The Supreme Mystery

Gita 15.1

श्री भगवानुवाचऊर्ध्वमूलमधःशाखमश्वत्थं प्राहुरव्ययम्।छन्दांसि यस्य पर्णानि यस्तं वेद स वेदवित्॥

śrī bhagavānuvācaūrdhvamūlamadhaḥśākhamaśvatthaṁ prāhuravyayam|chandāṁsi yasya parṇāni yastaṁ veda sa vedavit ||

The Blessed Lord said They say that the peepul Tree, which has its roots upward and the branches downward, and of which the Vedas are the leaves, is imperishable. He who realizes it is knower of the Vedas.

Gita 15.2

अधश्चोर्ध्वं प्रसृतास्तस्य शाखा गुणप्रवृद्धा विषयप्रवालाः।अधश्च मूलान्यनुसन्ततानि कर्मानुबन्धीनि मनुष्यलोके॥

adhaścordhvaṁ prasṛtāstasya śākhā guṇapravṛddhā viṣayapravālāḥ|adhaśca mūlānyanusantatāni karmānubandhīni manuṣyaloke ||

The branches of that (Tree), extending down-wards and upwards, are strengthened by the alities and have sense-objects as their shoots. And the roots, which are followed by actions, spread down-wards in the human world [According to A.G. and M.S. manusya-loke means a body distinguished by Brahminhood etc.].

Gita 15.3

न रूपमस्येह तथोपलभ्यते नान्तो न चादिर्न च संप्रतिष्ठा।अश्वत्थमेनं सुविरूढमूल मसङ्गशस्त्रेण दृढेन छित्त्वा॥

na rūpamasyeha tathopalabhyate nānto na cādirna ca saṁpratiṣṭhā|aśvatthamenaṁ suvirūḍhamūla masaṅgaśastreṇa dṛḍhena chittvā ||

Its form is not perceived here in that way; nor its end, nor beginning, nor continuance, After felling this Peepul whose roots are well developed, with the strong sword of detachment-;

Gita 15.4

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

tataḥ padaṁ tatparimārgitavya yasmingatā na nivartanti bhūyaḥ|tameva cādyaṁ puruṣaṁ prapadye yataḥ pravṛttiḥ prasṛtā purāṇī ||

Thereafter, that State has to be sought for, going where they do not return again: I take refuge in that Primeval Person Himself, from whom has ensued the eternal Manifestation.

Gita 15.5

निर्मानमोहा जितसङ्गदोषा अध्यात्मनित्या विनिवृत्तकामाः।द्वन्द्वैर्विमुक्ताः सुखदुःखसंज्ञै र्गच्छन्त्यमूढाः पदमव्ययं तत्॥

nirmānamohā jitasaṅgadoṣā adhyātmanityā vinivṛttakāmāḥ|dvandvairvimuktāḥ sukhaduḥkhasaṁjñai rgacchantyamūḍhāḥ padamavyayaṁ tat ||

The wise ones who are free from pride and non-discrimination, who have conered the evil of association, [Hatred and love arising from association with foes and friends.] who are ever devoted to spirituality, completely free from desires, free from the dualities called happiness and sorrow, reach that undecaying State.

Gita 15.6

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

na tadbhāsayate sūryo na śaśāṅko na pāvakaḥ|yadgatvā na nivartante taddhāma paramaṁ mama ||

Neither the sun nor the moon nor fire illumines That. That is My supreme Abode, reaching which they do not return.

Gita 15.7

ममैवांशो जीवलोके जीवभूतः सनातनः।मनःषष्ठानीन्द्रियाणि प्रकृतिस्थानि कर्षति॥

mamaivāṁśo jīvaloke jīvabhūtaḥ sanātanaḥ|manaḥṣaṣṭhānīndriyāṇi prakṛtisthāni karṣati ||

It is verily a part of Mine which, becoming the eternal individual soul in the region of living beings, draws (to itself) the organs which have the mind as their sixth, and which abide in Nature.

Gita 15.8

शरीरं यदवाप्नोति यच्चाप्युत्क्रामतीश्वरः।गृहीत्वैतानि संयाति वायुर्गन्धानिवाशयात्॥

śarīraṁ yadavāpnoti yaccāpyutkrāmatīśvaraḥ|gṛhītvaitāni saṁyāti vāyurgandhānivāśayāt ||

When the master leaves it and even when he assumes a body, he departs taking these, as wind (carries away) odours from their receptacles.

Gita 15.9

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

śrotraṁ cakṣuḥ sparśanaṁ ca rasanaṁ ghrāṇameva ca|adhiṣṭhāya manaścāyaṁ viṣayānupasevate ||

This one enjoys the objects by presiding over the ear, eyes, skin and tongue as also the nose and the mind.

Gita 15.10

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

utkrāmantaṁ sthitaṁ vāpi bhuñjānaṁ vā guṇānvitam|vimūḍhā nānupaśyanti paśyanti jñānacakṣuṣaḥ ||

Persons who are diversely deluded do not see it even when it is leaving or residing (in this body), or experiencing, or in association with the alities. Those with the eye of knowledge see.

Gita 15.11

यतन्तो योगिनश्चैनं पश्यन्त्यात्मन्यवस्थितम्।यतन्तोऽप्यकृतात्मानो नैनं पश्यन्त्यचेतसः॥

yatanto yoginaścainaṁ paśyantyātmanyavasthitam|yatanto'pyakṛtātmāno nainaṁ paśyantyacetasaḥ ||

And the yogis who are diligent see this one as existing in themselves. The non-discriminating ones who lack self-control do not see this one-though (they be) diligent.

Gita 15.12

यदादित्यगतं तेजो जगद्भासयतेऽखिलम्।यच्चन्द्रमसि यच्चाग्नौ तत्तेजो विद्धि मामकम्॥

yadādityagataṁ tejo jagadbhāsayate'khilam|yaccandramasi yaccāgnau tattejo viddhi māmakam ||

That light in the sun which illumines the whole world, that which is in the moon, and that which is in fire,-know that light to be Mine.

Gita 15.13

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

gāmāviśya ca bhūtāni dhārayāmyahamojasā|puṣṇāmi cauṣadhīḥ sarvāḥ somo bhūtvā rasātmakaḥ ||

And entering the earth I sustain the beings through (My) power; and nourish all the plants by becoming Soma [According to S. and most other translators, Soma means the moon.-Tr.] which is of the nature of sap.

Gita 15.14

अहं वैश्वानरो भूत्वा प्राणिनां देहमाश्रितः।प्राणापानसमायुक्तः पचाम्यन्नं चतुर्विधम्॥

ahaṁ vaiśvānaro bhūtvā prāṇināṁ dehamāśritaḥ|prāṇāpānasamāyuktaḥ pacāmyannaṁ caturvidham ||

Taking the form of Vaisvanara and residing in the bodies of creatures, I, in association with Prana and Apana, digest the four kinds of food.

Gita 15.15

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

sarvasya cāhaṁ hṛdi sanniviṣṭo mattaḥ smṛtirjñānamapohanaṁ ca|vedaiśca sarvairahameva vedyo vedāntakṛdvedavideva cāham ||

I am seated in the hearts of all beings. From Me come memory, knowledge, and forgetfulness. By all the Vedas, I alone am to be known. Indeed, I am the author of Vedanta and the knower of the Vedas.

Gita 15.16

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

dvāvimau puruṣau loke kṣaraścākṣara eva ca|kṣaraḥ sarvāṇi bhūtāni kūṭastho'kṣara ucyate ||

There are these two persons in the world-the mutable and the immutable. The mutable consists of all things; the one existing as Maya is called the immutable.

Gita 15.17

उत्तमः पुरुषस्त्वन्यः परमात्मेत्युदाहृतः।यो लोकत्रयमाविश्य बिभर्त्यव्यय ईश्वरः॥

uttamaḥ puruṣastvanyaḥ paramātmetyudāhṛtaḥ|yo lokatrayamāviśya bibhartyavyaya īśvaraḥ ||

But different is th supreme Person who is spoken of as the transcendental Self, who, permeating the three worlds, upholds (them), and is the imperisahble God.

Gita 15.18

यस्मात्क्षरमतीतोऽहमक्षरादपि चोत्तमः।अतोऽस्मि लोके वेदे च प्रथितः पुरुषोत्तमः॥

yasmātkṣaramatīto'hamakṣarādapi cottamaḥ|ato'smi loke vede ca prathitaḥ puruṣottamaḥ ||

Since I am transcendental to the mutable and above even the immutable, hence I am well known in the world and in the Vedas as the supreme Person.

Gita 15.19

यो मामेवमसम्मूढो जानाति पुरुषोत्तमम्।स सर्वविद्भजति मां सर्वभावेन भारत॥

yo māmevamasammūḍho jānāti puruṣottamam|sa sarvavidbhajati māṁ sarvabhāvena bhārata ||

O scion of the Bharata dynasty, he who, being free from delusion, knows Me the supreme Person thus, he is all-knowing and adores Me with his whole being.

Gita 15.20

इति गुह्यतमं शास्त्रमिदमुक्तं मयाऽनघ।एतद्बुद्ध्वा बुद्धिमान्स्यात्कृतकृत्यश्च भारत॥

iti guhyatamaṁ śāstramidamuktaṁ mayā'nagha|etadbuddhvā buddhimānsyātkṛtakṛtyaśca bhārata ||

O sinless one, this most secret scripture has thus been uttered by Me. Understanding this, one becomes wise and has his duties fulfilled, O scion of the Bharata dynasty.