Bhagavad Gita Chapter 10, Verse 15 (BG 10.15) — Meaning, Translation & Commentary

This verse (BG 10.15) demonstrates how Sri Krishna is capable of describing that supreme truth which neither the celestial beings of heaven nor the demons can comprehend. The atman can never be known through the instruments of perception as an object of sensory experience, nor can it be felt through our virtuous or vicious tendencies. Yet, because the atman is consciousness itself, it is inherently self-luminous and requires no other means of knowledge to know itself. Therefore, Arjuna declares here: You alone know yourself by yourself. According to the Samkhya philosophy, the consciousness dwelling within each body is called purusha. Here, Sri Krishna is addressed by the name Purushottama—meaning the one unique and incomparable principle that is the atman of all beings. The worldly meaning of Purushottama is "the supreme among men," while in spiritual philosophy it means the Supreme Self. Now Arjuna, having recognized Lord Sri Krishna as pure Brahman, glorifies Him by addressing Him with these names: O Creator of all beings, O Lord of all beings, O God of the gods, O Master and Ruler of the world. The essence of any object is that which governs and sustains its qualities. Gold ornaments are governed by the qualities of form, luster, and so forth. Yet the power of consciousness to regulate and govern is far greater than any other, for without it we can neither know anything nor perform any action. Knowledge or awareness of objects and events becomes possible only when the mental modifications produced by them are illumined by this pure consciousness, the atman itself. After this statement expressing his wonder, respect, and devotion, Arjuna now directly presents his intellectual inquiry before the Lord—