bhagavad-giitaa adhyaaya 15 (English)

The first four verses of this chapter are somewhat unclear. The as''vattha tree seems to be a tree of knowledge. Kr's'n'a explains that one who has that knowledge is a knower of the veda, but still one has to cut that knowledge in order to attain Kr's'n'a's spiritual abode. There seems to be some text missing after the fourth verse. From text five onwards, the rest of this chapter is more similar to the rest of the Bhagavad-giitaa. It is possible that the first four verses in this chapter are a later addition. However, it can still be seen as a part of the divine revelation as it explains that even vedic knowledge has to be abandoned to reach the ultimate goal. Kr's'n'a then describes his abode as a place which is not illuminated by any mundane objects such as the sun or moon, and he explains that one who reaches that abode doesn't return. This means that one who has reached Kr's'n'a's abode is not forced by material nature to take another birth in this material world, since his material existence has been replaced by a spiritual existence. This does not exclude the free will in the spiritual abode. Thereafter, Kr's'n'a explains that the living entities are really his parts, who take a material body and thus come in contact with material objects of the senses, only the most qualified yogii actually sees. Then, Kr's'n'a explains that he enters fire and the living entities, and that knowledge, memory, and reasoning come from him. This indicates that Kr's'n'a enters that, which the living entity can perceive. Nothing can be hidden from him because he sees everything that the living entity sees. Then Kr's'n'a describes the two persons, the perishable living beings and the imperishable gods at the top, but the imperishable master is even above the gods. Kr's'n'a is this highest person. He then explains that one, who knows this without confusion, worships Kr's'n'a wholeheartedly. This is the most secret knowledge that Kr's'n'a started to explain in the ninth chapter.

Next adhyaaya

Â:iB:g:v:an:Øv:ac: UDv:üm:Ül:m:D:HS:aK:m:Ã:tT:ö )ahÚrvy:y:m:Î . Cndaöes: y:sy: p:N:aüen: y:st:ö v:ðd s: v:ðdev:t:Î / 1 /	S''rii Bhagavaan spoke: He, who has understood that as''vattha tree, with roots upwards and branches downwards, which has been declared imperishable, with hymns as leaves, is a knower of the Vedas. (1)
AD:Á:<Dv:þ )s:àt:ast:sy: S:aK:a g:ØN:)v:à¹a ev:\:y:)v:al:aH . AD:Á: m:Ül:any:n:Øs:nt:t:aen: km:aün:Øb:nD:ien: m:n:Ø\y:l:<kñ / 2 /	Its branches are spread out downwards and upwards, its sprouts of objects are diffused by the gun'a, and downwards the continued roots are connected with action in the world of men. (2)
n: -p:m:sy:ðh t:T:<p:l:By:t:ð n:ant:< n: c:aedn:ü c: s:mp:Òet:Åa . AÃ:tT:m:ðn:ö s:Øev:-Zm:Ül:m:s:¤S:s*:ðN: dàZðn: eC¶v:a / 3 /	Its form is not perceived in that way in this world. It has no end, and no beginning, and no continuance. After cutting this as''vattha, fully developed root, with a strong independent sword, (3)
t:t:H p:dö t:tp:erm:aeg:üt:vy:ö y:¡sm:ng:t:a n: en:v:t:ü¡nt: B:Üy:H . t:m:ðv: c:a½ö p:Ø,\:ö )p:½ð y:t:H )v:àe¶:H )s:àt:a p:ØraN:i / 4 /	that step should then be strived after, from which one does not return again, when arrived, and I take refuge with that very first person, from whom this ancient manifestation is wide-spread. (4)
en:m:aün:m:<ha ej:t:s:¤d<\:a ADy:atm:en:ty:a ev:en:v:à¶:kam:aH . ¾n¾òev:üm:ØVt:aH s:ØK:dØHK:s:Wwòg:ücCnty:m:ÜZaH p:dm:vy:y:ö t:t:Î / 5 /	The unbewildered, who are free from pride and illusion, and have overcome attachment to vice, who are eternally their own, and have withdrawn their desires, are liberated by the opposites and by the knowledge of pain and pleasure, and obtain that supreme imperishable. (5)
n: t:»as:y:t:ð s:Üy:<ü n: S:S:a¢< n: p:av:kH . y:·tv:a n: en:v:t:ünt:ð t:¹am: p:rm:ö m:m: / 6 /	The sun does not illuminate it, nor the moon, nor fire. It is my supreme abode, and after obtaining it one does not return. (6)
m:m:òv:aöS:< j:iv:l:<kñ j:iv:B:Üt:H s:n:at:n:H . m:n:H \:Åan:i¡ndÒy:aeN: )káet:sT:aen: k\:üet: / 7 /	The eternal living entity in the world of living beings is really my part, and pulls the inherent sixth parts, the mind and the senses. (7)
S:rirö y:dv:apn:<et: y:cc:apy:Øt#am:t:iÃ:rH . g:àhitv:òt:aen: s:öy:aet: v:ay:Øg:ünD:aen:v:aS:y:at:Î / 8 /	After taking a body, which he gains and which he also dies from, the master meets these^*, like wind meets smell from a place. (8)
Â:<*:ö c:x:ØH sp:S:ün:ö c: rs:n:ö G:ÒaN:m:ðv: c: . AeD:Åay: m:n:Á:ay:ö ev:\:y:an:Øp:s:ðv:t:ð / 9 /	After attaining ears, eyes, and touch, a tongue and even a nose, and a mind, he visits the objects of the senses. (9)
ut#am:nt:ö ¡sT:t:ö v:aep: B:ØWj:an:ö v:a g:ØN:a¡nv:t:m:Î . ev:m:ÜZa n:an:Øp:Sy:¡nt: p:Sy:¡nt: wan:c:x:Ø\:H / 10 /	The bewildered do not perceive him dying or even standing, or enjoying the excellent. Those, whose knowledge is their eyes, see him, (10)
y:t:nt:< y:<eg:n:Á:òn:ö p:Sy:nty:atm:ny:v:¡sT:t:ö . y:t:nt:<\|py:kát:atm:an:< n:òn:ö p:Sy:nty:c:ðt:s:H / 11 /	and the connecting yogii see him placed in himself. Even the insensible incompletely connecting souls do not see him. (11)
y:daedty:g:t:ö t:ðj:< j:g:»as:y:t:ð\|eK:l:m:Î . y:cc:ndÒm:es: y:cc:agn:> t:¶:ðj:< ev:e¹ m:am:km:Î / 12 /	Know that brilliance which has come from Aaditya^*, and which completely illuminates the world, and that brilliance which is in the moon, and which is in fire, to be mine! (12)
g:am:aev:Sy: c: B:Üt:aen: D:ary:amy:hm:<j:s:a . p:Ø\Naaem: c:>\:D:iH s:v:aüH s:<m:< B:Ütv:a rs:atm:kH / 13 /	Moreover, after entering the earth, I maintain the living beings with vigour, and I nourish all herbs after becoming the tasteful Soma. (13)
Ahö v:òÃ:an:r< B:Ütv:a )aeN:n:aö dðhm:aeÂ:t:H . )aN:ap:an:s:m:ay:ØVt:H p:c:amy:Àö c:t:Øev:üD:m:Î / 14 /	After becoming the fire of digestion, inhabiting the bodies of breathing beings, I digest food of four kinds, with joined inhaling and exhaling, (14)
s:v:üsy: c:ahö Æed s:eÀev:Ä< m:¶:H sm:àet:waün:m:p:<hn:ö c: . v:ðdòÁ: s:v:òürhm:ðv: v:ð½< v:ðdant:ká¾ðdev:dðv: c:ahm:Î / 15 /	and I am contained in the heart of everyone. Memory, knowledge, and reasoning come from me, and I am really to be known with all the veda. I really am the author of Vedaanta and the knower of the veda. (15)
¾aev:m:> p:Ø,\:> l:<kñ x:rÁ:ax:r Ov: c: . x:rH s:v:aüeN: B:Üt:aen: kÝXsT:<\|x:r ucy:t:ð / 16 /	These two persons are in the world: the perishable and even the imperishable. All living beings are perishable. The one who is standing at the top is called imperishable, (16)
u¶:m:H p:Ø,\:stv:ny:H p:rm:atm:ðty:ØdaÆt:H . y:< l:<k*:y:m:aev:Sy: eb:B:ty:üvy:y: IÃ:rH / 17 /	but another highest person, the imperishable master, is declared the supreme soul^*, who carries the three worlds after entering them. (17)
y:sm:atx:rm:t:it:<\|hm:x:radep: c:<¶:m:H . At:<\|¡sm: l:<kñ v:ðdð c: )eT:t:H p:Ø,\:<¶:m:H / 18 /	Since I have passed over the perishable, and am even higher than the imperishable, I am the highest person, celebrated in the world and in the veda. (18)
y:< m:am:ðv:m:s:mm:ÜZ< j:an:aet: p:Ø,\:<¶:m:m:Î . s: s:v:üev:»j:et: m:aö s:v:üB:av:ðn: B:art: / 19 /	He, who in this way knows me to be highest person, without being confused, is omniscient and worships me with his whole soul, o descendant of Bharata^*. (19)
Eet: g:ØÊt:m:ö S:as*:em:dm:ØVt:ö m:y:an:G: . Ot:ºØdÏDv:a b:Øe¹m:ansy:atkát:káty:Á: B:art: / 20 /	Thus, I have spoken this most secret command, o faultless one, and after understanding this, the intelligent might accomplish his purpose, o descendant of Bharata^*. (20)