पुरुषोत्तमयोग

श्रीभगवानुवाच । ऊर्ध्वमूलमधःशाखमश्वत्थं प्राहुरव्ययम् । छन्दांसि यस्य पर्णानि यस्तं वेद स वेदवित् ॥

The Supreme Lord said: They speak of an eternal ashvattha tree with roots above and branches below, whose leaves are the Vedic hymns. One who knows this tree is a knower of the Vedas.

अधश्चोर्ध्वं प्रसृतास्तस्य शाखा गुणप्रवृद्धा विषयप्रवालाः । अधश्च मूलान्यनुसन्ततानि कर्मानुबन्धीनि मनुष्यलोके ॥

Its branches, nourished by the gunas and putting forth sense objects as their shoots, extend both downward and upward. Its roots, bound to action, spread downward into the world of men.

न रूपमस्येह तथोपलभ्यते नान्तो न चादिर्न च सम्प्रतिष्ठा । अश्वत्थमेनं सुविरूढमूलमसङ्गशस्त्रेण दृढेन छित्त्वा ॥

Its true form is not perceived here in this world, neither its end, nor its beginning, nor its foundation. Having cut down this firmly rooted ashvattha tree with the strong axe of detachment,

ततः पदं तत्परिमार्गितव्यं यस्मिन्गता न निवर्तन्ति भूयः । तमेव चाद्यं पुरुषं प्रपद्ये यतः प्रवृत्तिः प्रसृता पुराणी ॥

Then one must seek that state from which, having gone, none return again. I take refuge in that very primal Person, from whom this ancient creative activity has flowed.

निर्मानमोहा जितसङ्गदोषा अध्यात्मनित्या विनिवृत्तकामाः । द्वन्द्वैर्विमुक्ताः सुखदुःखसंज्ञैर्गच्छन्त्यमूढाः पदमव्ययं तत् ॥

Free from pride and delusion, having conquered the evil of attachment, ever established in the knowledge of the Self, their desires having ceased, freed from the dualities called pleasure and pain, the undeluded attain that eternal state.

न तद्भासयते सूर्यो न शशाङ्को न पावकः । यद्गत्वा न निवर्तन्ते तद्धाम परमं मम ॥

That which the sun does not illuminate, nor the moon, nor fire, and having gone to which none return — that is My supreme abode.

ममैवांशो जीवलोके जीवभूतः सनातनः । मनःषष्ठानीन्द्रियाणि प्रकृतिस्थानि कर्षति ॥

An eternal fragment of Myself, having become the individual soul in this world of the living, draws to itself the mind and the five senses which rest in material nature.

शरीरं यदवाप्नोति यच्चाप्युत्क्रामतीश्वरः । गृहीत्वैतानि संयाति वायुर्गन्धानिवाशयात् ॥

Just as air carries fragrance from its source, so the soul, on obtaining a body and on leaving it, takes these senses along with it.

श्रोत्रं चक्षुः स्पर्शनं च रसनं घ्राणमेव च । अधिष्ठाय मनश्चायं विषयानुपसेवते ॥

Presiding over the ear, eye, touch, taste, smell, and mind, this soul experiences the objects of the senses.

उत्क्रामन्तं स्थितं वापि भुञ्जानं वा गुणान्वितम् । विमूढा नानुपश्यन्ति पश्यन्ति ज्ञानचक्षुषः ॥

The deluded do not perceive this soul as it departs, remains, or experiences the objects through the gunas; but those endowed with the eye of knowledge see it.

यतन्तो योगिनश्चैनं पश्यन्त्यात्मन्यवस्थितम् । यतन्तोऽप्यकृतात्मानो नैनं पश्यन्त्यचेतसः ॥

Yogis who strive earnestly perceive this soul dwelling within themselves; but the unrefined, those whose minds are not purified, do not see it even though they strive.

यदादित्यगतं तेजो जगद्भासयतेऽखिलम् । यच्चन्द्रमसि यच्चाग्नौ तत्तेजो विद्धि मामकम् ॥

Know that the splendor residing in the sun, which illuminates the entire universe, as well as the splendor in the moon and in fire, is My own splendor.

गामाविश्य च भूतानि धारयाम्यहमोजसा । पुष्णामि चौषधीः सर्वाः सोमो भूत्वा रसात्मकः ॥

Entering the earth, I sustain all beings by My vital energy; and becoming the sap-giving moon, I nourish all plants and herbs.

अहं वैश्वानरो भूत्वा प्राणिनां देहमाश्रितः । प्राणापानसमायुक्तः पचाम्यन्नं चतुर्विधम् ॥

Becoming the fire of digestion, I dwell in the bodies of living beings, and, united with the incoming and outgoing breath, I digest the four kinds of food.

सर्वस्य चाहं हृदि सन्निविष्टो मत्तः स्मृतिर्ज्ञानमपोहनं च । वेदैश्च सर्वैरहमेव वेद्यो वेदान्तकृद्वेदविदेव चाहम् ॥

I am seated in the hearts of all; from Me come memory, knowledge, and their absence. I alone am that which is to be known through all the Vedas; I am indeed the author of the Vedanta and the knower of the Vedas.

द्वाविमौ पुरुषौ लोके क्षरश्चाक्षर एव च । क्षरः सर्वाणि भूतानि कूटस्थोऽक्षर उच्यते ॥

There are two beings in this world: the perishable and the imperishable. All beings are the perishable; the unchanging is called the imperishable.

उत्तमः पुरुषस्त्वन्यः परमात्मेत्युदाहृतः । यो लोकत्रयमाविश्य बिभर्त्यव्यय ईश्वरः ॥

But there is yet another, the highest Person, called the Supreme Self, who, as the imperishable Lord, enters the three worlds and sustains them all.

यस्मात्क्षरमतीतोऽहमक्षरादपि चोत्तमः । अतोऽस्मि लोके वेदे च प्रथितः पुरुषोत्तमः ॥

Because I transcend the perishable and am also superior to the imperishable, I am celebrated in the world and in the Vedas as the Supreme Person, Purushottama.

यो मामेवमसम्मूढो जानाति पुरुषोत्तमम् । स सर्वविद्भजति मां सर्वभावेन भारत ॥

O Bharata, one who, undeluded, knows Me thus as the Supreme Person, that knower of all things worships Me with his whole being.

इति गुह्यतमं शास्त्रमिदमुक्तं मयानघ । एतद्बुद्ध्वा बुद्धिमान्स्यात्कृतकृत्यश्च भारत ॥

Thus, O sinless one, this most secret teaching has been spoken by Me. Understanding this, O Bharata, one becomes wise and fulfilled in all one's purposes.