Gita Series – 147: Bhagavad Gita Chapter XV. Verse 18 – 20

“I am beyond the perishable matter (also known as prakṛti, kṣetra and gross form) and the imperishable soul (also known as puruṣa and kṣetrajña). Therefore I am the Supreme, known as Puruṣhottama, in the worlds and Vedas. The wise, who knows Me thus, worships Me at all times and through all means. Sinless Arjuna, I have imparted the most secret knowledge. Knowing this, a man transforms into a sage, with all his duties fully accomplished.”

Kṛṣṇa concludes this Bhagavad gita chapter by asserting His Supremacy in the entire universe. He is Prakṛti and Puruṣa, He is the gross body as well as the subtle body, He is the field and the knower of the field, yet He is beyond all these and He is known as Puruṣhottama, the Ultimate. Puruṣhottama literally means the highest being. Only from Puruṣhottama, souls and prakṛti originate. They are also sustained by Him, they get dissolved unto Him during annihilation and are recreated again due to His compassion. Beyond Puruṣhottama, there is nobody and He pervades the universe everywhere. Without His command and will nothing moves in the universe. Upaniṣad-s say that sun shines fearing Him, the air blows fearing Him and every activity happens at His command.

The wise know well, that Puruṣhottama can be realized only through highly refined spiritual knowledge and Kṛṣṇa Himself had chosen to impart this kind of knowledge through His sermons to Arjuna. That is why, Bhagavad Gita is considered as the best source to attain spiritual knowledge. Kṛṣṇa said that He had imparted the secretive knowledge to Arjuna. The secretive knowledge can be explained thus: ‘Souls and prakṛti are created by Puruṣhottama, which are nothing but His different manifestations which augurs well with His omnipresence. A soul interacting with prakṛti causes manifestation of a gross body. Sense organs get embedded in the gross body that get connected to antaḥkaraṇa, the inner psychic apparatus (comprising of mind, intellect, consciousness and ego) to unfold the impressions of the mind, caused during his previous births in conjunction with one’s own karma. The soul is imperishable, whereas every other thing is perishable. The soul continues to remain imperishable as long it is associated with impressions of mind and karma. The cessation of the soul becomes possible only if one could understand its creator Puruṣhottama by acquiring enough knowledge to realize Him. He can only be realized and not be seen, as He is devoid of forms, but remains as the only source of energy for all that happens in the universe. If He is understood and realised, one is able to merge into Him, with no more births.’

A man, who proceeds to know the Supreme Puruṣhottama, transforms into a sage. The moment when this transformation is complete, his goal of having born in this universe is achieved and he continues to exist with his consciousness is totally fixed on Puruṣhottama, till his body dies. A soul can merge with the Brahman only during human birth, as the merger happens only through the mind.

BHAGAVAD GITA CHAPTER 15 IS CONCLUDED

Further Readings:

Bhagavad Gita Chapter XV. 11 - 14

Bhagavad Gita Chapter XV. 15 - 17