Chapter 15 Shloka 17

उत्तमः पुरुषस्त्वन्य परमात्मेत्युदाहृतः।

यो लोकत्रयमाविश्य बिर्भत्यव्यय ईश्वरः।।१७।।

Beyond both these lies the Supreme Being

who is called the Paramatma, who pervades

the three worlds and sustains them.

He is called indestructible and eternal.

Chapter 15 Shloka 17

उत्तमः पुरुषस्त्वन्य परमात्मेत्युदाहृतः।

यो लोकत्रयमाविश्य बिर्भत्यव्यय ईश्वरः।।१७।।

The Lord elucidates once more on the Purusha who is completely devoid of any qualifying characteristics.

Beyond both these lies the Supreme Being who is called the Paramatma, who pervades the three worlds and sustains them. He is called indestructible and eternal.

The Lord expands further and says that beyond the Kshar and the Akshar stands the Supreme Purusha – the Godhead. That One can neither be likened to the destructible body essence nor to the jivatma’s indestructible essence. The Lord says that this Supreme Purusha is unique. This Supreme Purusha is called the Imperishable Godhead – the Paramatma.

The essence of the imperishable Ishwar who transcends both Kshar and Akshar

1. He is the pure essence of divinity.

2. He is ever unrevealed.

3. He is unmanifest even though seemingly manifest.

4. He is a divine entity, although seemingly represented by the visible body self.

5. He is extremely ordinary yet extremely unique.

6. He is the Lord Himself in human form.

7. He is Brahm in human form.

8. It is He who represents the culmination of Vedanta.

9. It is He who is the embodiment of Yoga.

10. He is the boon granted to the sincere devotee.

11. He is the Epitome of selfless actions offered as a sacrifice to the Supreme.

12. He is the Aspiration of every aspirant of spirituality.

13. He is the One whom every aspirant thirsts for.

14. He is the Supreme Truth, the divine luminescence.

15. It is He who is completely identified with Brahm.

16. It is He who is established wholly in non-duality or Advaita.

17. He is the elucidation of Adhyatam and spiritual practice.

18. He is the knowledge of Adhyatam.

19. He is the Scientific translation of the knowledge of Adhyatam in life.

20. He is Supreme Consciousness.

21. He is Truth, Consciousness and Bliss.

22. He is Supreme Consciousness and the essence of the Atma.

23. He is Eternal and Immortal.

24. He is the ever intransient state of the Atma.

25. He is the unique Purusha – the noblest of all Purushas.

26. He is the Supreme Atma – the Paramatma.

Merging Atma in the Atma,

Then only the Atma remains;

Thus should you understand,

That One encompasses all forms.

When his identity with a single body ceases

He embraces this entirety.

Action, devotion, duty –

Meaningless qualifications all these.

For he is duty embodied;

His life, a veritable yagya.

All these are, however, merely manners of speech. What really happened, how it happened, when it happened, why it happened, this Truth is known only by the Lord or His devotees.

That eternal, immutable, imperishable and indivisible Atma is the Essence of that Purusha. He does not abide in the body but the embodied souls consider him to be the body. They are speaking here of the essence of Brahm.

Now understand how the Purusha inheres the three lokas or realms:

1. As the jiva or the mortal being who considers himself to be the body.

2. As the imperishable jivatma which, however, is also the bearer of the seeds of action.

3. As the Supreme Purusha – the highest Purusha, who is devoid of form and constitutes these myriad forms since He is the Self of all.