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The Puruṣottama Yoga: The Path to the Supreme Self

The world is an ever-changing tree to be cut with non-attachment. The individual soul enters with senses and mind; only the pure realize the divine essence within. God is present as light in the sun, moon, and fire, as sustaining energy in all beings and vegetation, and as the digestive fire within all living bodies. God dwells in every heart, granting remembrance and wisdom, and is the sole aim of all Vedic knowledge. Beyond the perishable creation and the imperishable principle of nature stands the Supreme Self, the Highest Being who pervades and sustains all. Realizing this supreme truth requires a purified mind, free from delusion, and leads to liberation.

"That is my light. I am giving the light to the sun."

"Since I surpass the perishable and am even higher than the imperishable, I am called in the world and in the Vedas Puruṣottama, the Supreme Self."

Filming location: Strilky, Czech Republic

This commentary covers the third part of the 15th chapter of the Bhagavad Gītā, focusing on ślokas 12 to 20. The chapter is titled Puruṣottama Yoga, the Yoga of the Supreme Self. The first six ślokas describe the world as an upside-down Aśvattha tree—a symbol of existence that is ever-changing. It is said to be eternal, yet we can cut it with the strong axe of non-attachment to reach the divine abode. This requires purifying our qualities. The second part, ślokas 7-11, describes the individual soul's entry into this world, attracting the senses and the mind—the subtle body. The essence is the divine Ātmā, which is invisible. The question arises: who can realize this Ātmā? Those who are deluded and impure cannot, even if they try to meditate. Only pure yogīs engaged in sādhanā can realize the soul within. The next part, ślokas 12 to 15, elaborates on where God is present. Of course, God is everywhere, but certain aspects of creation serve as guidelines to the divine, just as we meditate specifically on the heart though God is in the whole body. Where can we find God in this world? The first answer is that God reveals Himself as light. The central word here is Tejas. It speaks of Āditya (the sun) that enlightens the whole Jagat (world), as well as Chandra (the moon) and Agni (fire). The light of the sun, moon, and fire is declared to be God's light. The light does not originate from these physical objects; Bhagavān says, "That is my light. I am giving the light to the sun." The moon merely reflects the sun's light, and the sun itself radiates God's light. God is light, which we know as enlightenment. This explains a previous śloka describing the highest world not illumined by sun, moon, or fire, for they are merely physical; the real light is divine. The next aspect is energy, ojas. The text states, "I am the ojas, and I pervade the whole world." God sustains the life of all beings through this energy. God also enters the moon; its special radiance, called Soma (akin to Amṛta), is God's energy. As Soma, this energy gives juice and taste to all vegetation. This is the secret of how prāṇa enters plants, giving us energy through food. Without this, we could eat plants but gain no nourishment. Thus, śloka 13 says: "Permeating the earth, I sustain all beings through my energy, and as the moon energy, I nourish all plants, giving them juice and taste." The third aspect is the fire of digestion. Śloka 14 states: "Ahaṁ Vaiśvānaro bhūtvā prāṇināṁ deham āśritaḥ." "I become the Vaiśvānara (the fire), enter the bodies of living beings, and become the fire of digestion." This fire, known as Jāṭarāgni, works together with prāṇa and apāna (and all the vital airs) to digest the four types of food (chatuvidham). These four types can be understood as what is chewed, drunk, licked, or swallowed. Thus, God enters as the digestive fire in all living beings. Śloka 15 introduces the heart (Hṛdī, Hṛdaya). God dwells in the heart of every being. From God comes smṛti and jñāna. Here, smṛti does not mean ordinary memory but the remembrance of our divine essence and origin. Jñāna is not intellectual knowledge but divine wisdom. From God also comes apohanam, their loss or absence. In other words, everything is in God's hands. This echoes the principle: "Nāhaṁ kartā, prabhu dīpa kartā" (I am not the doer, God is the doer). Here God affirms, "Yes, I am the doer." Next, God speaks of the Vedas. "Vedaiś ca sarvair aham eva vedyah." All Vedas have but one aim: to know God. The Vedas represent divine knowledge, not merely books; they are a means to preserve this knowledge when human memory (smṛti) falters. God continues, "I am the Vedānta-kṛt" (the author of Vedānta, the philosophy of non-duality) and "I am the Veda-vit" (the knower of the Vedas). This term Veda-vit connects back to the first śloka of the chapter, where one who truly knows the essence of the Aśvattha tree is called a Veda-vit. Thus, one who becomes a knower of the Vedas is united with God. The discourse then reaches the chapter's core: Puruṣottama. It begins by distinguishing two types of Puruṣa (beings) in the world: Kṣara and Akṣara. Kṣara is the perishable—all created beings (sarva bhūtāni), everything part of the ever-changing Aśvattha tree. Akṣara is the imperishable, called Kūṭastha. This is the eternal principle behind creation, the root from which everything arises. It is Prakṛti or Māyā. While what Māyā produces is changeable, the principle of Māyā itself is permanent. Yet, beyond these two is the Uttama Puruṣa, the Highest Being, also called Paramātmā. This is distinct from both the perishable and the imperishable. This Puruṣottama pervades and sustains all three worlds (loka-traya) and is the eternal Īśvara (Lord). The text declares: "Since I surpass the perishable and am even higher than the imperishable, I am called in the world and in the Vedas Puruṣottama, the Supreme Self." Our duty is to distinguish between the first two Puruṣas and the true highest Puruṣa. This is not easy, for even the eternal principle (Māyā) is not God; one must go beyond. This is a deep guidance for meditation. Intellectual reasoning alone cannot realize God. The text warns against becoming satisfied prematurely, such as becoming attached to beautiful spiritual experiences (like those in the Anāhata Chakra) and mistaking them for the final goal. The guru's guidance is essential to avoid this trap. The terminology aligns with Sāṅkhya philosophy: Prakṛti (Māyā) and Puruṣa (God). The Bhagavad Gītā presents this universally, also using the term Paramātmā, which Swāmījī employs. The key is not to get stuck in Māyā but to proceed to Paramātmā, the Puruṣottama. Śloka 19 states that one who recognizes God as this Puruṣottama does so with an undiluted, clear mind (asamūḍha). This clarity comes through purification, as outlined in śloka 5: freedom from pride, delusion, and attachment; being centered in the self, beyond desires and the duality of pleasure and pain. Such an undiluted seeker reaches the eternal goal. Upon this realization, one becomes sarvavit (omniscient, possessing divine knowledge) and worships God with one's whole being (sarva-bhāvena bhajati). Finally, this teaching is declared to be the most secret and intimate (guhyatamaṃ śāstram), an Upaniṣad. It is secret not in exclusivity but because only a purified mind can grasp it. One who knows this teaching becomes wise (buddhimān) and has accomplished all that is to be accomplished (kṛtakṛtya), attaining final liberation. The chapter concludes with: "Oṁ Tat Sat. Thus ends the 15th chapter, named Puruṣottama Yoga, in the dialogue between Śrī Kṛṣṇa and Arjuna, contained within the Śrīmad Bhagavad Gītā, the Upaniṣad of Brahma Vidyā (divine knowledge) and Yoga Śāstra (the scripture of Yoga)."

This text is transcribed and grammar corrected by AI. If in doubt what was actually said in the recording, use the transcript to double click the desired cue. This will position the recording in most cases just before the sentence is uttered.

The text contains hyperlinks in bold to three authoritative books on yoga, written by humans, to clarify the context of the lecture:

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