🕊️ Chapter 15 – The Supreme Person (Shlokas 11–20) | Bound, Liberated, and the Beyond
Shloka 11
Sanskrit:
यतन्तो योगिनश्चैनं पश्यन्त्यात्मन्यवस्थितम्।
यतन्तोऽप्यकृतात्मानो नैनं पश्यन्त्यचेतस:॥
Hindi Translation:
प्रयास करने वाले योगी इसे (आत्मा को) अपने भीतर स्थित देखकर अनुभव करते हैं, लेकिन अयुक्त मन वाले अचेतन पुरुष, भले ही प्रयास करें, इसे नहीं समझ पाते।
English Translation:
Striving yogis behold the soul dwelling within themselves. But the unintelligent and undisciplined, even though striving, do not perceive it.
🔍 Deep Reflection:
Effort is not enough — **direction** and **purity of awareness** matter. Without a calm, trained mind, even a thousand rituals cannot reveal the soul.
The Self is *subtle*, not hidden; only stillness unveils it.
🪔 Modern Insight:
Meditation without inner sincerity becomes performance. Real yoga is when the **mind bows to silence**, and silence reflects back the Self.
Shloka 12
Sanskrit:
यदादित्यगतं तेजो जगद्भासयतेऽखिलम्।
यच्चन्द्रमसि यच्चाग्नौ तत्तेजो विद्धि मामकम्॥
Hindi Translation:
जो सूर्य में तेज है और सम्पूर्ण जगत को प्रकाशित करता है, जो चंद्रमा और अग्नि में है—वह मेरा ही तेज जानो।
English Translation:
The light that shines from the sun, illuminates the whole world, and resides in the moon and fire—know that light to be Mine.
🔍 Deep Reflection:
Krishna reveals: **The light in all lights is Me.** Not just physical brilliance, but the **inner light of consciousness** is divine in origin.
🪔 Modern Insight:
Inspiration, love, clarity — whenever your heart lights up, that’s **a spark of the divine**. You are not far from God; you are **lit by God** at all times.
Shloka 13
Sanskrit:
गामाविश्य च भूतानि धारयाम्यहमोजसा।
पुष्णामि चौषधी: सर्वा: सोमो भूत्वा रसात्मक:॥
Hindi Translation:
मैं पृथ्वी में प्रवेश कर सब जीवों को अपनी शक्ति से धारण करता हूँ और औषधियों को सोम रूप में रस प्रदान करता हूँ।
English Translation:
Entering the earth, I sustain all beings with My energy. Becoming the moon, I nourish all plants with sap.
🔍 Deep Reflection:
God isn’t separate from nature. He is **the life within life** — not above the world, but **infused into it**.
🪔 Modern Insight:
The food you eat, the breath you take — all are **touched by divinity**. Gratitude isn’t moral—it’s reality awareness.
Shloka 14
Sanskrit:
अहं वैश्वानरो भूत्वा प्राणिनां देहमाश्रित:।
प्राणापानसमायुक्त: पचाम्यन्नं चतुर्विधम्॥
Hindi Translation:
मैं ही प्राणियों के शरीर में वैश्वानर अग्नि बनकर स्थित हूँ और प्राण तथा अपान के साथ मिलकर चार प्रकार के अन्न को पचाता हूँ।
English Translation:
I become the digestive fire (Vaishvanara) in the bodies of all living beings. Uniting with the incoming and outgoing breaths, I digest the four kinds of food.
🔍 Deep Reflection:
Even digestion is divine. Krishna isn’t just in temples — He’s in **your gut, your breath, your metabolism**. He is the **force behind function**.
🪔 Modern Insight:
Every involuntary process in your body is **grace in motion**. Stop treating spirituality as separate from biology — the body is sacred too.
Shloka 15.15
Sanskrit:
सर्वस्य चाहं हृदि सन्निविष्टो
मत्त: स्मृतिर्ज्ञानमपोहनं च।
वेदैश्च सर्वैरहमेव वेद्य:
वेदान्तकृद्वेदविदेव चाहम्॥
Hindi Translation:
मैं ही सभी प्राणियों के हृदय में स्थित हूँ। मुझसे ही स्मृति, ज्ञान और अपोह (भ्रम) होता है। समस्त वेदों द्वारा मैं ही जानने योग्य हूँ। मैं ही वेदों का रचयिता और ज्ञाता हूँ।
English Translation:
I reside in the hearts of all beings. From Me arise memory, knowledge, and forgetfulness. I alone am to be known through all the Vedas; I am the creator and knower of the Vedas.
🔍 Deep Reflection:
God is not “somewhere” — He is **within your own awareness**. All learning, remembering, and even forgetting happens through His presence.
He is the **source and goal of all wisdom**.
🪔 Modern Insight:
Don't just seek God in scriptures — seek Him in your **intuition, memory, silence, and clarity**. These are His echoes inside you.
Shloka 15.16
Sanskrit:
द्वाविमौ पुरुषौ लोके क्षरश्चाक्षर एव च।
क्षर: सर्वाणि भूतानि कूटस्थोऽक्षर उच्यते॥
Hindi Translation:
इस संसार में दो प्रकार के पुरुष (जीव) हैं: एक नश्वर (क्षर) और दूसरा अविनाशी (अक्षर)। सभी प्राणी क्षर हैं, और जो अपरिवर्तनीय आत्मा है वह अक्षर कहलाती है।
English Translation:
In this world, there are two kinds of beings: the perishable and the imperishable. All living beings are perishable, but the soul is imperishable.
🔍 Deep Reflection:
The **perishable (kshara)** is the body-mind. The **imperishable (akshara)** is the atman (soul). Yet Krishna hints — there is **One beyond both**.
🪔 Modern Insight:
The body ages, the personality shifts. But your essence doesn’t change. Return to that **changeless center**, and you'll find peace even in chaos.
Shloka 15.17
Sanskrit:
उत्तम: पुरुषस्त्वन्य: परमात्मेत्युदाहृत:।
यो लोकत्रयमाविश्य बिभर्त्यव्यय ईश्वर:॥
Hindi Translation:
परन्तु उस नश्वर और अविनाशी दोनों से परे एक ‘उत्तम पुरुष’ (परमात्मा) है, जो तीनों लोकों में प्रवेश करके सबका पालन करता है।
English Translation:
But beyond both is the Supreme Person (Purushottama), who pervades and sustains the three worlds and is imperishable.
🔍 Deep Reflection:
Krishna now reveals **His true position** — not just soul, not just body, but the **Supreme Consciousness** that underlies both.
This is **Purushottama** — the One beyond both bondage and freedom.
🪔 Modern Insight:
You are not here to just escape suffering. You’re here to realize the **divine Self**, which was never touched by suffering to begin with.
Shloka 15.18
Sanskrit:
यस्मात्क्षरमतीतोऽहमक्षरादपि चोत्तम:।
अतोऽस्मि लोके वेदे च प्रथित: पुरुषोत्तम:॥
Hindi Translation:
मैं नश्वर (क्षर) से परे हूँ, और अविनाशी (अक्षर) आत्मा से भी श्रेष्ठ हूँ। इसलिए मैं वेदों और संसार में ‘पुरुषोत्तम’ के रूप में प्रसिद्ध हूँ।
English Translation:
Because I transcend both the perishable and the imperishable, I am proclaimed in the world and in the Vedas as the Supreme Person (Purushottama).
🔍 Deep Reflection:
Krishna doesn’t just teach the way — He *is* the way. He is **beyond dualities**, beyond form, even beyond the concept of soul. That is why He is **Purushottama** — the ultimate truth, not just the highest being.
🪔 Modern Insight:
You are not here to choose between worldly success or spiritual retreat. You are here to **transcend both**, by realizing your divine essence. That's the way of Purushottama.
Shloka 15.19
Sanskrit:
यो मामेवमसम्मूढो जानाति पुरुषोत्तमम्।
स सर्वविद्भजति मां सर्वभावेन भारत॥
Hindi Translation:
जो व्यक्ति मुझे इस प्रकार पुरुषोत्तम के रूप में भ्रम रहित होकर जानता है, वह सब कुछ जानने वाला होता है और सम्पूर्ण भाव से मेरी भक्ति करता है।
English Translation:
He who, free from delusion, knows Me as the Supreme Person (Purushottama) is wise and worships Me with all his being.
🔍 Deep Reflection:
True wisdom is not intellectual; it’s **devotional recognition** of the divine. To know Krishna as Purushottama is to surrender the ego and melt into cosmic love.
🪔 Modern Insight:
Faith is not weakness. It is the **power to bow with full awareness**, trusting the divine blueprint unfolding through your life.
Shloka 15.20
Sanskrit:
इति गुह्यतमं शास्त्रमिदमुक्तं मयानघ।
एतद्बुद्ध्वा बुद्धिमान्स्यात्कृतकृत्यश्च भारत॥
Hindi Translation:
हे निष्पाप अर्जुन! यह सबसे गूढ़ शास्त्र मैंने तुम्हें बताया है। इसे समझकर मनुष्य बुद्धिमान हो जाता है और अपना कर्तव्य पूरा करता है।
English Translation:
Thus, O sinless one, this most secret teaching has been declared by Me. He who understands it becomes wise and fulfills the purpose of life.
🔍 Deep Reflection:
This is Krishna’s **mic-drop moment**. The final truth of life is not philosophy but **recognition of the Supreme**.
This knowledge is not informational, but **transformational** — it fulfills your existence.
🪔 Modern Insight:
You’ve read enough, heard enough — now **live the knowing**. You are already whole. Let that guide your every word, choice, and breath.
📜 Ancient Verse – Modern Wisdom
| Shloka | Timeless Insight | Modern Relevance |
|---|---|---|
| 15.11 | Only the calm mind sees the soul | Mindfulness is the gateway to inner clarity |
| 15.15 | God resides in the heart and memory | Listen to your inner voice—it’s sacred |
| 15.17–18 | Krishna is beyond body and soul | The divine isn’t part of life—it *is* life |
| 15.20 | Wisdom ends in surrender | Understanding without devotion is incomplete |
🧘 Message to Gen Z
- Your mind is powerful, but your soul is eternal. Don’t confuse the two.
- When you feel disconnected—it’s a call to reconnect with the **divine source** within.
- Purpose isn’t found, it’s **revealed** when you stop chasing and start listening.
- Real intelligence is knowing when to **surrender**.
- Trust your light. You are a reflection of the Supreme Person, here to shine.