उत्तम: पुरुषस्त्वन्य: परमात्मेत्युदाहृत: ।
यो लोकत्रयमाविश्य बिभर्त्यव्यय ईश्वर: ॥ १७ ॥
uttamaḥ puruṣhas tv anyaḥ paramātmety udāhṛitaḥ
yo loka-trayam āviśhya bibharty avyaya īśhvaraḥ
श्लोक १७: इनके अलावा एक और सर्वोच्च पुरुष है जिन्हें परमात्मा कहा जाता है, जो इन तीनों लोकों में उपस्थित हैं और सभी का भरण-पोषण करते हैं।
Shloka 17: Besides the two there is another Supreme Purusha who is spoken of as the Paramatma (the Supreme Soul), the immutable Lord, who enters and sustains all the three worlds.
In Bhagavad Gita verse 15.17, Lord Krishna introduces a profound concept that forms part of the Tri-śloki Gita (three essential verses that encapsulate the essence of the Vedas). Having already classified all beings into two categories—the kṣara (fallible, conditioned souls) and the akṣara (infallible, liberated souls)—Krishna now reveals that beyond both exists a third, supreme entity.
The verse states: "Besides these, is the Supreme Divine Personality, who is the indestructible Supreme Soul. He enters the three worlds as the unchanging Controller and supports all living beings." This Supreme Person (uttamaḥ puruṣaḥ) is known as Paramātmā, or the Supreme Soul, who is entirely different from both the conditioned and liberated souls.
What distinguishes this Supreme Person is His transcendental nature. Unlike the fallible beings who undergo constant change through birth, aging, death, and rebirth, and unlike even the liberated souls who have attained spiritual freedom, the Paramātmā exists beyond all material and spiritual designations. He is described as avyaya (unchanging or immutable) and īśvara (the supreme controller).
The verse emphasizes that this Supreme Person enters all three worlds (loka-trayam āviśya) and sustains them (bibharti). This reveals the omnipresent and all-supporting nature of the Paramātmā. While remaining transcendental, He simultaneously pervades the entire creation and maintains all existence. This paradoxical ability to be both beyond the creation and intimately involved with it highlights His inconceivable nature.
This verse serves as a clear refutation of non-dualistic philosophies that claim the individual soul and the Supreme Soul are ultimately identical. Krishna explicitly states that Paramātmā is distinctly different (anyaḥ) from both the conditioned and liberated souls. This establishes the eternal distinction between the living entities (jīvas) and God, contradicting the idea that we ultimately merge and become one with the Divine.
In the broader context of chapter 15, this verse forms the middle part of a three-verse sequence where Krishna progressively reveals the ultimate truth. After explaining the nature of fallible and infallible beings, He introduces the Supreme Person who transcends both. In the following verse (15.18), Krishna will complete this revelation by declaring Himself to be that very Supreme Person, the Purushottama.
The profound implication of this verse is that our relationship with the Divine is not about becoming God ourselves, but about realizing our eternal connection with Him. The Supreme Person is not a distant, impersonal force, but a conscious being who actively maintains and supports all existence. He enters into every aspect of creation while remaining unchanged by it. This understanding forms the foundation for bhakti, or devotional service, where the individual soul serves the Supreme with love and devotion, rather than attempting to become one with Him.
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