Chapter 15, Verse 18
Purushottama Yoga — Sanskrit shloka, transliteration, word meanings, English translation, and commentary.
Original Sanskrit verse
Transliteration
Word meanings
yasmāt—hence; kṣharam—to the perishable; atītaḥ—transcendental; aham—I; akṣharāt—to the imperishable; api—even; cha—and; uttamaḥ—transcendental; ataḥ—therefore; asmi—I am; loke—in the world; vede—in the Vedas; cha—and; prathitaḥ—celebrated; puruṣha-uttamaḥ—as the Supreme Divine Personality
English translation
As I transcend the perishable and am even higher than the imperishable, I am declared to be the highest Purusha in the world and in the Vedas.
— Swami Sivananda
Listen to Shloka 15.18
Commentary
Purushottama is a wellknown name of the Lord. The name is quite appropriate as He is the supreme Purusha. Kshara The perishable -- the tree of Samsara. Akshara The imperishable -- the seed of the tree of Samsara. Because I excel the perishable (the tree of illusory Samsara) and am more excellent also than the imperishable (the seed of the tree of the illusory Samsara) and because I am thus superior to the perishable and the imperishable; I am proclaimed in the world and in the Vedas as the highest Purusha. Devotees know Me as such. Poets also describe Me as such. I am beyond all limitations. There is no trace of dualism in Me. Therefore; I am called by all and by the scriptures the highest Purusha.
Commentary by Swami Sivananda
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