Purushottam Yoga

The wise speak of an eternal Ashvattham (Peepal) tree, with roots above, branches below, whose leaves are hymns of Vedas. He who knows this tree gains the wisdom of Vedas (15.1). Nourished by the three gunas, the branches of the tree extend upward and downward; its buds are the sense-objects; the roots hang downwards as actions and bind the humans” (15.2). Ashvattham means ‘that which doesn’t remain the same tomorrow’. But the tree is described as eternal. This looks paradoxical like the paradox of light in terms of the wave-particle duality. Essentially, the tree is the combination of the eternal as well as change. For us, progress means attaining something higher in terms of power and fame; something more in terms of possessions. We tend to do the same for spiritual progress also. This metaphor indicates that higher spiritual progress means going back to the roots. It is about shedding but not attaining; it’s like breaking the neural patterns formed during our lives; it’s like a salt doll dissolving itself to be one with the ocean.

 

Axe of non-attachment

Krishna says, “The true nature of this Ashvattham (Peepal) tree, its beginning, its end, and its modes of continuity - none of these are understood by ordinary men. Using a strong axe of detachment, one must cut it down and search out the base of the tree, which is the Supreme Lord, from whom streamed forth the activity of the universe a long time ago. Upon taking refuge in Him, one will not return to this world again (15.3 and 15.4).

 

Keys to His Abode

Krishna says, “Those freed from pride and delusion, evils of attachment conquered, ever established in the Self, desires having completely gone, well-liberated from pairs of opposites of pain and pleasure, such un-deluded reach My eternal Abode” (15.5). Essentially, these are the virtues of His Abode and once we attain even one of them, we are in His Abode. Another indication is that His Abode is not somewhere out there but is here and now waiting to be discovered.

Krishna further says, “Neither the Sun nor the Moon, nor fire can illuminate that Supreme Abode of Mine. Having gone there, one never returns” (15.6).

 

Blueprint of Life

“A part of My eternal Self, manifests as a living soul in the world of beings and attracts five senses and the mind which are a part of prakriti (15.7). Presiding over the mind and the senses of hearing, sight, touch, taste and smell, he (the embodied soul) experiences the objects of the sensory world” (15.9).  Krishna earlier talked about prakriti (nature) and purush (spirit) as beginningless. Gunas (qualities) and vikar (evolution or change) are born of prakriti (13.20). Prakriti is responsible for cause-and-effect; purush is responsible for experiencing the polarities of sukh (pleasure) and dukh (pain) (13.21). Together, these verses present a blueprint for life.

 

Rules of rebirth

As the air carries fragrance from place to place, so does the embodied soul carry the mind and senses with it, when it leaves an old body and enters a new one (15.8). The deluded do not perceive the soul residing or departing or experiencing the world of the gunas. Those with the eye of wisdom see (15.10). The yogis striving for liberation see Him existing in themselves; but those who are unpurified and undisciplined are unable to perceive Him even when they struggle to do so (15.11).

This is the continuation of Krishna’s earlier assurance to Arjuna that when someone dies on the path to eternal state through practice (abhyaas) of vairagya (dispassion) with shraddha (trust), he will start at the same point in his next birth where he left in the previous life (6.37-6.45). This implies that the experience of handling the axe of non-attachment gets carried to the next birth.

 

Krishna clarifies that efforts are a must but not sufficient as we need to have purity of mind and heart to attain liberation (eternal state). It’s like the efforts creating a nuclear weapon, but a lack of purity of heart could result in destruction. That’s why many cultures and traditions emphasize inner purity before introducing spiritual techniques such as meditation.

 

 Paramatma and Atma

Krishna explains about ‘The Creation’ in various contexts and indicates that the entire existence is the coherence of prakriti (nature) and purush (spirit). His womb is the mahat-Brahma (great prakriti) into which He places the seed (purush) which is the cause of the birth of all beings (14.3). Gunas (qualities) and vikar (evolution or change) are born of prakriti (13.20) and prakriti is also responsible for cause-and-effect; purush is responsible for experiencing the polarities of sukh (pleasure) and dukh (pain) (13.21).

Krishna further elaborates and says, “There are two kinds of beings (purushas) in creation, the kshar (perishable) and the akshar (imperishable). The perishable are all beings in the material realm. The imperishable is called kootastha (soul) (15.16). But there exists another eternal Highest Being called Paramatma (Supreme Soul). Permeating the three worlds, He sustains them” (15.17). Essentially, it is eternal Paramatma sustaining both imperishable atma and the perishable material world (prakriti).

Current scientific understanding is that in the beginning there was only pure energy. Over time some of the energy got converted into matter. This matter is perishable and obeys certain physical laws which Krishna mentioned as cause-and-effect. This matter forms physical bodies of life forms and these life forms need energy to sustain. In a nutshell, everything we see around us is the interplay of energy and matter.

This current understanding is in tune with the above verses where Krishna said that he places seed (which is referred to as imperishable purush or atma here) in His womb (which is referred to as prakriti) and life starts.

Krishna adds another dimension when he says that he is beyond both prakriti and purush yet supports them both. This clarity will enable us to realise atma as well as Paramatma.

 

How and Why

Paramatma is like an eternal ocean and atma is an imperishable drop that is engulfed by the perishable human body. Krishna describes that ocean and says, “Know that brilliance to be mine which residing in the Sun illuminates the world, which is in the Moon as well as in fire (15.12). Permeating the earth, I nourish all living beings with energy. Becoming the Moon, I nourish all plants with the juice of life” (15.13).

“Having become Vaishvanara (fiery power), I exist in the body of living beings, united with prana (inhalation of breath) and apana (exhalation), I digest the fourfold food (15.14). I am seated in the hearts of all beings; and from Me come smriti (self-awareness), jnana (wisdom) and apohan (clarifying doubts). I alone am to be known by all the Vedas, am the author of the Vedant, and the knower of the meaning of the Vedas” (15.15).

Firstly, Krishna says that He is the brilliance of the Sun (sunlight) and nourishes all living beings with energy. Plants convert it into the food we consume. Sunlight of the past is what we are using as fossil fuels. Sunlight keeps water in the liquid state. Hence, it enables us to survive and exist.

Secondly, Krishna chose the process of digestion and breathing as metaphors to explain the numerous processes that happen in the human body. It’s like the healing of a surgeon’s incision; it’s the harmony between various organs and chemicals in the body making it functional.

Science is proficient at answering the ‘hows’ but not the ‘whys’. ‘How light works’ is explained but the answer to ‘why is light dual’ is left open. In these verses Krishna explains that He is the source behind these ‘whys’. While we struggle to find definitive answers to ‘why’, they are, in essence, manifestations of His Leela - the divine play.

 

Open secret

“I am beyond the perishable prakriti (Nature) and am even higher than imperishable soul (kootastha). Hence, I am proclaimed as Purushottama (Supreme Being) in the Vedas and in the world” (15.18).

Krishna answers the second question and says, “The undeluded knows me as Purushottama, knows all. He worships Me with his whole being (15.19).

Krishna instructed us to ‘remember Him at all times’ (Sarveshu-kaleshu-maam-anusmara) (8.7), and now he calls us to worship Him with our entire being. It is worshipping Him every moment and with each cell of ours which seems impossible. The key to this riddle is given earlier as ‘Seeing the self in all beings and all beings in the self and seeing Him everywhere’ (6.29 & 6.30).

Krishna concludes this chapter and says, “I have taught you this secret wisdom. By understanding this, a person becomes a sage and fulfills all his duties” (15.20). This implies that our duty in this world is to realise this wisdom.