Bhagavad Gita Chapter 15: Purushottama Yoga
The world as an upside-down ashvattha tree, and the Supreme Person beyond it.
पुरुषोत्तमयोग — संसार रूपी उल्टा अश्वत्थ वृक्ष और उससे परे परम पुरुष।
Chapter 15 of 18 · 20 verses · “The Yoga of the Supreme Person”
Chapter 15 summary
Krishna describes the world as an eternal aśvattha (sacred fig) tree with its roots above and branches below, whose leaves are the Vedic hymns (15.1). Its branches spread through the gunas and its roots extend downwards into action in the human world. This tree must be cut with the strong axe of detachment, and then one must seek the place from which there is no return.
The living being is an eternal fragment of the divine (15.7), carrying the mind and senses from body to body as the wind carries scents. Krishna is the light of the sun, the nourishment of plants and the digestive fire in living bodies; he dwells in every heart, and from him come memory, knowledge and their loss (15.15). There are two kinds of beings, the perishable and the imperishable, but beyond both is the Supreme Person — Purushottama (15.18). Whoever knows him this way knows everything. Chapter 15 is traditionally recited before meals in many homes.
Key teachings of chapter 15
- The world is like an inverted tree, rooted in the divine above.
- Detachment is the axe that frees us from entanglement (15.3).
- Each living being is an eternal part of the divine (15.7).
- The divine lives in every heart (15.15).
Key verses of chapter 15
- They speak of an eternal aśvattha tree with roots above and branches below; its leaves are the Vedic hymns. Whoever knows it knows the Vedas. — Gita 15.1
- An eternal fragment of me becomes the living being in the world of life. — Gita 15.7
- I am seated in the hearts of all; from me come memory, knowledge and their loss. — Gita 15.15
What chapter 15 means today
Chapter 15 is just 20 verses and is often recited before eating. Try reading it slowly once — its images of the tree, the wind and the inner light are easy to remember and return to.
Frequently asked questions
How many verses are in chapter 15 of the Bhagavad Gita?
Chapter 15, Purushottama Yoga, has 20 verses in the standard (Gita Press) numbering.
Why is chapter 15 recited before meals?
In many traditions chapter 15 is chanted before eating because it describes the divine as the digestive fire within living beings (15.14) and as the nourisher of all, turning a meal into an offering.
What is the upside-down tree in the Gita?
In 15.1 the world is compared to an aśvattha tree with roots above (in the divine) and branches below (in the world), which must be cut with detachment to find the source.