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Adhyāya 15 — Puruṣottama Yogaḥ

The Yoga of the Supreme Person · 20 verses

Overview

from Q&A with KnA

K paints the whole of Saṃsāra as a cosmic tree (aśvattha) — roots above (in Brahman), branches below (in the world), its leaves the Vedic hymns — and bids the seeker fell this deep-rooted tree of worldly attachment with the axe of non-attachment, and then seek the goal from which none return. He reveals that the individual soul (jīva) is an eternal fragment of Himself, drawing to itself the senses and mind, carrying them from body to body at death as the wind carries scents — a passage the deluded cannot perceive, but the eye of knowledge can. He is the light in sun, moon and fire; entering the earth He upholds beings by His energy, and becoming the sap He nourishes every plant; seated in every heart, He is the source of memory, knowledge and their loss, the one thing all the Vedas seek to know. Finally he resolves the many “enliveners” into a hierarchy: the perishable (all beings), the imperishable (the unchanging witness), and — higher than both — the Supreme Person, Puruṣottama, the Lord who enters and sustains the three worlds; and to know Him thus is to know all, and to worship Him with one’s whole being.

Verses

15.1ऊर्ध्वमूलमधःशाखमश्वत्थं प्राहुरव्ययम्।15.2अधश्चोर्ध्वं प्रसृतास्तस्य शाखा गुणप्रवृद्धा विषयप्रवाला…Triṣṭubh 15.3न रूपमस्येह तथोपलभ्यते नान्तो न चादिर्न च संप्रतिष्ठा।Triṣṭubh 15.4ततः पदं तत्परिमार्गितव्य यस्मिन्गता न निवर्तन्ति भूयः।Triṣṭubh 15.5निर्मानमोहा जितसङ्गदोषा अध्यात्मनित्या विनिवृत्तकामाः।Triṣṭubh 15.6न तद्भासयते सूर्यो न शशाङ्को न पावकः।15.7ममैवांशो जीवलोके जीवभूतः सनातनः।15.8शरीरं यदवाप्नोति यच्चाप्युत्क्रामतीश्वरः।15.9श्रोत्रं चक्षुः स्पर्शनं च रसनं घ्राणमेव च।15.10उत्क्रामन्तं स्थितं वापि भुञ्जानं वा गुणान्वितम्।15.11यतन्तो योगिनश्चैनं पश्यन्त्यात्मन्यवस्थितम्।15.12यदादित्यगतं तेजो जगद्भासयतेऽखिलम्।15.13गामाविश्य च भूतानि धारयाम्यहमोजसा।15.14अहं वैश्वानरो भूत्वा प्राणिनां देहमाश्रितः।15.15सर्वस्य चाहं हृदि सन्निविष्टो मत्तः स्मृतिर्ज्ञानमपोहनं च…Triṣṭubh 15.16द्वाविमौ पुरुषौ लोके क्षरश्चाक्षर एव च।15.17उत्तमः पुरुषस्त्वन्यः परमात्मेत्युदाहृतः।15.18यस्मात्क्षरमतीतोऽहमक्षरादपि चोत्तमः।15.19यो मामेवमसम्मूढो जानाति पुरुषोत्तमम्।15.20इति गुह्यतमं शास्त्रमिदमुक्तं मयाऽनघ।