Bhagavad Gita | Chapter 15: Purushottama Yoga
The Yoga of the Supreme Person - Krishna describes the eternal Ashvattha tree, the nature of the bound soul, and the glory of the supreme person who transcends both the perishable and the imperishable.
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Chapter 15: Purushottama Yoga - The Supreme Person
Krishna describes the world as an eternal Ashvattha (sacred fig) tree with roots above and branches below. This tree of samsara must be cut with the axe of discrimination to attain liberation.
The Bound Soul
The individual soul, identifying with the body, moves among sense objects. The real nature of the soul is forgotten. Through discrimination and practice, the soul can recognize its true identity.
The Supreme Person
There are two persons in the world: the perishable (the body) and the imperishable (the individual soul). But beyond both is the supreme person (Purushottama) - the Lord who pervades and sustains all three worlds. One who knows this supreme person knows everything.
Key Verses
Verse 4: One should seek refuge in that supreme Lord from whom this ancient tree has originated. That Lord alone is to be sought.
Verse 7: An eternal part of myself, having become the individual soul in the world of living beings, draws to itself the five senses and the mind for the purpose of experiencing the world.
Verse 18: Because I transcend the perishable and am even higher than the imperishable, I am known as the supreme person in the world and in the Vedas.