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Chapter 15: The Yoga of the Supreme Person

Verse 17 of 19
Bg 15.17

उत्तमः पुरुषस्त्वन्यः परमात्मेत्युदाहृतः यो लोकत्रयमाविश्य बिभर्त्यव्यय ईश्वरः

uttamaḥ puruṣas tv anyaḥ paramātmety udāhṛtaḥ yo loka-trayam āviśya bibharty avyaya īśvaraḥ

Synonyms

uttamaḥthe best; puruṣaḥpersonality; tubut; anyaḥanother; paramthe Supreme; ātmāSelf; itithus; udāhṛtaḥsaid; yaḥone who; lokaof the universe; trayamthe three divisions; āviśyaentering; bibhartimaintaining; avyayaḥinexhaustible; īśvaraḥthe Lord..

Translation

Besides these two, there is the greatest living personality, the Lord Himself, who has entered into these worlds and is maintaining them.

Purport

It is incorrect to think of the Supreme Lord and the living entities as being on the same level or equal in all respects. There is always the question of superiority and inferiority in their personalities. This particular word uttama is very significant. No one can surpass the Supreme Personality of Godhead. Loke is also significant because in the Pauruṣa, a Vedic literature, it is stated: lokyate vedārtho 'nena. This Supreme Lord in His localized aspect as Paramātmā explains the purpose of the Vedas. The following verse also appears in the Vedas:

"The Supersoul coming out of the body enters the impersonal brahmajyoti; then in His form He remains in His spiritual identity. That Supreme is called the Supreme Personality." This means that the Supreme Personality is exhibiting and diffusing His spiritual effulgence, which is the ultimate illumination. That Supreme Personality also has a localized aspect as Paramātmā. By incarnating Himself as the son of Satyavatī and Parāśara, He explains the Vedic knowledge as Vyāsadeva.

Verse 17 of 19
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