The Highest Person

ऊर्ध्वमूलमधःशाखमश्वत्थं प्राहुरव्ययम् ।
छन्दांसि यस्य पर्णानि यस्तं वेद स वेदवित् ॥1॥

The Lord said: They speak of an unfading ashvattha tree with its roots above and its branches below, whose leaves are the sacred metres. One who knows it knows the Veda.

अधश्चोर्ध्वं प्रसृतास्तस्य शाखा
गुणप्रवृद्धा विषयप्रवालाः ।
अधश्च मूलान्यनुसन्ततानि
कर्मानुबन्धीनि मनुष्यलोके ॥2॥

Its branches spread below and above, nourished by the qualities, with the objects of sense for shoots; and below, its roots run on into the human world, binding by action.

न रूपमस्येह तथोपलभ्यते
नान्तो न चादिर्न च सम्प्रतिष्ठा ।
अश्वत्थमेनं सुविरूढमूलम्
असङ्गशस्त्रेण दृढेन छित्त्वा ॥3॥

Its form is not to be grasped here as it is, nor its end, nor its beginning, nor where it stands. Having cut down this ashvattha, with its roots grown deep, by the firm axe of non-attachment,

ततः पदं तत्परिमार्गितव्यं
यस्मिन्गता न निवर्तन्ति भूयः ।
तमेव चाद्यं पुरुषं प्रपद्ये ।
यतः प्रवृत्तिः प्रसृता पुराणी ॥4॥

one should then seek that place from which those who go do not return, thinking: I take refuge in that first spirit, from whom this ancient stirring has spread out.

निर्मानमोहा जितसङ्गदोषा
अध्यात्मनित्या विनिवृत्तकामाः ।
द्वन्द्वैर्विमुक्ताः सुखदुःखसंज्ञैर्गच्छन्त्यमूढाः पदमव्ययं तत् ॥5॥

Free of pride and confusion, having beaten the fault of clinging, always with the self, desires stilled, released from the pairs called pleasure and pain, they go unconfused to that unfading place.

न तद्भासयते सूर्यो न शशाङ्को न पावकः ।
यद्गत्वा न निवर्तन्ते तद्धाम परमं मम ॥6॥

The sun does not light it, nor the moon, nor fire. That is my highest abode, and those who reach it do not return.

ममैवांशो जीवलोके जीवभूतः सनातनः ।
मनःषष्ठानीन्द्रियाणि प्रकृतिस्थानि कर्षति ॥7॥

An everlasting fragment of myself, become a living being in this world of the living, draws to itself the senses, with the mind as the sixth, as they rest in nature.

शरीरं यदवाप्नोति यच्चाप्युत्क्रामतीश्वरः ।
गृहीत्वैतानि संयाति वायुर्गन्धानिवाशयात् ॥8॥

When the lord takes on a body, and when he leaves it, he carries these along, as the wind carries scents from where they rest.

श्रोत्रं चक्षुः स्पर्शनं च रसनं घ्राणमेव च ।
अधिष्ठाय मनश्चायं विषयानुपसेवते ॥9॥

Presiding over hearing, sight, touch, taste and smell, and over the mind, he takes in the things of the senses.

उत्क्रामन्तं स्थितं वापि भुञ्जानं वा गुणान्वितम् ।
विमूढा नानुपश्यन्ति पश्यन्ति ज्ञानचक्षुषः ॥10॥

The confused do not see him as he leaves, or stays, or experiences things along with the qualities. Those with the eye of knowledge do see him.

यतन्तो योगिनश्चैनं पश्यन्त्यात्मन्यवस्थितम् ।
यतन्तोऽप्यकृतात्मानो नैनं पश्यन्त्यचेतसः ॥11॥

Those who strive, being joined in practice, see him seated in themselves. But those who are not made whole within, lacking discernment, do not see him even when they try.

यदादित्यगतं तेजो जगद्भासयतेऽखिलम् ।
यच्चन्द्रमसि यच्चाग्नौ तत्तेजो विद्धि मामकम् ॥12॥

The brilliance in the sun that lights the whole world, and the brilliance in the moon and in fire: know that brilliance to be mine.

गामाविश्य च भूतानि धारयाम्यहमोजसा ।
पुष्णामि चौषधीः सर्वाः सोमो भूत्वा रसात्मकः ॥13॥

Entering the earth, I hold up beings by my power; and becoming the moon, which is sap itself, I nourish all that grows.

अहं वैश्वानरो भूत्वा प्राणिनां देहमाश्रितः ।
प्राणापानसमायुक्तः पचाम्यन्नं चतुर्विधम् ॥14॥

Becoming the fire of digestion, I dwell in the bodies of living beings and, joined to the in-breath and out-breath, cook the four kinds of food.

सर्वस्य चाहं हृदि सन्निविष्टो
मत्तः स्मृतिर्ज्ञानमपोहनञ्च ।
वेदैश्च सर्वैरहमेव वेद्यो
वेदान्तकृद्वेदविदेव चाहम् ॥15॥

I am seated in the heart of everyone; from me come memory and knowledge, and their loss. It is I who am to be known by all the Vedas; I am the maker of their end, and the knower of the Veda.

द्वाविमौ पुरुषौ लोके क्षरश्चाक्षर एव च ।
क्षरः सर्वाणि भूतानि कूटस्थोऽक्षर उच्यते ॥16॥

There are two spirits in this world: the perishing and the imperishable. All beings are the perishing; the unchanging is called the imperishable.

उत्तमः पुरुषस्त्वन्यः परमात्मेत्युदाहृतः ।
यो लोकत्रयमाविश्य बिभर्त्यव्यय ईश्वरः ॥17॥

But the highest spirit is another, spoken of as the supreme self: the unfading lord who enters the three worlds and upholds them.

यस्मात्क्षरमतीतोऽहमक्षरादपि चोत्तमः ।
अतोऽस्मि लोके वेदे च प्रथितः पुरुषोत्तमः ॥18॥

Because I am beyond the perishing and higher even than the imperishable, I am known in the world and in the Veda as Purushottama, the highest spirit.

यो मामेवमसम्मूढो जानाति पुरुषोत्तमम् ।
स सर्वविद्भजति मां सर्वभावेन भारत ॥19॥

One who knows me thus, unconfused, as the highest spirit, knows everything, Bharata, and worships me with his whole being.

इति गुह्यतमं शास्त्रमिदमुक्तं मयानघ ।
एतद्बुद्ध्वा बुद्धिमान्स्यात्कृतकृत्यश्च भारत ॥20॥

This is the most secret teaching, and I have told it, sinless one. Understanding it, a person becomes wise, Bharata, and what he had to do is done.