Then That goal should be sought for, whither having gone none returns again. I seek refuge in that Primeval Purusha Whence streamed forth the ancient activity or energy.
In simple words
Krishna describes what lies beyond: "Once you cut through this tree, seek the place from which no one ever returns. Say to yourself: 'I take refuge in that original being from which all life first flowed.'"
ततःthenपदम्goalतत्Thatपरिमार्गितव्यम्should be sought forयस्मिन्whitherगताःgoneनnotनिवर्तन्तिreturnभूयःagainतम्thatएवevenचandआद्यम्primevalपुरुषम्Purusha
Contemporary scholarly and practical interpretations for modern seekers.
Swami Sivananda
15.4 ततः then? पदम् goal? तत् That? परिमार्गितव्यम् should be sought for? यस्मिन् whither? गताः gone? न not? निवर्तन्ति return? भूयः again? तम् that? एव even? च and? आद्यम् primeval? पुरुषम् Purusha? प्रपद्ये I seek refuge? यतः whence? प्रवृत्तिः activity or energy? प्रसृता streamed forth? पुराणी ancient.Commentary That which fills the whole world with the form of ExistenceKnowledgeBliss is Purusha. Or? that which sleeps in this Puri (city) of the body is the Purusha.Singleminded devotion which consists of ceaselessly thinking of or meditating on the Supreme Being is the sure means of attaining Selfrealisation. Taking sole refuge in the Primeval Purusha is the means to know or realise that supreme goal goind whither the wise do not return again to this world of death.The aspirant should know the abode of Vishnu. He should struggle hard to reach it. He should seek it by taking refuge in the Primeval Purusha. If he reaches this immortal abode of Vishnu or the imperishable Brahmic seat of ineffable splendour and glory he will never return to this mortal world.The Primeval Purusha or the pure? Supreme Being Who is ExistenceKnowledgeBliss Absolute is the goal or the supreme abode or the abode of Vishnu. Just as illusory objects like elephants? horses? etc.? come forth through the jugglery of the magician? so also this ancient energy or the original divine power or emanation of this tree or illusory Samsara has streamed forth from that Primeval Purusha.What sort of persons reach that goal eternal Listen.
Swami Chinmayananda
This interpretation draws on a specific tradition and may not represent the view of any single school. For authoritative guidance within a specific tradition, seek a qualified teacher.
Lest any student misunderstand the true significance of this metaphor and mistake it for merely an ordinary tree, the Gita's Teacher, the Blessed Lord Krishna, declares that no such tree as described exists in the physical world. The ashvattha tree mentioned in the preceding verse is a symbol of the entire manifest universe. The subtle conscious Self expresses itself in diverse forms and at different levels of manifestation—in the body, mind, and intellect, successively as the illuminator of objects, emotions, and thoughts; and in the causal body, it illuminates ignorance. The causal body is nothing but the ignorance of the Self and the vasanas, or latent desires. All these limitations and their experiences are encompassed by the ashvattha tree. Because it is not confined to any single form, no one can comprehend it by a mere glance. No person can perceive the origin, the end, or the foundation of this tree of the world. This tree springs from ignorance of the Supreme Truth. As long as the influence of vasanas persists, so too does the existence of this tree; but through direct knowledge of the Self, it is destroyed root and all. The vast majority of people neither perceive nor recognize nor understand these spiritual truths.
The sole weapon to fell this tree of the world is detachment—vairagya. The material universe is inert and unconscious. The experiences derived from it are possible only because of its connection with consciousness. As long as the wheels of a car remain connected to the engine, they continue to move. If the flowing power is cut off, the wheels naturally come to rest. Similarly, if we withdraw our attention from the body, mind, and intellect, then in the absence of identification, the grasping of objects, emotions, and thoughts will naturally cease. The cessation of this identification is called vairagya, here termed the weapon of non-attachment. The Blessed Lord Krishna instructs Arjuna that he should fell the tree of the world with this weapon of non-attachment.
From the perspective of our present condition, the state described above means emptiness—where there are no objects, no emotions, no thoughts. Therefore, we shall not readily accept such instruction. Understanding our mental state, the Lord proceeds gradually, saying: thereafter, one should seek that supreme abode, reaching which, none returns again.
The conclusion of this entire discussion is that during the peaceful moments of meditation practice, the seeker should withdraw attention from the world and its limitations, and fix it upon the contemplation of that Supreme Self rooted above, from which the ancient creative impulse of this universe has emanated.
Had the teaching ended here, it would have remained merely a beautiful poetic imagination. As a guide teaching the art of living spiritual values in practical life, the Gita found it necessary to show how a seeker might actually follow this instruction. There is a practical means for this: prayer. This is indicated at the end of this verse in these words: I take refuge in that Primordial Being from whom this ancient creative impulse has emanated.
This verse reveals that when our outward-turning tendency has been considerably diminished, we should consciously endeavor to merge our intellect into that Supreme Being—Existence-Consciousness-Bliss—the primordial source of the universe, with devotion and surrender. To expound the nature of this Primordial Being and the means to experience it is the subject of this chapter.
Hear now: what qualities must a seeker possess to attain that supreme abode?