Bhagavad Gita: Chapter 15, Verse 18

यस्मात्क्षरमतीतोऽहमक्षरादपि चोत्तमः।अतोऽस्मि लोके वेदे च प्रथितः पुरुषोत्तमः।।15.18।।

yasmāt kṣharam atīto ’ham akṣharād api chottamaḥ ato ’smi loke vede cha prathitaḥ puruṣhottamaḥ

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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

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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.

•••

Commentary

15.18 यस्मात् as? क्षरम् the perishable? अतीतः transcend? अहम् I? अक्षरात् than the imperishable? अपि also? च and? उत्तमः best? अतः therefore? अस्मि (I) am? लोके in the world? वेदे in the Vedas? च and? प्रथितः declared? पुरुषोत्तमः the Highest Purusha.Commentary Purushottama is a wellknown name of the Lord. The name is ite 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.

18 of 20 verses