Bhagavad Gita 15.18

[Paramananda das]

TEXT 18 yasmat ksaram atito 'ham aksarad api cottamah ato 'smi loke vede ca prathitah purusottamah

SYNONYMS

yasmat--because; ksaram--the fallible; atitah--transcendental; aham--I; aksarat--from the infallible; api--better than that; ca--and; uttamah--the best; atah--therefore; asmi--I am; loke--in the world; vede--in the Vedic literature; ca--and; prathitah--celebrated; purusa-uttamah--as the Supreme Personality.

TRANSLATION 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. PURPORT No one can surpass the Supreme Personality of Godhead, Krsna--neither the conditioned soul nor the liberated soul. He is, therefore, the greatest of personalities. Now it is clear here that the living entities and the Supreme Personality of Godhead are individuals. The difference is that the living entities, either in the conditioned state or in the liberated state, cannot surpass in quantity the inconceivable potencies of the Supreme Personality of Godhead. Rudra Vaisnava Sampradaya: Visnuswami Sridhara Swami's Commentary In this verse the Supreme Lord Krishna confirms His position as Purusottama the Supreme Being of all existence by His validation of transcendence to both the ksarah or perishable and aksarah or imperishable; along with all jivas or embodied beings in bondage as well as those liberated from samsara or the perpetual cycle of birth and death. Therfore throughout creation and in the Vedic scriptures He is celebrated and reknown as Purusottama. The Brihadaranya Upanisad V.VI.I beginning manomayo-ayam puruso states: The resplendent supreme being is the ruler and lord of all governing all that exists. Brahma Vaisnava Sampradaya: Madhvacarya Madhvacarya's Commentary Sri Vaisnava Sampradaya: Ramanuja Ramanuja's Commentary The reality of the Supreme Lord Krishna's transcendence to both the ksarah or perishable which includes all jivas or embodied beings as well as aksarah or imperishable including all the atmas or immortal souls. He is celebrated and gloridied as Purusottama the Supreme Being. The word loke obviously means worlds but due to its proximity to vede meaning the Vedas it can refer to the smriti's such as the Vishnu Purana V.XVII.XXXIII which states: Incarnations of Purusottama descending from Vishnu are without a beginning, middle or end. An example from sruti is the Chandogya Upanisad VIII.XII.III beginning: evamevaisa samprasado asma charirat samuthaya param states: Achieving liberation the spiritsoul attains a glorious effulgent form revelling in its position at the feet of the Supreme Being. So in conclusion loke vede can mean that the Supreme Lord celebrated as Purusottama is glorified in both sections of the Vedic scriptures known as sruti and smriti and it can mean that He is glorifeied in all the worlds. Kumara Vaisnava Sampradaya: Nimbaditya Kesava Kasmiri's Commentary One may not comprehend that the Supreme Being and Lord Krishna are the same because of the fact that Lord Krishna, Himself refers to the Supreme being as interpenetrating all the worlds. To remove any vestiges of misunderstanding Lord Krishna construes this verse with the etymological expression of the preceeding verse with Himself in the first person singular stating: Since I am transcendental to ksarah which is the perishable, the insentient, material nature as well as transcendental to aksarah the imperishable, the eternal, the atma or immortal soul; the Supreme Lord is known as Purusottama the Supreme Being. The Svetasvatara Upanisad VI.XVI beginning sa vishva krid vishva avid atma states: The Supreme Being is the creator of everything as well as the knower of everything. He is also the absolute controller of everything. He is the cause of liberation from material existence by the jivas or embodied beings and it is due to aversion to Him that jivas are entangled in samsara the perpetual cycle of birth and death. The Vishnu Sahasranama, verse 16 is states that the Supreme Lord is paramount among all beings. The Puranas glorify Him as the Supreme Sovereign of all that exists and the Narada Pancaratra states: O Supreme Lord as you are the Supreme Being you must save me for I am extremely unfortunate drowning in the ocean of material existence. In this way Lord Krishna is known in the world and in the Vedic scriptures as Purusottama. 15.18 yasmat ksharam atito'ham / aksharad api cottamah ato'smi loke vede ca / prathitah purushottamah Click here to read Shrila Prabhupada's Bhagavad Gita As It Is 15.18 a href="http://www.bhagavadgitaasitis.com/15/18/en%3E">http://www.bhagavadgitaasitis.com/15/18/en>; yasmat---because; aham---I; (am) atitah---transcendental; ksharam---to the fallible; ca---and; api---even; uttamah--- transcendental; aksharat---to the infallible; atah---therefore; asmi--- I am; prathitah---renowned; ca---both; loke---in the world; (and) vede---in the Vedas; (as) purusha-uttamah---the Supreme Person. Since I am beyond kshara-tattva (the fallible jiva), and even excel akshara-tattva (the two fold purusha, brahma and Paramatma), I am well known both in this world and in the Vedas as Purushottama, the Supreme Person. SARARTHA-VARShINI BY ShRILA VIShVANATHA CAKRAVARTI THAKURA After explaining Paramatma, the worshipable object of the yogis, Shri Bhagavan describes bhagavat-tattva, the worshipable Deity of the bhaktas. Of the bhagavat-tattva forms, only His own Krishna svarupa is renowned as Purushottama. Shri Bhagavan speaks this shloka beginning with the word yasmat to explain the term Purushottama and His supremacy. This svarupa-tattva, the reality of His form, is transcendental to the kshara (fallible) purusha, the jivatma. He is also superior to akshara-brahma, and to the immutable, nirvikara Paramatma. According to Gita(6.47): yoginam api sarvesham / mad-gatenantaratmana. "He who constantly performs My bhajana with full faith, always thinking exclusively of Me within himself is, in My opinion, the topmost of all yogis." The advancement of the sadhaka's worship is established by the superiority and speciality of his worshipable Deity. Since Shri Krishna is the supreme manifestation of Absolute Reality, one who worships Him is the topmost yogi. Among all supermost worshipable realities (bhagavat-tattva), the superiority of Svayam Bhagavan Shri Krishna is established over Vaikunöha-natha Narayana by the word ca. In Shrimad-Bhagavatam (1.3.28) Shri Suta Gosvami says: "Some personalities are His portions and parts of His portions, but Krishna alone is Svayam Bhagavan." According to this statement of Suta Gosvami, Krishna is the Supreme Reality. Although the three words brahma, Paramatma and Bhagavan explain the one Transcendental Reality, who is sat, cit and ananda, there is no difference in Their svarupa, true constitutional nature. Also, in Shrimad-Bhagavatam (6.9.35), it is said: svarupa-dvayabhavat, "You do not have two svarupas." Yet, due to the differences in sadhana and in the results obtained by those who worship brahma, Paramatma and Bhagavan, there seems to be a difference in that one transcendental reality. Jnana, yoga and bhakti are the respective means for the jnanis, yogis and bhaktas to attain their particular goals of brahma, Paramatma and Bhagavan. In fact, the result of jnana and yoga is only moksha, whereas the result of bhakti is to become a loving associate of Bhagavan. In Shrimad-Bhagavatam (1.5.12), it is said: "Brahma-jnana in the form of naishkarmya (freedom from material affinity) does not appear very beautiful or auspicious when it is bereft of bhakti to Bhagavan." And in Shrimad-Bhagavatam (10.14.5), it is said: "O great personality, in the past there were many yogis in this world who offered all their activities to Your lotus feet when they could not achieve You by the processes of yoga and so forth. Only then could they achieve bhakti to You, by which they realised Your svarupa, and very easily attained Your supreme abode." From these statements, it is understood that without bhakti one cannot attain moksha by the processes of jnana and yoga. It is imperative for the worshippers of brahma and Paramatma to perform bhagavad-bhakti in order for them to achieve perfection in the results of their respective practices. There is no need, however, for the worshippers of Bhagavan to worship brahma or Paramatma to attain perfection in their goal. In Shrimad-Bhagavatam (11.20.31), it is said: "The processes of jnana and vairagya in this world are not considered as the means to attain the highest perfection for a person who is engaged in bhakti-yoga to Me." Furthermore, Shrimad- Bhagavatam (11.20.32-33) states: "Whatever results one attains by the performance of such processes as karma, tapasya, jnana and vairagya, My bhaktas can easily attain by the process of bhakti, be it Svarga, moksha, My Vaikunöha-dhama, or whatever. A person who takes shelter of Shri Narayana achieves the four goals of human life (dharma, artha, karma and moksha) without performing separate sadhanas to achieve them." It is seen that by the worship of Bhagavan, one can achieve the results of Svarga, mukti or prema, but one cannot attain prema by the worship of brahma and Paramatma. Even though brahma and Paramatma do not differ from Bhagavan on the basis of tattva, only the supremacy of Bhagavan is being glorified here. A flame, a lamp and a big fire are all luminous objects and thus, non-different in nature, yet the large fire is the most effective in removing the miseries of those suffering from cold. And superior to the big fire is the sun. Similarly, Bhagavan Shri Krishna is the topmost Absolute Reality. Moksha, in the form of nirvana, attained by perfectly worshipping brahma, is granted by Shri Krishna to even those people who are envious of Him and who are highly sinful, such as Aghasura, Bakasura and Jarasandha. Therefore, Shrila Shridhara Svami has appropriately commented on the statement, "I am the support of nirvishesha-brahma." Shrila Madhusudana Sarasvati has also established the supremacy of Shri Krishna through the following statements: "Sadhakas who want to begin their eternal good fortune should constantly perform the bhajana of Shri Krishnacandra, whose form is described in the shrutis as saccid-ananda, whose complexion is the hue of fresh rainclouds, who is the very garland of the Vraja gopis, who is the means for intelligent people to cross over the ocean of the material world, and whose avataras perform lilas to remove the burden of the earth. I do not know any other reality superior to lotus-eyed Shri Krishna, who has a face like a full moon, who is adorned with a flute in His hands, who wears yellow garments, and whose lips are reddish like the bimba fruit. Various shastras give evidence of the wonderful glories of Shri Krishna. Those who cannot tolerate this are fools and destined for hell." By these statements, Shrila Madhusudana Sarasvati has established the excellence of Shri Krishna. Therefore, it is improper to voice one's disagreement with this explanation of these three Gita shlokas beginning from dvav imu (15.16). SARARTHA-VARShINI PRAKAShIKA-VRiTTI BY ShRILA BHAKTIVEDANTA NARAYANA MAHARAJA This subject has been described more clearly in Shrimad- Bhagavatam (1.2.11): vadanti tat tattva-vidas tattvam / yaj jnanam advayam brahmeti paramatmeti / bhagavan iti shabdyate Those who are tattva-vit call the Absolute Reality advaya-jnana, non-dual knowledge. Some know that very advaya-jnana as brahma, some call Him Paramatma, and some call Him Bhagavan. Jnanis experience that same para-tattva as brahma through their practice of jnana-yoga. Yogis realise the same reality as Paramatma, and by bhakti-yoga, bhaktas see Him as Bhagavan. By aishvarya-mayi bhakti (majestic devotion), bhaktas realise and render service unto that para-tattva as Vaikunöha-natha Narayana, and by madhurya-mayi-prema bhakti, the process of worship in the moods of Vraja (vraja-bhava), they see Him as Svayam Bhagavan Vrajendra-nandana Shyamasundara. Realisation of brahma, Paramatma, and Bhagavan is not the same. There is a gradation. By constitutional nature, water, ice and mist are one (water), although water is not called ice or mist, nor is ice called mist or water. In the same way, Svayam Bhagavan Shri Krishna is the pinnacle of para-tattva. The first realisation of that para-tattva is brahma, the second realisation is Paramatma, and the third realisation is Svayam Bhagavan. These three perceptions are not the same. Therefore, in shastra, parabrahma is described as superior to brahma. This has been very clearly explained in Gita (14.27): brahmano hi pratishöhaham. "I alone am the basis of that nirvisheshabrahma. " The adjective param before brahma and before atma establishes the superiority of parabrahma and Paramatma over brahma and the atma respectively. But the adjective param is never used before the word Bhagavan. Therefore, Svayam Bhagavan alone is the topmost limit of para-tattva; Paramatma and brahma are just His two manifestations. The bodily effulgence of Krishna is called brahma, and the portion of His portion is called Paramatma. Shrila Bhaktivinoda Thakura quotes Krishna as saying, "The third and topmost akshara-purusha is called Bhagavan. I am that very bhagavat-tattva. I am transcendental to ksharapuru sha (the jiva), and even superior to the two other aksharapuru shas: brahma and Paramatma. I am, therefore celebrated as Purushottama, both in this world and in the Vedas. This siddhanta should be understood: there are two purushas, kshara and akshara. Akshara-purusha has three manifestations. The general manifestation is brahma, a higher manifestation is Paramatma, and the supreme manifestation is Bhagavan."