Bhagavad Gita chapter 15 in English and Sanskrit

Chapter 15, 20 verse records. English translation by Shri Purohit Swami, with Swami Sivananda used where identified in the source dataset.

The Gita is traditionally described as 700 verses. This source edition contains 701 records because chapter 13 includes 35 verses; verse numbering differs between editions.

Bhagavad Gita 15.1

"Lord Shri Krishna continued: This phenomenal creation, which is both ephemeral and eternal, is like a tree, but having its seed above in the Highest and its ramifications on this earth below. The scriptures are its leaves, and he who understands this, knows.

Translator: Shri Purohit Swami.

Sanskrit and IAST transliteration

श्रीभगवानुवाच | ऊर्ध्वमूलमधःशाखमश्वत्थं प्राहुरव्ययम् | छन्दांसि यस्य पर्णानि यस्तं वेद स वेदवित् ||१५-१||

śrībhagavānuvāca . ūrdhvamūlamadhaḥśākhamaśvatthaṃ prāhuravyayam . chandāṃsi yasya parṇāni yastaṃ veda sa vedavit ||15-1||

Open this verse in the interactive reader

Bhagavad Gita 15.2

Its branches shoot upwards and downwards, deriving their nourishment from the Qualities; its buds are the objects of sense; and its roots, which follow the Law causing man's regeneration and degeneration, pierce downwards into the soil.

Translator: Shri Purohit Swami.

Sanskrit and IAST transliteration

अधश्चोर्ध्वं प्रसृतास्तस्य शाखा गुणप्रवृद्धा विषयप्रवालाः | अधश्च मूलान्यनुसन्ततानि कर्मानुबन्धीनि मनुष्यलोके ||१५-२||

adhaścordhvaṃ prasṛtāstasya śākhā guṇapravṛddhā viṣayapravālāḥ . adhaśca mūlānyanusantatāni karmānubandhīni manuṣyaloke ||15-2||

Open this verse in the interactive reader

Bhagavad Gita 15.3

In this world its true form is not known, neither its origin nor its end, and its strength is not understood., until the tree with its roots striking deep into the earth is hewn down by the sharp axe of non-attachment.

Translator: Shri Purohit Swami.

Sanskrit and IAST transliteration

न रूपमस्येह तथोपलभ्यते नान्तो न चादिर्न च सम्प्रतिष्ठा | अश्वत्थमेनं सुविरूढमूलं असङ्गशस्त्रेण दृढेन छित्त्वा ||१५-३||

na rūpamasyeha tathopalabhyate nānto na cādirna ca sampratiṣṭhā . aśvatthamenaṃ suvirūḍhamūlaṃ asaṅgaśastreṇa dṛḍhena chittvā ||15-3||

Open this verse in the interactive reader

Bhagavad Gita 15.4

Beyond lies the Path, from which, when found, there is no return. This is the Primal God from whence this ancient creation has sprung.

Translator: Shri Purohit Swami.

Sanskrit and IAST transliteration

ततः पदं तत्परिमार्गितव्यं यस्मिन्गता न निवर्तन्ति भूयः | तमेव चाद्यं पुरुषं प्रपद्ये | यतः प्रवृत्तिः प्रसृता पुराणी ||१५-४||

tataḥ padaṃ tatparimārgitavyaṃ yasmingatā na nivartanti bhūyaḥ . tameva cādyaṃ puruṣaṃ prapadye . yataḥ pravṛttiḥ prasṛtā purāṇī ||15-4||

Open this verse in the interactive reader

Bhagavad Gita 15.5

The wise attain Eternity when, freed from pride and delusion, they have conquered their love for the things of sense; when, renouncing desire and fixing their gaze on the Self, they have ceased to be tossed to and fro by the opposing sensations, like pleasure and pain.

Translator: Shri Purohit Swami.

Sanskrit and IAST transliteration

निर्मानमोहा जितसङ्गदोषा अध्यात्मनित्या विनिवृत्तकामाः | द्वन्द्वैर्विमुक्ताः सुखदुःखसंज्ञैर्- गच्छन्त्यमूढाः पदमव्ययं तत् ||१५-५||

nirmānamohā jitasaṅgadoṣā adhyātmanityā vinivṛttakāmāḥ . dvandvairvimuktāḥ sukhaduḥkhasaṃjñaira- gacchantyamūḍhāḥ padamavyayaṃ tat ||15-5||

Open this verse in the interactive reader

Bhagavad Gita 15.6

Neither sun, moon, nor fire shines there. Those who go thither never come back. For, O Arjuna, that is my Celestial Home!

Translator: Shri Purohit Swami.

Sanskrit and IAST transliteration

न तद्भासयते सूर्यो न शशाङ्को न पावकः | यद्गत्वा न निवर्तन्ते तद्धाम परमं मम ||१५-६||

na tadbhāsayate sūryo na śaśāṅko na pāvakaḥ . yadgatvā na nivartante taddhāma paramaṃ mama ||15-6||

Open this verse in the interactive reader

Bhagavad Gita 15.7

It is only a very small part of My Eternal Self, which is the life of the universe, drawing round itself the six senses, the mind the last, which have their source in Nature.

Translator: Shri Purohit Swami.

Sanskrit and IAST transliteration

ममैवांशो जीवलोके जीवभूतः सनातनः | मनःषष्ठानीन्द्रियाणि प्रकृतिस्थानि कर्षति ||१५-७||

mamaivāṃśo jīvaloke jīvabhūtaḥ sanātanaḥ . manaḥṣaṣṭhānīndriyāṇi prakṛtisthāni karṣati ||15-7||

Open this verse in the interactive reader

Bhagavad Gita 15.8

When the Supreme Lord enters a body or leaves it, He gathers these senses together and travels on with them, as the wind gathers perfume while passing through the flowers.

Translator: Shri Purohit Swami.

Sanskrit and IAST transliteration

शरीरं यदवाप्नोति यच्चाप्युत्क्रामतीश्वरः | गृहीत्वैतानि संयाति वायुर्गन्धानिवाशयात् ||१५-८||

śarīraṃ yadavāpnoti yaccāpyutkrāmatīśvaraḥ . gṛhitvaitāni saṃyāti vāyurgandhānivāśayāt ||15-8||

Open this verse in the interactive reader

Bhagavad Gita 15.9

He is the perception of the ear, the eye, the touch, the taste and the smell, yea and of the mind also; and the enjoyment the things which they perceive is also His.

Translator: Shri Purohit Swami.

Sanskrit and IAST transliteration

श्रोत्रं चक्षुः स्पर्शनं च रसनं घ्राणमेव च | अधिष्ठाय मनश्चायं विषयानुपसेवते ||१५-९||

śrotraṃ cakṣuḥ sparśanaṃ ca rasanaṃ ghrāṇameva ca . adhiṣṭhāya manaścāyaṃ viṣayānupasevate ||15-9||

Open this verse in the interactive reader

Bhagavad Gita 15.10

The ignorant do not see that it is He Who is present in life and Who departs at death or even that it is He Who enjoys pleasure through the Qualities. Only the eye of wisdom sees.

Translator: Shri Purohit Swami.

Sanskrit and IAST transliteration

उत्क्रामन्तं स्थितं वापि भुञ्जानं वा गुणान्वितम् | विमूढा नानुपश्यन्ति पश्यन्ति ज्ञानचक्षुषः ||१५-१०||

utkrāmantaṃ sthitaṃ vāpi bhuñjānaṃ vā guṇānvitam . vimūḍhā nānupaśyanti paśyanti jñānacakṣuṣaḥ ||15-10||

Open this verse in the interactive reader

Bhagavad Gita 15.11

The saints with great effort find Him within themselves; but not the unintelligent, who in spite of every effort cannot control their minds.

Translator: Shri Purohit Swami.

Sanskrit and IAST transliteration

यतन्तो योगिनश्चैनं पश्यन्त्यात्मन्यवस्थितम् | यतन्तोऽप्यकृतात्मानो नैनं पश्यन्त्यचेतसः ||१५-११||

yatanto yoginaścainaṃ paśyantyātmanyavasthitam . yatanto.apyakṛtātmāno nainaṃ paśyantyacetasaḥ ||15-11||

Open this verse in the interactive reader

Bhagavad Gita 15.12

Remember that the Light which, proceeding from the sun, illumines the whole world, and the Light which is in the moon, and That which is in the fire also, all are born of Me.

Translator: Shri Purohit Swami.

Sanskrit and IAST transliteration

यदादित्यगतं तेजो जगद्भासयतेऽखिलम् | यच्चन्द्रमसि यच्चाग्नौ तत्तेजो विद्धि मामकम् ||१५-१२||

yadādityagataṃ tejo jagadbhāsayate.akhilam . yaccandramasi yaccāgnau tattejo viddhi māmakam ||15-12||

Open this verse in the interactive reader

Bhagavad Gita 15.13

1 enter this world and animate all My creatures with My vitality; and by My cool moonbeams I nourish the plants.

Translator: Shri Purohit Swami.

Sanskrit and IAST transliteration

गामाविश्य च भूतानि धारयाम्यहमोजसा | पुष्णामि चौषधीः सर्वाः सोमो भूत्वा रसात्मकः ||१५-१३||

gāmāviśya ca bhūtāni dhārayāmyahamojasā . puṣṇāmi cauṣadhīḥ sarvāḥ somo bhūtvā rasātmakaḥ ||15-13||

Open this verse in the interactive reader

Bhagavad Gita 15.14

Becoming the fire of life, I pass into their bodies and, uniting with the vital streams of Prana and Apana, I digest the various kinds of food.

Translator: Shri Purohit Swami.

Sanskrit and IAST transliteration

अहं वैश्वानरो भूत्वा प्राणिनां देहमाश्रितः | प्राणापानसमायुक्तः पचाम्यन्नं चतुर्विधम् ||१५-१४||

ahaṃ vaiśvānaro bhūtvā prāṇināṃ dehamāśritaḥ . prāṇāpānasamāyuktaḥ pacāmyannaṃ caturvidham ||15-14||

Open this verse in the interactive reader

Bhagavad Gita 15.15

I am enthroned in the hearts of all; memory, wisdom and discrimination owe their origins to Me. I am He Who is to be realised in the scriptures; I inspire their wisdom and I know their truth.

Translator: Shri Purohit Swami.

Sanskrit and IAST transliteration

सर्वस्य चाहं हृदि सन्निविष्टो मत्तः स्मृतिर्ज्ञानमपोहनञ्च | वेदैश्च सर्वैरहमेव वेद्यो वेदान्तकृद्वेदविदेव चाहम् ||१५-१५||

sarvasya cāhaṃ hṛdi sanniviṣṭo mattaḥ smṛtirjñānamapohanañca . vedaiśca sarvairahameva vedyo vedāntakṛdvedavideva cāham ||15-15||

Open this verse in the interactive reader

Bhagavad Gita 15.16

There are two aspects in Nature: the perishable and the imperishable. All life in this world belongs to the former, the unchanging element belongs to the latter.

Translator: Shri Purohit Swami.

Sanskrit and IAST transliteration

द्वाविमौ पुरुषौ लोके क्षरश्चाक्षर एव च | क्षरः सर्वाणि भूतानि कूटस्थोऽक्षर उच्यते ||१५-१६||

dvāvimau puruṣau loke kṣaraścākṣara eva ca . kṣaraḥ sarvāṇi bhūtāni kūṭastho.akṣara ucyate ||15-16||

Open this verse in the interactive reader

Bhagavad Gita 15.17

But higher than all am I, the Supreme God, the Absolute Self, the Eternal Lord, Who pervades the worlds and upholds them all.

Translator: Shri Purohit Swami.

Sanskrit and IAST transliteration

उत्तमः पुरुषस्त्वन्यः परमात्मेत्युधाहृतः | यो लोकत्रयमाविश्य बिभर्त्यव्यय ईश्वरः ||१५-१७||

uttamaḥ puruṣastvanyaḥ paramātmetyudhāhṛtaḥ . yo lokatrayamāviśya bibhartyavyaya īśvaraḥ ||15-17||

Open this verse in the interactive reader

Bhagavad Gita 15.18

Beyond comparison of the Eternal with the non-eternal am I, Who am called by scriptures and sages the Supreme Personality, the Highest God.

Translator: Shri Purohit Swami.

Sanskrit and IAST transliteration

यस्मात्क्षरमतीतोऽहमक्षरादपि चोत्तमः | अतोऽस्मि लोके वेदे च प्रथितः पुरुषोत्तमः ||१५-१८||

yasmātkṣaramatīto.ahamakṣarādapi cottamaḥ . ato.asmi loke vedeca prathitaḥ puruṣottamaḥ ||15-18||

Open this verse in the interactive reader

Bhagavad Gita 15.19

He who with unclouded vision sees Me as the Lord-God, knows all there is to be known, and always shall worship Me with his whole heart.

Translator: Shri Purohit Swami.

Sanskrit and IAST transliteration

यो मामेवमसम्मूढो जानाति पुरुषोत्तमम् | स सर्वविद्भजति मां सर्वभावेन भारत ||१५-१९||

yo māmevamasammūḍho jānāti puruṣottamam . sa sarvavidbhajati māṃ sarvabhāvena bhārata ||15-19||

Open this verse in the interactive reader

Bhagavad Gita 15.20

Thus, O Sinless One, I have revealed to thee this most mystic knowledge. He who understands gains wisdom and attains the consummation of life."

Translator: Shri Purohit Swami.

Sanskrit and IAST transliteration

इति गुह्यतमं शास्त्रमिदमुक्तं मयानघ | एतद्बुद्ध्वा बुद्धिमान्स्यात्कृतकृत्यश्च भारत ||१५-२०||

iti guhyatamaṃ śāstramidamuktaṃ mayānagha . etadbuddhvā buddhimānsyātkṛtakṛtyaśca bhārata ||15-20||

Open this verse in the interactive reader

Source dataset: Vedic Scriptures. See translation attribution.