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Bhagwad Gita (English) | Chapter 15 | Verse 4

Chapter 15, Verse 4

The Yoga of the Supreme Person

Then, that goal should be sought for, to which, having gone, none returns again. I seek refuge in that Primeval Purusha, from whence streamed forth the ancient activity or energy.

Verse

ततः पदं तत्परिमार्गितव्य यस्मिन्गता न निवर्तन्ति भूयः।तमेव चाद्यं पुरुषं प्रपद्ये यतः प्रवृत्तिः प्रसृता पुराणी।।15.4।।


tataḥ padaṁ tat parimārgitavyaṁ
yasmin gatā na nivartanti bhūyaḥ
tam eva chādyaṁ puruṣhaṁ prapadye
yataḥ pravṛittiḥ prasṛitā purāṇī

Meaning of each word

tataḥ — then;
padam — place;
tat — that;
parimārgitavyam — one must search out;
yasmin — where;
gatāḥ — having gone;
na — not;
nivartanti — return;
bhūyaḥ — again;
tam — to him;
eva — certainly;
cha — and;
ādyam — original;
puruṣham — the Supreme Lord;
prapadye — take refuge;
yataḥ — whence;
pravṛittiḥ — the activity;
prasṛitā — streamed forth;
purāṇi — very old

Interpretation

In this verse, we are encouraged to think about a very important goal, which is to find a special place that once reached, no one ever returns from. This place is not just a physical location; it represents a state of being where a person is completely free from the troubles and struggles of the material world we live in. After all the struggles and distractions we have in life, this is where true peace and happiness can be found.

The verse mentions the 'Primeval Purusha', which means the Supreme Being or God. This is the source of everything in existence—the beginning from which all creation came. Just like a tree has roots and branches, everything in the world comes from this divine source. The verse tells us that to reach this ultimate goal, we need to look towards this divine source.

When we talk about 'cutting down the tree of material attachment', we mean letting go of the things in our lives that keep us trapped in cycles of desires and disappointments. For example, if someone focuses only on money, fame, or personal success, these things can hold them back and cause suffering. The more we chase after material things, the more we feel unsatisfied.

To reach that spiritual goal, the key is surrendering to God, also referred to here as Krishna. This doesn’t mean giving up and doing nothing; rather, it means recognizing that we can't achieve true happiness and freedom by ourselves. Surrendering to God involves developing a relationship with Him through practices such as prayer, meditation, or being with people who also seek spiritual growth. It’s like having a mentor or guide who shows you the right path.

When we begin to realize that God is the source of everything, we understand that this connection can lead us away from the repetitive cycle of becoming attached to worldly things, which can lead to birth and death again and again. Instead, this path leads us to a peaceful and eternal existence, where worries do not exist. This journey to liberation begins with the realization that by connecting with the divine, we can transcend our troubles.

In summary, this verse guides us to seek a higher purpose beyond the physical world. It emphasizes the importance of connecting with God, letting go of material attachments, and engaging in spiritual practices that foster this relationship. By doing so, one can attain everlasting freedom and joy.

Other Verses of Chapter 15
Verse 1
The Blessed Lord said: There is a banyan tree which has its roots upward and its branches down and whose leaves are the Vedic hymns. One who knows this tree is the knower of the Vedas.
Verse 2
The branches of this tree extend downward and upward, nourished by the three modes of material nature. The twigs are the objects of the senses. This tree also has roots going down, and these are bound to the fruitive actions of human society.
Verse 3
Its form is not perceived here as such, nor its end, origin, foundation, or resting place; having cut asunder this firmly rooted peepul tree with the strong axe of non-attachment.
Verse 5
One who is free from illusion, false prestige, and false association, who understands the eternal, who is done with material lust and is freed from the duality of happiness and distress, and who knows how to surrender unto the Supreme Person, attains to that eternal kingdom.
Verse 6
That abode of Mine is not illumined by the sun or moon, nor by electricity. One who reaches it never returns to this material world.
Verse 7
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.
Verse 8
The living entity in the material world carries his different conceptions of life from one body to another as the air carries aromas.
Verse 9
The living entity, thus taking another gross body, obtains a certain type of ear, tongue, and nose and sense of touch, which are grouped about the mind. He thus enjoys a particular set of sense objects.
Verse 10
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.
Verse 11
The endeavoring transcendentalist, who is situated in self-realization, can see all this clearly. But those who are not situated in self-realization cannot see what is taking place, though they may try to.
Verse 12
The splendor of the sun, which dissipates the darkness of this whole world, comes from Me. And the splendor of the moon and the splendor of fire are also from Me.
Verse 13
I enter into each planet, and by My energy they stay in orbit. I become the moon and thereby supply the juice of life to all vegetables.
Verse 14
I am the fire of digestion in every living body, and I am the air of life, outgoing and incoming, by which I digest the four kinds of foodstuff.
Verse 15
I am seated in everyone's heart, and from Me come remembrance, knowledge and forgetfulness. By all the Vedas am I to be known; indeed I am the compiler of Vedanta, and I am the knower of the Vedas.
Verse 16
There are two classes of beings, the fallible and the infallible. In the material world every entity is fallible, and in the spiritual world every entity is called infallible.
Verse 17
Besides these two, there is the greatest living personality, the Lord Himself, who has entered into these worlds and is maintaining them.
Verse 18
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 that Supreme Person.
Verse 19
Whoever knows Me as the Supreme Personality of Godhead, without doubting, is to be understood as the knower of everything, and he therefore engages himself in full devotional service, O son of Bharata.
Verse 20
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 endeavors will know perfection.
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