Dr. Suka Dev

On This Page

Chapter Fifteen: Unveiling the Supreme; How God Connects All

In our last chapter, Lord Krishna explained the three invisible qualities that control us and how to go beyond them. Now, He's going to reveal even deeper truths about the universe and who is the ultimate, Supreme Person. This chapter is like God Himself showing us the secret structure of reality, starting with an amazing picture of our world as an upside-down tree!


The Upside-Down Tree of Our World¹

graph TD B[God describes an eternal banyan tree with roots above and branches downwards.] B --> C[Its leaves are Vedic hymns; whoever knows this tree knows the Vedas.] C --> D[Its branches extend upwards and downwards, nourished by material qualities.] D --> E[Its twigs are sense objects; its roots bind to actions in human society.] E --> F[The tree's real form is not perceived here; it has no end, beginning, or true foundation.] F --> G[One must cut this strongly rooted tree with the strong weapon of detachment.] G --> H[Then, one must search for that spiritual destination where, having gone, souls never return.] H --> I[One should surrender to the original Being, from whom all ancient creation flowed.] I --> J[Those free from false pride/illusion/attachment/lust/duality attain God's eternal destination.] J --> K[God's supreme abode is not lit by sun, moon, or fire; once reached, souls never return.]

Śrī Bhagavān, God Himself, began: "Ūrdhva-mūlam adhaḥ-śākham aśvattham prāhuḥ avyayam chandāṁsi yasya parṇāni yaḥ tam veda saḥ veda-vit."¹ Lord Krishna said: "They speak of an eternal, avyayam, banyan tree, aśvattham, with roots above, ūrdhva-mūlam, and branches downwards, adhaḥ-śākham! Its leaves are the Vedic hymns, chandāṁsi yasya parṇāni! Anyone who knows this tree, yaḥ tam veda, is a knower of the Vedas, saḥ veda-vit!"

Dr. Suka Dev's Insight: Avyayam means 'eternal' or 'imperishable.' This is a famous, mind-bending analogy, kids! Imagine a giant tree where the roots are in the sky (the spiritual world), and the branches reach down into the ground (our material world). The leaves are like the Vedic hymns, teaching us about different parts of this world. Krishna is saying if you understand this tree, you truly know everything about existence!

"Adhaḥ ca ūrdhvam prasṛtāḥ tasya śākhāḥ guṇa-pravṛddhāḥ viṣaya-pravālāḥ adhaḥ ca mūlāni anusantatāni karma-anubandhīni manuṣya-loke."² "Its branches, tasya śākhāḥ, extend downwards and upwards, adhaḥ ca ūrdhvam prasṛtāḥ, nourished by the modes of material nature, guṇa-pravṛddhāḥ! Its twigs are the sense objects, viṣaya-pravālāḥ! And its roots, mūlāni, also spread downwards, adhaḥ ca anusantatāni, binding one to actions, karma-anubandhīni, in human society, manuṣya-loke!"

"Na rūpam asya iha tathā upalabhyate na antaḥ na ca ādiḥ na ca sampratiṣṭhā aśvattham enam su-virūḍha-mūlam asaṅga-śastreṇa dṛḍhena chittvā."³⁻⁴ "The real form of this tree is not perceived here, na rūpam asya iha tathā upalabhyate! It has no end, na antaḥ, no beginning, na ca ādiḥ, and no true foundation, na ca sampratiṣṭhā! One must cut down this strongly rooted banyan tree, aśvattham enam su-virūḍha-mūlam, with the strong weapon of detachment, asaṅga-śastreṇa dṛḍhena chittvā!"

Dr. Suka Dev's Insight: Asaṅga-śastreṇa (a-sang-ga-shas-tre-na) is a powerful phrase, kids! It means 'by the weapon of detachment.' This is the only way to cut free from this confusing material world-tree—by letting go of our attachments to its temporary pleasures and pains.

"Tataḥ padam tat parimārgitavyam yasmin gatāḥ na nivartanti bhūyaḥ tam eva ca ādyam puruṣam prapadye yataḥ pravṛttiḥ prasṛtā purāṇī."⁴ "Thereafter, tataḥ, that spiritual destination, padam tat, must be searched out, parimārgitavyam, where, yasmin, having gone, gatāḥ, one never returns again, na nivartanti bhūyaḥ! One should surrender to that original, ādyam, Being, puruṣam prapadye, from whom all ancient creation has flowed, yataḥ pravṛttiḥ prasṛtā purāṇī!"


How to Reach God's Shining Home⁵

graph TD B[Those free from false pride, illusion, attachment, lust, and dualities of happiness/distress attain God's eternal destination.] B --> C[God's supreme abode is not lit by sun, moon, or fire.] C --> D[Having gone there, souls never return.]

Krishna describes the qualities of those truly wise souls who, by detaching themselves from material illusion and focusing on spiritual knowledge, can reach His eternal spiritual abode. This supreme home needs no sun, moon, or fire to illuminate it, because it shines with God's own light, and once reached, one never returns.

"Niḥ-māna-mohāḥ jita-saṅga-doṣāḥ adhyātma-nityāḥ vinivṛtta-kāmāḥ dvandvaiḥ vimuktāḥ sukha-duḥkha-saṁjñaiḥ gacchanti amūḍhāḥ padam avyayam tat."⁵ "Those who are free from false prestige, niḥ-māna, and illusion, mohāḥ; who have conquered the faults of material association, jita-saṅga-doṣāḥ; who are always fixed in spiritual knowledge, adhyātma-nityāḥ; who are completely free from lust, vinivṛtta-kāmāḥ; and who are liberated from the dualities of happiness and distress, dvandvaiḥ vimuktāḥ sukha-duḥkha-saṁjñaiḥ—such unbewildered souls, amūḍhāḥ, attain that eternal destination, gacchanti avyayam padam tat!"

"Na tat bhāsayate sūryaḥ na śaśāṅkaḥ na pāvakaḥ yat gatvā na nivartante tat dhāma paramam mama."⁶ "That supreme abode of Mine, tat dhāma paramam mama, is not illuminated, na bhāsayate, by the sun, sūryaḥ, nor the moon, śaśāṅkaḥ, nor fire or electricity, na pāvakaḥ! Having gone there, yat gatvā, souls never return, na nivartante!"


The Soul's Journey and God's Sustaining Power⁷

graph TD B[The eternal living entity is a fragment of God; struggles in material world with mind and six senses.] B --> C[When the soul acquires or gives up a body, it takes senses and mind, like air carrying smells.] C --> D[Situated in ears, eyes, touch, tongue, nose, and mind, the soul enjoys sense objects.] D --> E[Foolish persons never see the soul quitting, staying, or enjoying in the body; only those with eyes of knowledge see.] E --> F[Endeavoring Yogis see the soul within; but those without self-realization do not see it.]

Krishna explains that all living beings are eternal parts of Him, currently struggling in the material world. He describes how the soul takes the mind and senses with it when it leaves a body, and how He is the ultimate power behind all illumination, sustenance, and digestion in the universe.

"Mama eva aṁśaḥ jīva-loke jīva-bhūtaḥ sanātanaḥ manaḥ ṣaṣṭhāni indriyāṇi prakṛti-sthāni karṣati."⁷ "The eternal living entity, jīva-bhūtaḥ sanātanaḥ, is a fragmental particle, mama eva aṁśaḥ, of Mine, in the world of conditional life, jīva-loke! He struggles hard, karṣati, with the mind and six senses (including mind as the sixth), manaḥ ṣaṣṭhāni indriyāṇi, which are situated in material nature, prakṛti-sthāni."

Dr. Suka Dev's Insight: Mama eva aṁśaḥ is a super important phrase, kids! It means 'just a tiny fragment of Me.' Krishna is telling us that every single living being—every animal, every plant, every person—is a tiny spiritual spark, a part of God Himself! And sanātanaḥ means 'eternal,' so our souls live forever!

"Śarīram yat avāpnoti yat ca api utkrāmati īśvaraḥ gṛhītvā etāni saṁyāti vāyuḥ gandhān iva āśayāt."⁸ "When the embodied soul, īśvaraḥ (meaning 'the controller of the body'), acquires a new body, śarīram yat avāpnoti, or gives up an old one, yat ca api utkrāmati—it takes these senses and mind, gṛhītvā etāni, and goes away, saṁyāti, just like the air, vāyuḥ, carries smells, gandhān iva, from their source, āśayāt!"

"Śrotram cakṣuḥ sparśanam ca rasanam ghrāṇam eva ca adhiṣṭhāya manaḥ ca ayam viṣayān upasevate."⁹ "Being situated in the ear, śrotram, eye, cakṣuḥ, touch, sparśanam, also tongue, rasanam, and smelling power, ghrāṇam eva ca, and also the mind, manaḥ—the soul, ayam, enjoys the sense objects, viṣayān upasevate!"

"Utkrāmantam sthitam vā api bhuñjānam vā guṇa-anvitam vimūḍhāḥ na anupaśyanti paśyanti jñāna-cakṣuṣaḥ."¹⁰ "Foolish persons, vimūḍhāḥ, never see, na anupaśyanti, the soul quitting the body, utkrāmantam, or staying in the body, sthitam, or enjoying, bhuñjānam, under the spell of material qualities, guṇa-anvitam! Only those who have the eyes of knowledge, jñāna-cakṣuṣaḥ, can see, paśyanti!"

Dr. Suka Dev's Insight: Jñāna-cakṣuṣaḥ means 'eyes of knowledge.' This is a super power, kids! It's not about seeing with your physical eyes, but understanding with your intelligence and spiritual insight. When you have this knowledge, you can see the soul moving from body to body, even if others can't!

"Yatantaḥ yoginaḥ ca enam paśyanti ātmani avasthitam yatantaḥ api akṛta-ātmānaḥ na enam paśyanti acetasaḥ."¹¹ "Transcendentalists, yoginaḥ, endeavoring, yatantaḥ, can see this soul, enam paśyanti, situated within the self, ātmani avasthitam! But those who try, yatantaḥ api, but have not realized the self, akṛta-ātmānaḥ, and have undeveloped minds, acetasaḥ—they do not see this soul, na enam paśyanti!"


God's Presence: The Power Behind Everything¹²

graph TD B[The splendor in sun, moon, and fire is from God.] B --> C[God sustains planets and beings by His energy; nourishes plants by becoming the moon's essence.] C --> D[God is the digesting fire in all bodies; digesting four kinds of food.] D --> E[God is in everyone's heart; from Him come remembrance, knowledge, and forgetfulness.] E --> F[God is to be known by all Vedas; He is the compiler of Vedanta and knower of Vedas.]

Krishna explains how His splendor illuminates the sun, moon, and fire. He sustains planets and living entities by His energy, nourishes plants, and acts as the digestive fire within all beings. He is situated in everyone's heart, providing remembrance, knowledge, and even forgetfulness. He is the ultimate goal of all holy books.

"Yat āditya-gatam tejaḥ jagat bhāsayate akhilam yat candramasi yat ca agnau tat tejaḥ viddhi māmakam."¹² "That splendor, tejaḥ, which is in the sunshine, āditya-gatam, and illuminates the entire world, jagat bhāsayate akhilam! And that which is in the moon, yat candramasi, and that which is also in fire, yat ca agnau—know that splendor, tat tejaḥ, is from Me, viddhi māmakam!"

"Gām āviśya ca bhūtāni dhārayāmi aham ojasā puṣṇāmi ca auṣadhīḥ sarvāḥ somaḥ bhūtvā rasa-ātmakaḥ."¹³ "Entering the planets, gām āviśya, I, aham, sustain all living entities, bhūtāni dhārayāmi, by My energy, ojasā! And I nourish all vegetables, puṣṇāmi ca auṣadhīḥ sarvāḥ, by becoming the moon, somaḥ bhūtvā, which supplies their juicy essence, rasa-ātmakaḥ!"

"Aham vaiśvānaraḥ bhūtvā prāṇinām deham āśritaḥ prāṇa-apāna-samāyuktaḥ pacāmi annam catuḥ-vidham."¹⁴ "I, aham, becoming the digestive fire, vaiśvānaraḥ bhūtvā, situated in the bodies of all living entities, prāṇinām deham āśritaḥ—keeping the outgoing and down-going airs in balance, prāṇa-apāna-samāyuktaḥ, I digest the four kinds of food, pacāmi annam catuḥ-vidham!"

Dr. Suka Dev's Insight: Vaiśvānaraḥ is the 'digesting fire.' Krishna is saying that even the fire in your belly that digests your food is Him! He's literally inside you, making your food turn into energy. How cool is that?

"Sarvasya ca aham hṛdi sanniviṣṭaḥ mattaḥ smṛtiḥ jñānam apohanam ca vedaiḥ ca sarvaiḥ aham eva vedyaḥ vedānta-kṛt veda-vit eva ca aham."¹⁵ "I, aham, am situated, sanniviṣṭaḥ, in everyone's heart, sarvasya hṛdi! From Me, mattaḥ, come remembrance, smṛtiḥ, knowledge, jñānam, and forgetfulness, apohanam! And by all the Vedas, vedaiḥ sarvaiḥ, I, aham eva, am certainly to be known, vedyaḥ! I am the compiler of the Vedanta, vedānta-kṛt, and the knower of the Vedas, veda-vit eva ca!"


Three Kinds of Beings: God is the Supreme¹⁶

graph TD B[There are two kinds of beings: fallible souls in bodies, and infallible liberated souls.] B --> C[But there is another, best being, called the Supersoul.] C --> D[He is the imperishable Lord who enters and maintains the three worlds.] D --> E[Krishna is beyond both fallible and infallible; therefore celebrated as the Supreme Being Purusha-uttamah.]

Krishna explains that there are three main categories of beings in the universe: those who are affected by the material world (fallible), those who are free from it (infallible), and then a third, ultimate, Supreme Being (Himself!), who is beyond both and supports everything.

"Dvau imau puruṣau loke kṣaraḥ ca akṣaraḥ eva ca kṣaraḥ sarvāṇi bhūtāni kūṭa-sthaḥ akṣaraḥ ucyate."¹⁶ "There are two kinds of beings, dvau imau puruṣau, in the world, loke! The fallible, kṣaraḥ, and also, eva ca, the infallible, akṣaraḥ! All living entities, sarvāṇi bhūtāni, are fallible, kṣaraḥ! And those who are unchanging, kūṭa-sthaḥ, are called infallible, akṣaraḥ ucyate!"

Dr. Suka Dev's Insight: Kṣaraḥ means 'fallible' or 'changing'—these are souls still stuck in material bodies. Akṣaraḥ means 'infallible' or 'unchanging'—these are souls who have become liberated and are no longer affected by the material world.

"Uttamaḥ puruṣaḥ tu anyaḥ parama-ātmā iti udāhṛtaḥ yaḥ loka-trayam āviśya bibharti avyayaḥ īśvaraḥ."¹⁷ "But there is another, anyaḥ, the best, uttamaḥ, being, puruṣaḥ, who is called the Supersoul, parama-ātmā iti udāhṛtaḥ! He, yaḥ, is the imperishable, avyayaḥ, Lord, īśvaraḥ, who enters and maintains, āviśya bibharti, the three divisions of the universe, loka-trayam!"

"Yasmāt kṣaram atītaḥ aham akṣarāt api ca uttamaḥ ataḥ asmi loke vede ca prathitaḥ puruṣa-uttamaḥ."¹⁸ "Because I, aham, am beyond, atītaḥ, the fallible, kṣaram, and also, api ca, superior, uttamaḥ, to the infallible, akṣarāt—therefore, ataḥ, I am celebrated, prathitaḥ, in the world, loke, and in Vedic literature, vede ca, as the Supreme Being, puruṣa-uttamaḥ!"

Dr. Suka Dev's Insight: Puruṣa-uttamaḥ is a super important title, kids! It means 'the Supreme Person,' or 'the best of all beings.' Krishna is saying He's higher than all souls who are changing, and even higher than all souls who are unchanging and free. He's the ultimate Supreme Being!


Knowing God Fully Brings Wisdom and Perfection¹⁹

graph TD B[One who knows God as the Supreme Being without doubt is the knower of everything.] B --> C[He renders devotional service to God in all respects.] C --> D[This most confidential scripture is disclosed by God.] D --> E[Understanding this makes one intelligent and perfectly accomplished in all endeavors.]

Krishna concludes this chapter by stating that one who truly understands Him as the Supreme Being is the knower of everything and engages in pure devotional service. He reveals that this profound knowledge is the most confidential wisdom, understanding which makes one truly intelligent and perfectly accomplished in all endeavors.

"Yaḥ mām evam asammūḍhaḥ jānāti puruṣa-uttamam saḥ sarva-vit bhajati mām sarva-bhāvena bhārata."¹⁹ "O son of Bharata, bhārata! Anyone who knows Me, yaḥ mām jānāti, without a doubt, asammūḍhaḥ, as the Supreme Being, puruṣa-uttamam—he is the knower of everything, saḥ sarva-vit! He renders devotional service to Me, bhajati mām, in all respects, sarva-bhāvena!"

"Iti guhya-tamam śāstram idam uktam mayā anagha etat buddhvā buddhi-mān syāt kṛta-kṛtyaḥ ca bhārata."²⁰ "O sinless one, anagha! Thus, iti, this most confidential, guhya-tamam, scripture, śāstram idam, has been disclosed, uktam, by Me, mayā! O son of Bharata, bhārata, understanding this, etat buddhvā, one becomes intelligent, buddhi-mān syāt, and perfectly accomplished in all endeavors, kṛta-kṛtyaḥ ca!"


Wow, kids! What an incredible chapter! Lord Krishna explained that the material world is like an upside-down tree, and the only way to cut free is with the weapon of detachment. He also revealed that our souls are tiny, eternal parts of Him, and how He keeps the whole universe running, even digesting our food! But the biggest secret? He's the Supreme Being (Purushottama), beyond everyone and everything, and truly knowing Him makes you wise and perfect!

Next time, we'll dive into Chapter Sixteen, where Krishna will explain the divine and demonic natures. Get ready for more amazing lessons!