Purushottama Yoga

श्रीभगवानुवाच |

The Supreme Lord said: There is a banyan tree with its roots upward and branches downward, which is said to be imperishable. Its leaves are the Vedic hymns. One who knows this tree is the knower of the Vedas.

अधश्चोर्ध्वं प्रसृतास्तस्य शाखा

The branches of this tree extend both upward and downward, nourished by the three modes of material nature. The twigs are the sense objects. The roots also extend downward, bound to fruitive actions in the world of human society.

न रूपमस्येह तथोपलभ्यते

The real form of this tree cannot be perceived in this world. No one can understand where it ends, where it begins, or where its foundation is. But with determination, one must cut down this strongly rooted tree with the weapon of detachment.

ततः पदं तत्परिमार्गितव्यं

After cutting this tree, one must seek that place from which, having gone, one never returns. One must surrender to that Supreme Person from whom everything began and from whom this ancient creation has extended since time immemorial.

निर्मानमोहा जितसङ्गदोषा

Those who are free from false prestige, illusion, and bad association, who are eternally engaged in spiritual knowledge, who are free from material desires, who are liberated from the dualities of happiness and distress, and who are unbewildered — they attain that eternal abode.

न तद्भासयते सूर्यो न शशाङ्को न पावकः |

That supreme abode of Mine is not illuminated by the sun or moon, nor by fire or electricity. Those who reach it never return to this material world.

ममैवांशो जीवलोके जीवभूतः सनातनः |

The living entities in this conditioned world are My eternal fragmental parts. Due to conditioned life, they are struggling very hard with the six senses, which include the mind.

शरीरं यदवाप्नोति यच्चाप्युत्क्रामतीश्वरः |

The living entity in the material world carries his different conceptions of life from one body to another, just as the air carries aromas. Thus he takes one kind of body and again quits it to take another.

श्रोत्रं चक्षुः स्पर्शनं च रसनं प्राणमेव च |

The living entity, thus taking another gross body, obtains a certain type of ear, eye, tongue, nose, and sense of touch, which are grouped around the mind. He thus enjoys a particular set of sense objects.

उत्क्रामन्तं स्थितं वापि भुञ्जानं वा गुणान्वितम् |

The foolish cannot understand how a living entity can quit his body, nor can they understand what sort of body he enjoys under the spell of the modes of nature. But one whose eyes are trained in knowledge can see all this.

यतन्तो योगिनश्चैनं पश्यन्त्यात्मन्यवस्थितम् |

The endeavoring yogis who are situated in self-realization can see all this clearly. But those whose minds are not developed and who are not situated in self-realization cannot see what is taking place, even though they may try.

यदादित्यगतं तेजो जगद्भासयतेऽखिलम् |

The splendor of the sun, which illuminates the entire world, and which is in the moon and in fire — know that splendor to be Mine.

गामाविश्य च भूतानि धारयाम्यहमोजसा |

I enter the earth and sustain all living beings with My energy. Becoming the moon, I nourish all plants and supply the juice of life.

अहं वैश्वानरो भूत्वा प्राणिनां देहमाश्रितः |

I am the fire of digestion in the bodies of all living entities, and I join with the outgoing and incoming breath to digest the four kinds of food.

सर्वस्य चाहं हृदि सन्निविष्टो

I am seated in everyone's heart, and from Me come memory, knowledge, and forgetfulness. I alone am the object of all the Vedas; I am the author of Vedanta, and I am the knower of the Vedas.

द्वाविमौ पुरुषौ लोके क्षरश्चाक्षर एव च |

There are two classes of beings in this world — the fallible and the infallible. In the material world, every living entity is fallible, and in the spiritual world, every living entity is infallible.

उत्तमः पुरुषस्त्वन्यः परमात्मेत्युदाहृतः |

Besides these two, there is the greatest living personality, the Supreme Soul, the imperishable Lord Himself, who has entered the three worlds and is maintaining them.

यस्मात्क्षरमतीतोऽहमक्षरादपि चोत्तमः |

Because I am transcendental, beyond both the fallible and the infallible, and because I am the greatest, I am celebrated both in the world and in the Vedas as the Supreme Person — Purushottama.

यो मामेवमसम्मूढो जानाति पुरुषोत्तमम् |

Whoever knows Me without doubt as the Supreme Person — he knows everything and worships Me with his whole being, O Bharata.

इति गुह्यतमं शास्त्रमिदमुक्तं मयानघ |

This is the most confidential part of the Vedic scriptures, O sinless one, and it is disclosed now by Me. Whoever understands this will become wise and his efforts will be fulfilled.