Bhagavad Gita Chapter 15 Verse 17 Meaning
But distinct is the Supreme Purusha, called the highest Self, indestructible and Lord, who pervades the three worlds and sustains them.
BG 15.17
उत्तमः पुरुषस्त्वन्यः परमात्मेत्युदाहृतः।यो लोकत्रयमाविश्य बिभर्त्यव्यय ईश्वरः
uttamaḥ puruṣhas tv anyaḥ paramātmety udāhṛitaḥ yo loka-trayam āviśhya bibharty avyaya īśhvaraḥ
Meaning
But distinct is the Supreme Purusha, called the highest Self, indestructible and Lord, who pervades the three worlds and sustains them.
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What Does Bhagavad Gita 15.17 Mean?
But distinct is the Supreme Purusha, called the highest Self, indestructible and Lord, who pervades the three worlds and sustains them. This verse from Purushottama Yoga speaks directly to the theme of the cosmic tree, offering insight that deepens our understanding of the Gita's teaching. Shankaracharya emphasizes that this teaching is not merely contextual but universal. The principle of the cosmic tree expressed here transcends its battlefield setting and speaks to the fundamental relationship between action, knowledge, and spiritual realization.
The practical invitation is to hold this verse as a mirror. Where in your life does the principle of the cosmic tree feel most challenging? That is precisely where the teaching has the most to offer.
— Explained by the Nitya Team
What Is the Context of Bhagavad Gita 15.17?
The metaphor of the eternal tree and the supreme position of God.
Key themes in this chapter include Supreme Person, Eternal tree, Liberation.
How Can I Apply Bhagavad Gita 15.17 in Daily Life?
- •When you need steadiness while dealing with supreme person
- •When practicing eternal tree amid uncertainty
- •When applying liberation to real-life choices
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Related Verses
BG 15.5
Free from pride and delusion, victorious over the evil of attachment, dwelling constantly in the Self, their desires having completely turned away, freed from the pairs of opposites known as pleasure and pain, they, the undeluded, reach the eternal goal.
BG 15.6
Neither does the sun illuminate there, nor the moon, nor the fire; having gone there, they do not return; that is My supreme abode.
BG 1.1
Dhritarashtra said, "What did my people and the sons of Pandu do when they had assembled together, eager for battle, on the holy plain of Kurukshetra, O Sanjaya?"
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