.” Hence, as our desire to serve God increases, the illusion of being the enjoyer of prakṛiti (material world) gets gradually eliminated and the heart is cleansed. Jagadguru Shree Kripaluji Maharaj emphasizes this above everything else, as the most powerful means for purifying the heart:\nsau bātana kī bāta ika, dharu muralīdhara dhyāna,baṛhavahu sevā-vāsanā, yaha sau jñānana jñāna.(Bhakti Śhatak, verse 74)\n“Out of a hundred advice for purification, the most important is this. Let your mind be absorbed in the divine flute-player, Shree Krishna, and keep increasing your desire to serve Him. This counsel is more important than a hundred such gems of knowledge.”\nBut what happens once our etheric hearts are cleansed and become perfectly situated in the loving service of the Lord? In this verse, Shree Krishna says that all those perfected souls enter his spiritual realm and stay there forever. Once the state of God-realization is achieved, the material realm serves no purpose, the soul is free from the cycle of life and death. It now stays in God’s divine Abode along with other perfected, God-realized souls. The material realm is only one-fourth, while the spiritual realm is three-fourths of the entire creation. As a city prison only occupies a small part of a large city, similarly, the material realm is a very small part of God’s vast creation. The Vedas state:\npādo ’sya viśhwā bhūtāni, tripādasya amṛitam divi (Puruṣh Sūktam Mantra 3)\n“This temporary world made from the material energy is but one part of creation. The other three parts are the eternal Abode of God that is beyond the phenomenon of life and death.”\nIn the next verse, Shree Krishna explains the nature of the eternal Abode."
},
{
"verseTitle": "Bhagavad Gita 15.6",
"verse": "6",
"chapter": 15,
"lang": "en",
"shloka": {
"speaker": "",
"sanskrit": "न तद्भासयते सूर्यो न शशाङ्को न पावक: |\nयद्गत्वा न निवर्तन्ते तद्धाम परमं मम || 6||",
"text": "न तद्भासयते सूर्यो न शशाङ्को न पावक: |\nयद्गत्वा न निवर्तन्ते तद्धाम परमं मम || 6||",
"audioLink": "https://www.holy-bhagavad-gita.org/public/audio/015_006.mp3"
},
"wordMeanings": "",
"translation": {
"text": "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.",
"hindiAudioLinks": [
"https://www.gitasupersite.iitk.ac.in/sites/default/files/audio/Tejomayananda/chapter/C15-H-06.mp3"
],
"englishAudioLinks": [
"https://www.gitasupersite.iitk.ac.in/sites/default/files/audio/Purohit/15.6.mp3"
]
},
"commentary": "Here, Lord Shree Krishna briefly describes his divine Abode, which he says is self-luminous. No sun, moon or fire is required to light it up. As the material realm is created by Maya (material energy), it is full of defects and dualities. Whereas, the divine realm is created by Yogmaya (spiritual energy), which is both transcendental and perfect. It is also described as sat-chit-ānand (full of bliss, knowledge, and eternality).\nThe Paravyom is the spiritual sky of the divine realm. It is filled with splendor and divine opulence. It contains numerous abodes of various eternal forms of God. Narayan, Ram, Shree Krishna, etc. all have their separate Abodes. They reside there eternally along with their devotees and perform divine Leelas (Pastimes). In a prayer to Shree Krishna Brahma says:\ngoloka-nāmni nija-dhāmni tale cha tasyadevī maheśha-hari-dhāmasu teṣhu teṣhute te prabhāva-nichayā vihitāśh cha yenagovindam ādi-puruṣhaṁ tam ahaṁ bhajāmi(Brahma Samhitā verse 43)\n“In the spiritual sky is Golok, the personal Abode of Shree Krishna. That spiritual sky also contains the Abodes of Narayan, Shiv, Durga, etc. I adore Supreme Divine Personality Lord Krishna, by the majesty of whose opulence, this is possible.” Brahma has further described Golok in the following verse:\nānanda-chinmaya-rasa-pratibhāvitābhistābhir ya eva nija-rūpatayā kalābhiḥgoloka eva nivasaty akhilātma-bhūtogovindam ādi-puruṣhaṁ tam ahaṁ bhajāmi(Brahma Samhitā verse 37)\n“I worship Govind, the Supreme Lord, who resides in Golok with the expansion of His own form, Radha. Their eternal Associates are the sakhis, who are enlivened by the ever-blissful spiritual energy and are the embodiments of sixty-four artistic abilities.”\nShree Krishna assures Arjun that souls who attain him, reside eternally with him in His Supreme Abode, which is perfect in every way. These devotees become free from samsara the cycle of birth and death and get to participate in His Divine Leelas."
},
{
"verseTitle": "Bhagavad Gita 15.7",
"verse": "7",
"chapter": 15,
"lang": "en",
"shloka": {
"speaker": "",
"sanskrit": "ममैवांशो जीवलोके जीवभूत: सनातन: |\nमन:षष्ठानीन्द्रियाणि प्रकृतिस्थानि कर्षति || 7||",
"text": "ममैवांशो जीवलोके जीवभूत: सनातन: |\nमन:षष्ठानीन्द्रियाणि प्रकृतिस्थानि कर्षति || 7||",
"audioLink": "https://www.holy-bhagavad-gita.org/public/audio/015_007.mp3"
},
"wordMeanings": "",
"translation": {
"text": "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.",
"hindiAudioLinks": [
"https://www.gitasupersite.iitk.ac.in/sites/default/files/audio/Tejomayananda/chapter/C15-H-07.mp3"
],
"englishAudioLinks": [
"https://www.gitasupersite.iitk.ac.in/sites/default/files/audio/Purohit/15.7.mp3"
]
},
"commentary": "In the previous verse, Shree Krishna explained that all the perfected souls who find Him go to His Abode and never return to the material world. Now in this verse he says, but those who remain in the material world are also His Anśha or fragmental parts.\nAre the embodied souls also a part of God? To understand this, we must first look at what are the different forms in which God manifests. There are mainly two forms:\nSwānśh: All the direct forms of God, who are His integrated parts and not different from Lord Shree Krishna are called swānśh. They are also known as His Avatars such as Shree Ram, Narshingh Bhagavan, Varaha, Matsya, etc.\nVibhinnānśh: All the souls of existence come under this category; they are not directly His parts. These take form from His material energy or jīva śhakti. Shree Krishna had previously explained this in Verse 7.5 “But beyond the material energy, O mighty-armed Arjun, there is another superior energy of Mine. It is the embodied souls who are the basis of life in this world.”\nThese vibhinnānśh souls are further divided into three kinds:\nNitya Siddha: The liberated souls, who have always resided in the divine realm of God since eternity and participate in His divine Pastimes.\nSādhan Siddha: Those souls from the material world, who practiced sādhanā and attained the Supreme Lord. And now they reside in the divine realm for the rest of eternity.\nNitya Baddha: The embodied souls who have been trapped in the material realm since eternity. Due to their material existence, these souls are dis-illusioned by their five senses and the mind. They are struggling in samsara; the cycle of birth and death.\nThe Kaṭhopaniṣhad states:\nparāñchi khāni vyatṛiṇat swayambhūḥ (2.1.1)\n“The creator, Brahma, has made the senses such that they are turned outward toward the world.”\nTherefore, Shree Krishna said for the vibhinnānśh nitya baddha parts, “Bound by their material nature, these souls are struggling with the six senses including the mind.” In the next verse, He explains when a soul moves from one body to another upon death, what happens to the mind and the senses."
},
{
"verseTitle": "Bhagavad Gita 15.8",
"verse": "8",
"chapter": 15,
"lang": "en",
"shloka": {
"speaker": "",
"sanskrit": "शरीरं यदवाप्नोति यच्चाप्युत्क्रामतीश्वर: |\nगृहीत्वैतानि संयाति वायुर्गन्धानिवाशयात् || 8||",
"text": "शरीरं यदवाप्नोति यच्चाप्युत्क्रामतीश्वर: |\nगृहीत्वैतानि संयाति वायुर्गन्धानिवाशयात् || 8||",
"audioLink": "https://www.holy-bhagavad-gita.org/public/audio/015_008.mp3"
},
"wordMeanings": "",
"translation": {
"text": "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.",
"hindiAudioLinks": [
"https://www.gitasupersite.iitk.ac.in/sites/default/files/audio/Tejomayananda/chapter/C15-H-08.mp3"
],
"englishAudioLinks": [
"https://www.gitasupersite.iitk.ac.in/sites/default/files/audio/Purohit/15.8.mp3"
]
},
"commentary": "Here, Shree Krishna has given the example of the breeze to explain the process of transmigration of a soul from one body into another. Similar to the breeze, which carries with it the fragrances of the flowers, upon the death of the gross body, the soul carries with it the subtle and the causal bodies, these include the senses and the mind. (The concept of three kinds of bodies has been explained in detail in Verse 2.28).\nEven when the material body dies, the soul continues to carry the mind along with the experiences of its past lifetimes from its former body to the new one. That explicates why people who are born blind can still dream, probably based on their experiences from past lives. Dreams are considered to be a visual representation of what we see or think during waking hours. It might be in a distorted or rambled form, which gets connected in our mind when we sleep. For example, someone saw a bird flying and thought, “How wonderful will it be to fly like a bird!” Sometime later, he dreams that he is flying in his human body itself. Yet, a blind person who has not seen anything from birth dreams, this can only be due to all the impressions that are stored in the subconscious mind, which it carries with it from past lifetimes.\nIn the next verse, Shree Krishna explains what the soul does with the mind and senses it takes with it when it departs from its present body."
},
{
"verseTitle": "Bhagavad Gita 15.9",
"verse": "9",
"chapter": 15,
"lang": "en",
"shloka": {
"speaker": "",
"sanskrit": "श्रोत्रं चक्षु: स्पर्शनं च रसनं घ्राणमेव च |\nअधिष्ठाय मनश्चायं विषयानुपसेवते || 9||",
"text": "श्रोत्रं चक्षु: स्पर्शनं च रसनं घ्राणमेव च |\nअधिष्ठाय मनश्चायं विषयानुपसेवते || 9||",
"audioLink": "https://www.holy-bhagavad-gita.org/public/audio/015_009.mp3"
},
"wordMeanings": "",
"translation": {
"text": "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.",
"hindiAudioLinks": [
"https://www.gitasupersite.iitk.ac.in/sites/default/files/audio/Tejomayananda/chapter/C15-H-09.mp3"
],
"englishAudioLinks": [
"https://www.gitasupersite.iitk.ac.in/sites/default/files/audio/Purohit/15.9.mp3"
]
},
"commentary": "The soul is divine, then how does it savor the objects of the senses? With the help of the mind and the senses, it can enjoy taste, smell, touch, feel or hear sounds. Even though the mind and senses are lifeless, due to the consciousness of the soul they become lifelike. This helps them to experience pleasure and pain from their thoughts, situations, persons, and objects of the senses. Then the embodied soul identifies the same experiences of the mind and the senses as its own because of the ego.\nThe trouble here is, that the happiness experienced through the mind and the senses is material, but the soul is divine. Hence, regardless of the amount, the soul can never be satisfied with such material pleasures. It is restless and continuously keeps searching for that ultimate source of happiness.\nRalph Waldo Emerson an American philosopher very beautifully said, “We grant that human life is mean. But how did we find out that it is mean? What is the ground of this uneasiness, of this old discontent? What is this universal sense of want and ignorance, but the fine innuendo by which the soul makes its enormous claim?” Another famous philosopher, Meister Eckhart has written: “There is something in the soul which is above the living being, divine and simple. This light is only satisfied with the supra essential essence.”\nThe divine bliss, which is both eternal and infinite; that the uncontended soul is continuously searching for; can only be attained from God. Those who realize that the mind and the senses are the cause of bondage, and the only way to break free is to turn these instruments of senses towards God, progresses on the path of devotion. Saint Tulsidas, the author of Ramayana in Hindi (Awadhi) is an excellent example.\nAs a young lad, he was madly in love with his wife. Once she went for a few days to her parents’ house, which was in a nearby village across a stream. At night, the weather was bad, but Tulsidas was very restless and eager to meet her. He decided to go and meet her right away. It was very dark and raining, so no boatman was willing to take him across the stream. Then he saw something floating nearby, thinking that it was a log, he clung to it and swam across. When he reached her house, it was late, he was hesitant to wake the entire household. His wife’s room was on the second floor, he thought of calling out to her, but saw a rope hanging from her window. He caught that and went up to her room.\nShe was astonished to see him there and enquired how he managed to come that late at night, in such terrible weather. He pointed at the window, but when they looked out of the window, both were shocked. There was no rope it was a snake, and what Tulsidas assumed to be a log, was in fact, a floating dead body. His desire for his wife was so intense that it had blinded his mind. She was furious and said to him, “You desire me, a body made of flesh and blood. If you would have such an intense desire for God, you would attain him and be free from the cycle of life and death.”\nHer words had a life-changing effect on Tulsidas. He left home, renounced a householders’ life and took up devotion. By detaching himself from the material pleasures and engaging them towards devotion to God, he went on to become a great saint and poet. He later wrote:\nkāmihi nāri piāri jimi lobhihi priya jimi dāma,timi raghunātha nirantara priya lāgahu mohi rāma(Ramayan)\n“As a lustful man desires a beautiful woman, and as an avaricious person desires wealth, may my mind and senses constantly desire Lord Ram.”\n"
},
{
"verseTitle": "Bhagavad Gita 15.10",
"verse": "10",
"chapter": 15,
"lang": "en",
"shloka": {
"speaker": "",
"sanskrit": "उत्क्रामन्तं स्थितं वापि भुञ्जानं वा गुणान्वितम् |\nविमूढा नानुपश्यन्ति पश्यन्ति ज्ञानचक्षुष: || 10||",
"text": "उत्क्रामन्तं स्थितं वापि भुञ्जानं वा गुणान्वितम् |\nविमूढा नानुपश्यन्ति पश्यन्ति ज्ञानचक्षुष: || 10||",
"audioLink": "https://www.holy-bhagavad-gita.org/public/audio/015_010.mp3"
},
"wordMeanings": "",
"translation": {
"text": "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.",
"hindiAudioLinks": [
"https://www.gitasupersite.iitk.ac.in/sites/default/files/audio/Tejomayananda/chapter/C15-H-10.mp3"
],
"englishAudioLinks": [
"https://www.gitasupersite.iitk.ac.in/sites/default/files/audio/Purohit/15.10.mp3"
]
},
"commentary": "The soul savors the perceptions of the mind and the senses while it resides within a body, but not everyone can understand this. It is a spiritual object and cannot be seen or touched using material senses. Several experiments have been conducted by scientists to find the soul, but the material instruments of the laboratories are no good to detect it. Hence, they conclude that all the bodily parts working together are the source of life.\nIt is similar to a newbie mechanic trying to figure out how does a car move. He looks at the movement of the wheels, traces that back to the accelerator, then the steering wheel and the ignition switch. He concludes that all these parts make a car move. But he missed the important part, who starts the ignition and moves the steering wheel? Unless a driver operates the car, it would not move.\nSimilarly, devoid of spiritual knowledge about the existence of the soul and its functions, the physiologists’ theory is that the physical body itself along with its different parts is the source of life.\nIn this verse, Shree Krishna has said that the ignorant (vimūḍh) are unaware of their own divine identity and presume the physical body to be the self. Only someone who has acquired spiritual knowledge understands that it is the soul that gives life to the body. Without the soul, the body is lifeless. When a person dies, the material parts of the body; the heart, brain, lungs, limbs, etc. are there, but they don’t function, as the soul has left the body.\nConsciousness is an indication of life or the presence of a soul in a physical body. When the soul departs, consciousness ends. Only those who have acquired the eyes of knowledge (jñāna chakṣhu) can understand this phenomenon."
},
{
"verseTitle": "Bhagavad Gita 15.11",
"verse": "11",
"chapter": 15,
"lang": "en",
"shloka": {
"speaker": "",
"sanskrit": "यतन्तो योगिनश्चैनं पश्यन्त्यात्मन्यवस्थितम् |\nयतन्तोऽप्यकृतात्मानो नैनं पश्यन्त्यचेतस: || 11||",
"text": "यतन्तो योगिनश्चैनं पश्यन्त्यात्मन्यवस्थितम् |\nयतन्तोऽप्यकृतात्मानो नैनं पश्यन्त्यचेतस: || 11||",
"audioLink": "https://www.holy-bhagavad-gita.org/public/audio/015_011.mp3"
},
"wordMeanings": "",
"translation": {
"text": "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.",
"hindiAudioLinks": [
"https://www.gitasupersite.iitk.ac.in/sites/default/files/audio/Tejomayananda/chapter/C15-H-11.mp3"
],
"englishAudioLinks": [
"https://www.gitasupersite.iitk.ac.in/sites/default/files/audio/Purohit/15.11.mp3"
]
},
"commentary": "Only acquiring knowledge is not sufficient, it must also be in the proper direction. The common flaw with the human approach is that we tend to use our material senses to understand the divine. We want to decide the correctness and faults in knowledge with our intellect, which has only worldly but no experience of the divine. We believe that things which cannot be perceived by the mind and the senses do not exist.\nThis approach is well elucidated by Noble laureate and French physiologist, Alexis Carrel. In his book, Man the Unknown, he states: “Our mind has a natural tendency to reject the things that do not fit into the frame of scientific or philosophical beliefs of our time. After all, scientists are only human. They are saturated with the prejudices of their environment and epoch. They willingly believe that facts which cannot be explained by current theories do not exist. At present times, scientists still look upon telepathy and other metaphysical phenomena as illusions. Evident facts having an unorthodox appearance are suppressed.”\nAccording to Nyāya Darśhan, one of the ancient schools of Hindu philosophy, such thinking is called kūpa-maṇḍūka-nyāya (the logic of a well-frog). The story behind this is of a frog which has been living within the walls of a well, unaware of the world outside. Once an ocean frog gets washed off and falls into that well. The well-frog enquires to the newcomer, “How big is the ocean, where you lived?” The ocean frog replied, “It is huge.” The well-frog said, “It must be 5 times bigger than this well.” To this, the ocean frog said, “No much bigger than that.” The well-frog said, “Is it 10 times bigger?” “Much more than that,” said the ocean frog. The well-frog was now curious and said, “A hundred times?” To this, the ocean frog replied, “A hundred is nothing, the ocean is much bigger than that.” The frog from the well did not believe the ocean frog and said, “You are a liar, how can any place be a hundred times bigger than my well?” The well-frog had been living there its whole life, it had not seen anything beyond the walls of that well. Therefore, its mind could not comprehend the idea of a vast ocean, or the world that existed outside of that well.\nLike the frog of the well, materialistic people cannot perceive the idea of an eternal soul. Due to their limited experience and lack of spiritual knowledge, they cannot perceive that there is an entire spiritual universe beyond the understanding of their material intellects. Only those who have taken the path of spirituality, endeavor to purify their hearts with humility and faith. A cleansed mind naturally experiences the presence of the soul. Then the knowledge of the scriptures becomes clear to them.\nSimilar to the existence of the soul, the senses cannot perceive the existence of God as well. Only through the eyes of knowledge can one realize God. In the next verse, Shree Krishna has briefed on the method of perceiving the existence of God."
},
{
"verseTitle": "Bhagavad Gita 15.12",
"verse": "12",
"chapter": 15,
"lang": "en",
"shloka": {
"speaker": "",
"sanskrit": "यदादित्यगतं तेजो जगद्भासयतेऽखिलम् |\nयच्चन्द्रमसि यच्चाग्नौ तत्तेजो विद्धि मामकम् || 12||",
"text": "यदादित्यगतं तेजो जगद्भासयतेऽखिलम् |\nयच्चन्द्रमसि यच्चाग्नौ तत्तेजो विद्धि मामकम् || 12||",
"audioLink": "https://www.holy-bhagavad-gita.org/public/audio/015_012.mp3"
},
"wordMeanings": "",
"translation": {
"text": "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.",
"hindiAudioLinks": [
"https://www.gitasupersite.iitk.ac.in/sites/default/files/audio/Tejomayananda/chapter/C15-H-12.mp3"
],
"englishAudioLinks": [
"https://www.gitasupersite.iitk.ac.in/sites/default/files/audio/Purohit/15.12.mp3"
]
},
"commentary": "In the human form, we tend to forget our origin and eternal form. We regard ourselves as the physical body and get attracted to our bodily relations; parents, spouse, children, material wealth, etc. We feel they are the most significant. We also forget that it is God who is the creator and sustainer of the entire universe.\nIn this verse, Lord Shree Krishna has said that the entire creation; is the manifestation of his energy. Even the Sun gets its radiance from him. According to scientific theories, the energy emitted every second by the sun is equivalent to millions of nuclear power plants put together, and it has been an uninterrupted process for billions of years. Yet this energy has not reduced in any way. The glory and brilliance of the sun are a part of God’s wonderful creation.\nSimilarly, the night sky is lit up by the moon. Though our mundane intellect might want us to believe and it is also scientifically concluded that moonshine is due to the reflection of the sun’s light. But the periodic movement of the moon is also part of God’s amazing creation. The sun, the moon, the planets, stars, the panch mahabhootas (earth, water, air, fire, and ether); in fact, the entire universe is a manifestation of God’s vibhūtis (opulence). It would be very naïve to think that such an amazing celestial arrangement is a result of some random big bang.\nThere is a story in Kenopanishad, which explicates this. Once there was a prolonged war between the devatās (celestial gods) and the daityas (demons from the nether regions). Eventually, the devatās won by the grace of God. But their pride made them think that it was due to their own strength. God wanted to teach them a lesson; He manifested as an effulgent and powerful yakṣha (a semi-celestial being) in the celestial sky.\nWhen Indra, the King of Heaven saw this yakṣha, he felt insecure and intimidated. To find out who this yakṣha was, he sent Agni, the fire god. With great pride, Agni challenged the yakṣha and said, “I am the fire god, and possess the power to burn the entire world within seconds, please reveal yourself.” The yakṣha put in front of him a piece of straw and asked if he could burn it. Agni laughed, “Can a blade of grass be a test for my immense power? Let that be.” But when he moved forward to burn it, he could not and started feeling very cold himself. God had taken away his power, defeated and embarrassed he ran back to Indra.\nNext, Indra sent Vayu, the wind god to inquire who this yakṣha was. He went to the yakṣha and said, “I am the wind god and possess the power to turn the world upside down within a few seconds, reveal who you are?” Again, the yakṣha put a piece of straw in front of Vayu and said, “Turn this over if you can?” Vayu smirked with pride and tried to blow it, but could not. He felt powerless, and with great effort, he returned to Indra exhausted.\nNow Indra was raged and came to challenge the yakṣha himself. But by then the yakṣha had disappeared and in his place was seated Goddess Uma, God’s divine Yogmaya power. A baffled Indra asked her, “O Divine Mother, please tell me who was that powerful yakṣha?” She answered, “O imprudent child, you could not recognize Him? Your pride had blinded your prudence. He was your Supreme Father, your creator, and power source, without him you would be powerless.” Realizing his mistake, Indra begged for forgiveness."
},
{
"verseTitle": "Bhagavad Gita 15.13",
"verse": "13",
"chapter": 15,
"lang": "en",
"shloka": {
"speaker": "",
"sanskrit": "गामाविश्य च भूतानि धारयाम्यहमोजसा |\nपुष्णामि चौषधी: सर्वा: सोमो भूत्वा रसात्मक: || 13||",
"text": "गामाविश्य च भूतानि धारयाम्यहमोजसा |\nपुष्णामि चौषधी: सर्वा: सोमो भूत्वा रसात्मक: || 13||",
"audioLink": "https://www.holy-bhagavad-gita.org/public/audio/015_013.mp3"
},
"wordMeanings": "",
"translation": {
"text": "Permeating the earth, I nourish all living beings with My energy. Becoming the moon, I nourish all plants with the juice of life.",
"hindiAudioLinks": [
"https://www.gitasupersite.iitk.ac.in/sites/default/files/audio/Tejomayananda/chapter/C15-H-13.mp3"
],
"englishAudioLinks": [
"https://www.gitasupersite.iitk.ac.in/sites/default/files/audio/Purohit/15.13.mp3"
]
},
"commentary": "In this verse, Shree Krishna has said that it is His energy which has brought about the appropriate physical conditions for life to exist on planet earth. Here, gām means earth, and ojasā is energy. Like all other celestial bodies, the earth is also a big mass of matter. But God has made it habitable, so that, it can sustain life.\nEver wondered, why ocean water is so salty? God could have made the oceans full of freshwater, but it would have become a breeding ground for diseases. Due to the high salt content of the ocean water, many disease-causing microorganisms cannot survive in it, thereby protecting life.\nSimilarly, several such amazing phenomena make earth inhabitable to a variety of species, of both movable, and static living beings. Nobel laureate and famous American scientist, George Wald has written in his book, A Universe that Breeds Life: “If anyone of the considerable number of the physical properties of our universe were other than they are, then life, that now appears to be so prevalent, would be impossible, here or anywhere.”\nShree Krishna also says that the moonlight gets its nourishing properties from Him. And it is the ambrosial nectar of the moonlight that nourishes the entire plant life, i.e. fruits, vegetables, grains, herbs, etc."
},
{
"verseTitle": "Bhagavad Gita 15.14",
"verse": "14",
"chapter": 15,
"lang": "en",
"shloka": {
"speaker": "",
"sanskrit": "अहं वैश्वानरो भूत्वा प्राणिनां देहमाश्रित: |\nप्राणापानसमायुक्त: पचाम्यन्नं चतुर्विधम् || 14||",
"text": "अहं वैश्वानरो भूत्वा प्राणिनां देहमाश्रित: |\nप्राणापानसमायुक्त: पचाम्यन्नं चतुर्विधम् || 14||",
"audioLink": "https://www.holy-bhagavad-gita.org/public/audio/015_014.mp3"
},
"wordMeanings": "",
"translation": {
"text": "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.",
"hindiAudioLinks": [
"https://www.gitasupersite.iitk.ac.in/sites/default/files/audio/Tejomayananda/chapter/C15-H-14.mp3"
],
"englishAudioLinks": [
"https://www.gitasupersite.iitk.ac.in/sites/default/files/audio/Purohit/15.14.mp3"
]
},
"commentary": "Shree Krishna says that God exists inside all living beings as vaiśhvānara, meaning “fire of digestion,” which is ignited by the power of God. The Bṛihadāraṇyak Upaniṣhad has also stated:\nayam agnir vaiśhvānaro yo ’yam antaḥ puruṣheyenedam annaṁ achyate (5.9.1)\n“God is the fire inside the stomach that enables living beings to digest food.”\nThough the scientific community has concluded, that the organs of the digestive system such as the stomach, liver, pancreas, gall bladder, etc. secrete digestive juices enabling the digestion of food in living beings. This revelation by God suggests that such an approach is naïve. It is God’s energy which fires up the digestive process in living beings.\nChaturvidham means four types and annam means food. Food is categorized into four types: 1. Bhojya - Foods that are chewed, such as bread, chapatti, etc. 2. Peya - These are mostly liquid or semi-solid foods which we have to swallow or drink, such as milk, juice, etc. 3. Kośhya - Foods that are sucked, such as sugarcane. 4. Lehya - This includes foods that are licked, such as honey, etc.\nIn the last few verses, Shri Krishna has explicated how God supports every aspect of our life. With his energy, He makes the earth habitable, nourishes all vegetation, and even ignites the gastric fire to digest our food. In the next verse, he concludes by stating that He is the master of all knowledge."
},
{
"verseTitle": "Bhagavad Gita 15.15",
"verse": "15",
"chapter": 15,
"lang": "en",
"shloka": {
"speaker": "",
"sanskrit": "सर्वस्य चाहं हृदि सन्निविष्टो\nमत्त: स्मृतिर्ज्ञानमपोहनं च |\nवेदैश्च सर्वैरहमेव वेद्यो\nवेदान्तकृद्वेदविदेव चाहम् || 15||",
"text": "सर्वस्य चाहं हृदि सन्निविष्टो\nमत्त: स्मृतिर्ज्ञानमपोहनं च |\nवेदैश्च सर्वैरहमेव वेद्यो\nवेदान्तकृद्वेदविदेव चाहम् || 15||",
"audioLink": "https://www.holy-bhagavad-gita.org/public/audio/015_015.mp3"
},
"wordMeanings": "",
"translation": {
"text": "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 Vedant, and the knower of the meaning of the Vedas.",
"hindiAudioLinks": [
"https://www.gitasupersite.iitk.ac.in/sites/default/files/audio/Tejomayananda/chapter/C15-H-15.mp3"
],
"englishAudioLinks": [
"https://www.gitasupersite.iitk.ac.in/sites/default/files/audio/Purohit/15.15.mp3"
]
},
"commentary": "In this verse, Lord Shree Krishna says that He has bestowed upon us this amazing ability of memory and knowledge. While the mind and the intellect are like software; the brain can be considered hardware. Yet this mechanism of the brain is way beyond human understanding.\nAlthough there is vast development in technology, there are many areas where the scientific community is still struggling. For example, surgeons who perform brain transplant get delighted with their feat; but do not fully understand its functions. Another example is of face-recognition technology. It is remarkable that humans can very easily recognize someone they meet after several years, even though there are many changes in their looks. Whereas, present-day computers sometimes cannot even recognize unchanged faces. How amazing it is that while the scanner software finds it difficult to read even typewritten text; humans can read even sketchy handwritings, without much effort. Such are the mysteries of the human brain which the Supreme Lord has created.\nShree Krishna says that He has also given us this power of forgetting the past. Similar to how unwanted records are deleted from a computer, living beings wipe off unwanted memories. Else there would be an information overload.\nUddhav says to Shree Krishna:\ntvatto jñānaṁ hi jīvānāṁ pramoṣhas te ’tra śhaktitaḥ (Bhagavatam 11.22.28)\n“From You alone, the knowledge of the living being arises, and by Your potency that knowledge is stolen away.”\nOther than the internal knowledge that we carry, there is another source of knowledge; that is from the scriptures. In this verse, the Lord has further revealed his glories in regards to the manifestation of the Vedas; that he is the creator, knower, and writer of the Vedas. God is divine and all his creations, including the Vedas, are divine. He alone is the knower of their true meaning; and only by his grace can a fortunate soul know the Vedas. Ved Vyas the author of the Vedānt Darśhan is considered to be an avatar of God. And Shree Krishna has specifically mentioned that he is the author of the Vedānt.\nEventually, He says that although the Vedas give out numerous instructions both material and spiritual, the final objective of all knowledge is to know Him. The purpose of the rituals and ceremonies instructed are to lure people back from the material world towards spirituality. They act as an intermediate step to detach them from their materialistic mindset and direct them towards God.\nThe Kaṭhopaniṣhad (1.2.15) states: sarve vedā yat padamāmananti “All the Vedic mantras are actually pointing towards God.” Memorizing and reciting the Vedic mantras in proper meter, following all the rituals, meditating or even awakening the kuṇḍalinī power; all will be worthless if we do not know God. Only those who have learned to truly love God, have understood the real teachings of all the Vedic scriptures.\nJagadguru Shree Kripaluji Maharaj states:\nsarva śhāstra sāra yaha govind rādhe, āṭhoṅ yām mana hari guru meṅ lagā de (Rādhā Govind Geet)\n“The essence of all the scriptures is to engage your mind day and night in loving devotion to God and Guru.”\nIn the next two verses, Shree Krishna has described the terms kṣhar, akṣhar, and Puruṣhottam and given proper perspective to the knowledge revealed so far."
},
{
"verseTitle": "Bhagavad Gita 15.16",
"verse": "16",
"chapter": 15,
"lang": "en",
"shloka": {
"speaker": "",
"sanskrit": "द्वाविमौ पुरुषौ लोके क्षरश्चाक्षर एव च |\nक्षर: सर्वाणि भूतानि कूटस्थोऽक्षर उच्यते || 16||",
"text": "द्वाविमौ पुरुषौ लोके क्षरश्चाक्षर एव च |\nक्षर: सर्वाणि भूतानि कूटस्थोऽक्षर उच्यते || 16||",
"audioLink": "https://www.holy-bhagavad-gita.org/public/audio/015_016.mp3"
},
"wordMeanings": "",
"translation": {
"text": "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.",
"hindiAudioLinks": [
"https://www.gitasupersite.iitk.ac.in/sites/default/files/audio/Tejomayananda/chapter/C15-H-16.mp3"
],
"englishAudioLinks": [
"https://www.gitasupersite.iitk.ac.in/sites/default/files/audio/Purohit/15.16.mp3"
]
},
"commentary": "Shree Krishna says that there are two kinds of beings; the kṣhar (perishable) and the akṣhar (imperishable). All beings in the material realm are perishable, and those liberated are imperishable.\nAlthough all souls are eternal; in the material realm, Maya binds the individual soul to a material body. From the tiniest insect to the celestial gods, all embodied living entities in the material world are kṣhar (perishable). They have to go through the repetitive cycle of birth and death of their material body.\nWhereas, the akṣhar (imperishable) souls possess an immortal body, which is free from the cycle of birth and death. They reside forever in the divine realm; the Abode of God."
},
{
"verseTitle": "Bhagavad Gita 15.17",
"verse": "17",
"chapter": 15,
"lang": "en",
"shloka": {
"speaker": "",
"sanskrit": "उत्तम: पुरुषस्त्वन्य: परमात्मेत्युदाहृत: |\nयो लोकत्रयमाविश्य बिभर्त्यव्यय ईश्वर: || 17||",
"text": "उत्तम: पुरुषस्त्वन्य: परमात्मेत्युदाहृत: |\nयो लोकत्रयमाविश्य बिभर्त्यव्यय ईश्वर: || 17||",
"audioLink": "https://www.holy-bhagavad-gita.org/public/audio/015_017.mp3"
},
"wordMeanings": "",
"translation": {
"text": "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.",
"hindiAudioLinks": [
"https://www.gitasupersite.iitk.ac.in/sites/default/files/audio/Tejomayananda/chapter/C15-H-17.mp3"
],
"englishAudioLinks": [
"https://www.gitasupersite.iitk.ac.in/sites/default/files/audio/Purohit/15.17.mp3"
]
},
"commentary": "In the previous verses, Shree Krishna spoke about the different worlds and categories of souls. Now he speaks of God - the Supreme Divine Personality called the Paramātma, which means the Supreme Soul. The appellation of Param emphasizes on the fact that Paramātmā is different from ātmā, which is an individual soul, whereas, Paramātmā is the Supreme Soul. He is the transcendental God who controls both the perishable and imperishable worlds. For the non-dualistic philosophers who propagate that individual soul itself is the Supreme Soul, this verse is clear disapproval of their claim.\nWhile the individual soul is very tiny and confined to the material body it resides in; the Supreme Soul is present inside every living entity. He is the constant companion of the individual soul in every life, immaterial of what species the soul gets born into. He sits in their hearts quietly taking a note; keeping an account of their karmas, and gives appropriate results. For example, in a particular birth, a soul has received a dog’s body. The Supreme Soul continues to be inside and gives results based on the soul’s past karmas. This explains why even dogs have different destinies. Some dogs are born on the streets, live a famished life, and die in misery. Whereas, some get to live comfortably as pets in lavish mansions, living a dainty life. This huge difference in destiny is due to the stockpile of karmas from their previous births. The Supreme Soul which accompanies the soul in its various births, in different species, keeps granting results based on its karmas.\nThe Supreme Soul also exists in a personal form as the four-armed Kshirodakshayi Vishnu, commonly known as “Bhagwan Vishnu”. A popular saying in Hindi goes: “mārane vāle ke do hāth, bachāne vāle ke chār hāth” which means, a killer has two arms, but the savior has four arms. The four-armed personality referred to here is the Paramātmā, the Supreme Soul."
},
{
"verseTitle": "Bhagavad Gita 15.18",
"verse": "18",
"chapter": 15,
"lang": "en",
"shloka": {
"speaker": "",
"sanskrit": "यस्मात्क्षरमतीतोऽहमक्षरादपि चोत्तम: |\nअतोऽस्मि लोके वेदे च प्रथित: पुरुषोत्तम: || 18||",
"text": "यस्मात्क्षरमतीतोऽहमक्षरादपि चोत्तम: |\nअतोऽस्मि लोके वेदे च प्रथित: पुरुषोत्तम: || 18||",
"audioLink": "https://www.holy-bhagavad-gita.org/public/audio/015_018.mp3"
},
"wordMeanings": "",
"translation": {
"text": "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.",
"hindiAudioLinks": [
"https://www.gitasupersite.iitk.ac.in/sites/default/files/audio/Tejomayananda/chapter/C15-H-18.mp3"
],
"englishAudioLinks": [
"https://www.gitasupersite.iitk.ac.in/sites/default/files/audio/Purohit/15.18.mp3"
]
},
"commentary": "So far in this chapter, Shree Krishna has detailed that His opulence is the source of all the magnificence in nature, and in creating the visible universe he does not deplete Himself. In this verse, He has called Himself Puruṣhottam, the Divine Supreme Person who transcends over the material world, which includes both kṣhar the perishable and akṣhar the imperishable divine souls.\nDoes that mean the Puruṣhottam He has referred to and Lord Shree Krishna Himself are two different entities? To eliminate any such doubts, in this verse, while referring to Himself Shree Krishna has used the term aham (I), which is first person singular. He also said that the Vedas and the Smritis have described Him similarly:\nkṛiṣhṇa eva paro devas taṁ dhyāyet taṁ rasayet taṁ yajet taṁ bhajed(Gopāl Tāpani Upaniṣhad)\n“Lord Krishna is the Supreme Lord. Meditate upon Him, relish the bliss of His devotion, worship Him, and serve Him.”\nyo ’sau paraṁ brahma gopālaḥ(Gopāl Tāpani Upaniṣhad)\n“Gopal (Lord Krishna) is the Supreme Being.”\nThen the question arises, who are Lord Ram, Lord Vishnu and Lord Shiva, and all the other Gods and Goddesses? They are all different manifestations of the same Bhagavān, the Supreme Divine Personality and should not be considered separate."
},
{
"verseTitle": "Bhagavad Gita 15.19",
"verse": "19",
"chapter": 15,
"lang": "en",
"shloka": {
"speaker": "",
"sanskrit": "यो मामेवमसम्मूढो जानाति पुरुषोत्तमम् |\nस सर्वविद्भजति मां सर्वभावेन भारत || 19||",
"text": "यो मामेवमसम्मूढो जानाति पुरुषोत्तमम् |\nस सर्वविद्भजति मां सर्वभावेन भारत || 19||",
"audioLink": "https://www.holy-bhagavad-gita.org/public/audio/015_019.mp3"
},
"wordMeanings": "",
"translation": {
"text": "Those who know Me without doubt as the Supreme Divine Personality truly have complete knowledge. O Arjun, they worship Me with their whole being.",
"hindiAudioLinks": [
"https://www.gitasupersite.iitk.ac.in/sites/default/files/audio/Tejomayananda/chapter/C15-H-19.mp3"
],
"englishAudioLinks": [
"https://www.gitasupersite.iitk.ac.in/sites/default/files/audio/Purohit/15.19.mp3"
]
},
"commentary": "As per the Shreemad Bhagavatam, there are three ways to realize God:\nvadanti tat tattva-vidas tattvaṁ yaj jñānam advayambrahmeti paramātmeti bhagavān iti śhabdyate (1.2.11)\n“The knowers of the Truth have stated that there is only one Supreme Entity that manifests in three ways in the world—Brahman, Paramātmā, and Bhagavān.”\nThis does not mean that these three are different entities, God is one, and these forms are only his manifestations. As water exists in nature as ice, water, and steam that have different physical properties; but are forms of the same substance; likewise, God exists in three forms Brahman, the formless, omnipotent and omnipresent. The followers of jñāna-yoga worship God as Brahman. The aṣhṭāṅg-yoga seeks God as Paramātmā, the Supreme Soul who resides in the hearts of all living creatures. Whereas, Bhagavān is more personal and can be considered the sweetest among his form. Here, God manifests as a person and performs sweet Leelas (pastimes). The devotees of the Bhākti-yoga savor this form and immerse themselves in his loving bliss, as explained earlier in verse 12.2.\nIn this chapter, Shree Krishna has described all three forms of God. But which of them is the most complete? Here, in this verse lies the answer. Shree Krishna says those who know Him as the Supreme Divine Personality and worship him as Bhagavān truly have complete knowledge of Him.\nJagadguru Shree Kripaluji Maharaj in his book Bhakti Śhatak has given a detailed explanation of why Bhagavān realization is the highest. He has quoted the same verse 1.2.11 of the Shreemad Bhagavatam and said:\ntīna rūp śhrī kṛiṣhṇa ko, vedavyās batāya,brahma aura paramātmā, aru bhagavān kahāya. (Bhakti Śhatak verse 21)\n“Ved Vyas has declared that the Supreme Lord manifests in three ways—Brahman, Paramātmā, and Bhagavān.” Then he goes on to describe these three manifestations of the Absolute Truth.\nsarvaśhakti sampann ho, śhakti vikāsa na hoya,sat chit ānanda rūp jo, brahma kahāve soya. (Bhakti Śhatak verse 22)\n“As Brahman, the infinite energies of God are all latent. He merely displays eternal knowledge and bliss.”\nsarvaśhakti sanyukta ho, nāma rūp guṇa hoya,līlā parikara rahit ho, paramātmā hai soya. (Bhakti Śhatak verse 23)\n“As Paramātmā, God displays His Form, Name, and Virtues. But He does not engage in Leelas, nor does He have associates.”\nsarvaśhakti prākaṭya ho, līlā vividha prakāra,viharata parikara sang jo, tehi bhagavān pukāra. (Bhakti Śhatak verse 24)\n“The aspect of God in which He manifests all His energies and engages in various loving Pastimes with His devotees is called Bhagavān.”\nThrough these verses, Jagadguru Shree Kripaluji Maharaj has explicated that; while in His manifestation as Brahman and Paramātmā God does not reveal himself completely; but as Bhagavān, He manifests himself with all his Names, Forms, Virtues, Pastimes, Abodes, and Associates. This complete realization of the Supreme Entity has also been explained earlier in verse 12.2, with the example of a train. Thus, those who seek God as Bhagavān, the Supreme Divine Personality can truly acquire complete knowledge of Him."
},
{
"verseTitle": "Bhagavad Gita 15.20",
"verse": "20",
"chapter": 15,
"lang": "en",
"shloka": {
"speaker": "",
"sanskrit": "इति गुह्यतमं शास्त्रमिदमुक्तं मयानघ |\nएतद्बुद्ध्वा बुद्धिमान्स्यात्कृतकृत्यश्च भारत || 20||",
"text": "इति गुह्यतमं शास्त्रमिदमुक्तं मयानघ |\nएतद्बुद्ध्वा बुद्धिमान्स्यात्कृतकृत्यश्च भारत || 20||",
"audioLink": "https://www.holy-bhagavad-gita.org/public/audio/015_020.mp3"
},
"wordMeanings": "",
"translation": {
"text": "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.",
"hindiAudioLinks": [
"https://www.gitasupersite.iitk.ac.in/sites/default/files/audio/Tejomayananda/chapter/C15-H-20.mp3"
],
"englishAudioLinks": [
"https://www.gitasupersite.iitk.ac.in/sites/default/files/audio/Purohit/15.20.mp3"
]
},
"commentary": "To conclude this chapter Shree Krishna uses the word iti in this verse, which means “these”. This is to imply that, “Arjun, here I have given you the gist of all the hidden knowledge of the Vedic Scriptures. From the description of the nature of this world to the differentiation between matter and spirit. Finally, the realization of the Absolute Truth about Oneself and the Supreme Divine Personality, God. I assure you that whoever espouses this knowledge will be truly enlightened. Their deeds and endeavours will be definitely fruitful and take them towards their ultimate goal, which is God-realization.”"
}
]
}