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Bhagavad Gita 15.17

Chapter 15, Verse 17

Part of 15: Puruṣhottam Yogपुरुषोत्तमयोग

उत्तमः पुरुषस्त्वन्यः परमात्मेत्युदाहृतः।यो लोकत्रयमाविश्य बिभर्त्यव्यय ईश्वरः॥

Transliteration

uttamaḥ puruṣhas tv anyaḥ paramātmety udāhṛitaḥ yo loka-trayam āviśhya bibharty avyaya īśhvaraḥ

Meaning

But distinct is the Supreme Purusha, called the highest Self, indestructible and Lord, who pervades the three worlds and sustains them.

Word-by-word meaning
uttamaḥthe SupremepuruṣhaḥDivine Personalitytubutanyaḥbesidesparama-ātmāthe Supreme Soulitithusudāhṛitaḥis saidyaḥwholoka trayamthe three worldsāviśhyaentersbibhartisupportsavyayaḥindestructibleīśhvaraḥthe controller
Commentary

Purushottama is beyond the universe though He pervades the three worlds. Therefore He is called the Supreme Being by the Vedas and men of this world. He pervades the three worlds and upholds them yet? He is not tainted by the world. He is above the world or worldliness. Just as the waking state is different from the dram or the deep sleep states, just as the orb of the sun is different from his rays or the mirage they casue, so also is the highest Purusha different from the perishable and the imperishable Purushas. The highest Purusha is the haven of peace. In Him all take their refuge and eternal rest. He is incomparable for He is selfcontained there is nothing like Him. He can only be compared to Himself. The imperishable Being (Akshara Brahman) Who is beyond the world and the Avyaktam (the Unmanifested) are essentially the same as the Purushottama Who transcends both the Kshara and the Akshara. The Purushottama is ite distinct from the two -- Kshara and Akshara. He is the Supreme Being. The physical body, the astral body and the causal body are also termed the Self. But these are secondary selves. Paramatma or the Supreme Self is the primary Self. Purushottama or Paramatma is the supreme or the highest when compared with the other secondary selves created by ignorance. He is the innermost consciousness of all beings. He is the support of everything. He is the Niyanta, the Inner Ruler. He is independent. Therefore He is known as the Supreme Self in the Vedanta. Anyah Another, ite distinct from the two. Lokatrayam The three worlds Bhuh (the earth)? Bhuvah (the midregion) and Svah (heaven) are the three worlds. Purushottama is further described as follows He is the imperishable and omniscient Lord Narayana Who permeates the three worlds by His vital energy and sustains them by His mere existence in them. Avyaya Imperishable, that which is free from the modifications such as birth, death, etc. Just as the king who rules his subjects and controls them is distinct from them, so also the Supreme Being Who is the ruler of the perishable and the imperishable is distinct from them. (Cf. VIII.20)

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Frequently Asked Questions

What is the meaning of Bhagavad Gita Chapter 15, Verse 17?
But distinct is the Supreme Purusha, called the highest Self, indestructible and Lord, who pervades the three worlds and sustains them.
Which chapter and verse of the Bhagavad Gita is this?
This is verse 17 of Chapter 15 (Puruṣhottam Yog — The Yoga of the Supreme Divine Personality) of the Bhagavad Gita, a scripture of 18 chapters and 700 verses spoken by Lord Krishna to Arjuna.