श्री भगवानुवाच
ऊर्ध्वमूलमधःशाखमश्वत्थं प्राहुरव्ययम्।
छन्दांसि यस्य पर्णानि यस्तं वेद स वेदवित्।।15.1।।

śhrī-bhagavān uvācha
ūrdhva-mūlam adhaḥ-śhākham aśhvatthaṁ prāhur avyayam
chhandānsi yasya parṇāni yas taṁ veda sa veda-vit

Word-for-Word Translation

śhrī-bhagavān uvācha—the Supreme Divine Personality said; ūrdhva-mūlam—with roots above; adhaḥ—downward; śhākham—branches; aśhvattham—the sacred fig tree; prāhuḥ—they speak; avyayam—eternal; chhandānsi—Vedic mantras; yasya—of which; parṇāni—leaves; yaḥ—who; tam—that; veda—knows; saḥ—he; veda-vit—the knower of the Vedas

Meaning

The Blessed Lord said: They (the wise) speak of the indestructible peepul tree, with its roots above and branches below, whose leaves are the meters or hymns; he who knows it is a knower of the Vedas.

Explanation

Krishna describes the material world as a banyan tree with roots above and branches below — its root, in Brahmaloka, the topmost planet, and its branches spreading downward into all the lower planetary systems, which we experience as a reflection of the real, spiritual world just as a tree reflected in water appears inverted. Its leaves are said to be the Vedic hymns, since the purpose of Vedic study is to understand this tree and thereby come to know Krishna; one who knows the tree in this way, and knows its root, is the true knower of the Vedas. This world has no permanent form — it is constantly changing, growing and decaying — so the wise are meant to see it not as reality itself but as a temporary reflection to be understood and ultimately transcended.

अधश्चोर्ध्वं प्रसृतास्तस्य शाखा
गुणप्रवृद्धा विषयप्रवालाः।
अधश्च मूलान्यनुसन्ततानि
कर्मानुबन्धीनि मनुष्यलोके।।15.2।।

adhaśh chordhvaṁ prasṛitās tasya śhākhā
guṇa-pravṛiddhā viṣhaya-pravālāḥ
adhaśh cha mūlāny anusantatāni
karmānubandhīni manuṣhya-loke

Word-for-Word Translation

adhaḥ—downward; cha—and; ūrdhvam—upward; prasṛitāḥ—extended; tasya—its; śhākhāḥ—branches; guṇa—modes of material nature; pravṛiddhāḥ—nourished; viṣhaya—objects of the senses; pravālāḥ—buds; adhaḥ—downward; cha—and; mūlāni—roots; anusantatāni—keep growing; karma—actions; anubandhīni—bound; manuṣhya-loke—in the world of humans

Meaning

Its branches spread below and above, nourished by the Gunas; its buds are sense-objects, and its roots stretch forth below in the world of men, originating action.

Explanation

The tree's branches extend both upward and downward, nourished by the three modes of material nature, with sense objects as their twigs; secondary roots also trail downward, bound to the fruitive activities performed by human beings in this world. This describes how deeply the tree of material existence has ramified — growth in higher and lower species alike, all held in place by the chain of karma that ties one action to the next. Krishna paints this picture of an almost impossibly entangled tree precisely so that its true form can then be understood and the tree cut down, rather than merely admired or analyzed endlessly.

न रूपमस्येह तथोपलभ्यते
नान्तो न चादिर्न च संप्रतिष्ठा।
अश्वत्थमेनं सुविरूढमूल
मसङ्गशस्त्रेण दृढेन छित्त्वा।।15.3।।

na rūpam asyeha tathopalabhyate
nānto na chādir na cha sampratiṣhṭhā
aśhvattham enaṁ su-virūḍha-mūlam
asaṅga-śhastreṇa dṛiḍhena chhittvā

Word-for-Word Translation

na—not; rūpam—form; asya—of this; iha—in this world; tathā—as such; upalabhyate—is perceived; na—neither; antaḥ—end; na—nor; cha—also; ādiḥ—beginning; na—never; cha—also; sampratiṣhṭhā—the basis; aśhvattham—sacred fig tree; enam—this; su-virūḍha-mūlam—deep-rooted; asaṅga-śhastreṇa—by the axe of detachment; dṛiḍhena—strong; chhittvā—having cut down

Meaning

Its form is not perceived here as such, nor its end, origin, foundation, or resting place; having cut asunder this firmly rooted peepul tree with the strong axe of non-attachment.

Explanation

Krishna now says plainly that this tree's true shape, beginning, or end cannot be grasped by looking at it from within — it has to be cut down, not merely studied. The weapon he names is non-attachment, wielded with firm resolve. This is a call to inner effort: real freedom starts with loosening the grip material engagements have on the heart, not with escaping circumstances outwardly.

ततः पदं तत्परिमार्गितव्य
यस्मिन्गता न निवर्तन्ति भूयः।
तमेव चाद्यं पुरुषं प्रपद्ये
यतः प्रवृत्तिः प्रसृता पुराणी।।15.4।।

tataḥ padaṁ tat parimārgitavyaṁ
yasmin gatā na nivartanti bhūyaḥ
tam eva chādyaṁ puruṣhaṁ prapadye
yataḥ pravṛittiḥ prasṛitā purāṇī

Word-for-Word Translation

tataḥ—then; padam—place; tat—that; parimārgitavyam—one must search out; yasmin—where; gatāḥ—having gone; na—not; nivartanti—return; bhūyaḥ—again; tam—to him; eva—certainly; cha—and; ādyam—original; puruṣham—the Supreme Lord; prapadye—take refuge; yataḥ—whence; pravṛittiḥ—the activity; prasṛitā—streamed forth; purāṇi—very old

Meaning

Then, that goal should be sought for, to which, having gone, none returns again. I seek refuge in that Primeval Purusha, from whence streamed forth the ancient activity or energy.

Explanation

After the tree is cut down with the axe of detachment, one must search out that place from which, once reached, there is no return to this material world — and that search ends in surrender to the Supreme Personality of Godhead, the primeval Purusha from whom this whole creation originally streamed forth. Prabhupada stresses that detachment from the tree of material existence is not enough by itself; renunciation must be completed by seeking shelter of Krishna, since surrender is the actual means of reaching that supreme, non-returning destination. Cutting the tree loosens the bondage, but only devotional surrender to Krishna carries one across it entirely.

निर्मानमोहा जितसङ्गदोषा
अध्यात्मनित्या विनिवृत्तकामाः।
द्वन्द्वैर्विमुक्ताः सुखदुःखसंज्ञै
र्गच्छन्त्यमूढाः पदमव्ययं तत्।।15.5।।

nirmāna-mohā jita-saṅga-doṣhā
adhyātma-nityā vinivṛitta-kāmāḥ
dvandvair vimuktāḥ sukha-duḥkha-sanjñair
gachchhanty amūḍhāḥ padam avyayaṁ tat

Word-for-Word Translation

niḥ—free from; māna—vanity; mohāḥ—delusion; jita—having overcome; saṅga—attachment; doṣhāḥ—evils; adhyātma-nityāḥ—dwelling constantly in the self and God; vinivṛitta—freed from; kāmāḥ—desire to enjoy senses; dvandvaiḥ—from the dualities; vimuktāḥ—liberated; sukha-duḥkha—pleasure and pain; saṁjñaiḥ—known as; gachchhanti—attain; amūḍhāḥ—unbewildered; padam—abode; avyayam—eternal; tat—that

Meaning

Free from pride and delusion, victorious over the evil of attachment, dwelling constantly in the Self, their desires having completely turned away, freed from the pairs of opposites known as pleasure and pain, they, the undeluded, reach the eternal goal.

Explanation

Here Krishna paints a portrait of the soul who has actually reached that goal — free from false prestige derived from birth, wealth, education, or beauty, free from the confusion false association brings, steady in constant awareness of the self and the Supreme, and undisturbed by the ordinary swings of pleasure and pain because material desires have been given up. Prabhupada explains that this is a description of a person situated in Krishna consciousness, engaged in devotional service, who understands his eternal relationship with Krishna and thus has no further need to seek satisfaction elsewhere. Such a person, undeluded, reaches that eternal abode by surrender to the Supreme, not by detachment alone.

न तद्भासयते सूर्यो न शशाङ्को न पावकः।
यद्गत्वा न निवर्तन्ते तद्धाम परमं मम।।15.6।।

na tad bhāsayate sūryo na śhaśhāṅko na pāvakaḥ
yad gatvā na nivartante tad dhāma paramaṁ mama

Word-for-Word Translation

na—neither; tat—that; bhāsayate—illumine; sūryaḥ—the sun; na—nor; śhaśhāṅkaḥ—the moon; na—nor; pāvakaḥ—fire; yat—where; gatvā—having gone; na—never; nivartante—they return; tat—that; dhāma—abode; paramam—supreme; mama—mine

Meaning

Neither does the sun illuminate there, nor the moon, nor the fire; having gone there, they do not return; that is My supreme abode.

Explanation

Krishna describes His own abode as self-luminous, needing no sun, moon, or fire to illuminate it, and says that whoever reaches it never returns to this temporary world. This gently shifts the goal from an abstract metaphysical release to a real, personal destination — being with Krishna. For a practitioner, it reframes the whole spiritual journey as ultimately relational, not merely a cessation of suffering.

ममैवांशो जीवलोके जीवभूतः सनातनः।
मनःषष्ठानीन्द्रियाणि प्रकृतिस्थानि कर्षति।।15.7।।

mamaivānśho jīva-loke jīva-bhūtaḥ sanātanaḥ
manaḥ-ṣhaṣhṭhānīndriyāṇi prakṛiti-sthāni karṣhati

Word-for-Word Translation

mama—my; eva—only; anśhaḥ—fragmental part; jīva-loke—in the material world; jīva-bhūtaḥ—the embodied souls; sanātanaḥ—eternal; manaḥ—with the mind; ṣhaṣhṭhāni—the six; indriyāṇi—senses; prakṛiti-sthāni—bound by material nature; karṣhati—struggling

Meaning

An eternal portion of Myself having become a living soul in the world of life, draws to itself the five senses, with the mind as the sixth, abiding in Nature.

Explanation

Now Krishna reveals the living being's actual identity: an eternal, fragmental part of Himself, qualitatively one with Krishna yet infinitesimally small in quantity, who upon entering the material world struggles hard with the six senses (mind included) that material nature has provided. Prabhupada explains this is why the jiva is neither identical to God, as impersonalists claim, nor a temporary product of matter, as materialists claim — it is Krishna's eternal separated part, prone to being overpowered by the strong senses and mind, much as pure water mixed with earth becomes muddy. Understanding this true, eternal relationship of part and whole with Krishna is the basis for the soul's struggle to free itself and return to its constitutional position of loving service.

शरीरं यदवाप्नोति यच्चाप्युत्क्रामतीश्वरः।
गृहीत्वैतानि संयाति वायुर्गन्धानिवाशयात्।।15.8।।

śharīraṁ yad avāpnoti yach chāpy utkrāmatīśhvaraḥ
gṛihītvaitāni sanyāti vāyur gandhān ivāśhayāt

Word-for-Word Translation

śharīram—the body; yat—as; avāpnoti—carries; yat—as; cha api—also; utkrāmati—leaves; īśhvaraḥ—the Lord of the material body, the embodied soul; gṛihītvā—taking; etāni—these; sanyāti—goes away; vāyuḥ—the air; gandhān—fragrance; iva—like; āśhayāt—from seats

Meaning

When the Lord, as the individual soul, obtains a body and when He leaves it, He takes these with Him, just as the wind takes the scents from their seats (flowers, etc.).

Explanation

Krishna compares the soul carrying the mind and senses from one body to the next to air carrying fragrance away from a flower — invisible, yet real. Prabhupada notes that ordinary, materially absorbed people cannot understand this process of transmigration at all; only one who has developed a little spiritual knowledge, situated beyond bodily identification, can perceive how the tiny soul carries its subtle body from one gross body to another at the time of death. This sets up the point developed over the next few verses: such vision belongs only to those with the eye of knowledge, not to the deluded.

श्रोत्रं चक्षुः स्पर्शनं च रसनं घ्राणमेव च।
अधिष्ठाय मनश्चायं विषयानुपसेवते।।15.9।।

śhrotraṁ chakṣhuḥ sparśhanaṁ cha rasanaṁ ghrāṇam eva cha
adhiṣhṭhāya manaśh chāyaṁ viṣhayān upasevate

Word-for-Word Translation

śhrotram—ears; chakṣhuḥ—eyes; sparśhanam—the sense of touch; cha—and; rasanam—tongue; ghrāṇam—nose; eva—also; cha—and; adhiṣhṭhāya—grouped around; manaḥ—mind; cha—also; ayam—they; viṣhayān—sense objects; upasevate—savors

Meaning

Presiding over the ears, eyes, touch, taste, smell, and mind, it enjoys the objects of the senses.

Explanation

Continuing the picture of the soul's journey, Krishna lists how it operates through the ear, eye, skin, tongue, and nose, using the mind as its base to taste the world's offerings. This simply describes the mechanics of sense experience — the soul is the experiencer, the senses are its instruments. Understanding this can help a practitioner see sense engagement itself as something the soul directs, rather than something that simply happens to it.

उत्क्रामन्तं स्थितं वापि भुञ्जानं वा गुणान्वितम्।
विमूढा नानुपश्यन्ति पश्यन्ति ज्ञानचक्षुषः।।15.10।।

utkrāmantaṁ sthitaṁ vāpi bhuñjānaṁ vā guṇānvitam
vimūḍhā nānupaśhyanti paśhyanti jñāna-chakṣhuṣhaḥ

Word-for-Word Translation

utkrāmantam—departing; sthitam—residing; vā api—or even; bhuñjānam—enjoys; vā—or; guṇa-anvitam—under the spell of the modes of material nature; vimūḍhāḥ—the ignorant; na—not; anupaśhyanti—percieve; paśhyanti—behold; jñāna-chakṣhuṣhaḥ—those who possess the eyes of knowledge

Meaning

The deluded do not see Him who departs, stays, and enjoys; but those who possess the eye of knowledge behold Him.

Explanation

Krishna contrasts two kinds of vision: the deluded who cannot perceive the soul at all as it enters, dwells in, or leaves a body enjoying the gunas, and those with the eye of knowledge who see clearly. This is a direct commentary on the value of cultivated spiritual insight over ordinary perception. Such vision is not automatic; it has to be developed through practice and guidance, which is why the next verse turns to the yogi's effort.

यतन्तो योगिनश्चैनं पश्यन्त्यात्मन्यवस्थितम्।
यतन्तोऽप्यकृतात्मानो नैनं पश्यन्त्यचेतसः।।15.11।।

yatanto yoginaśh chainaṁ paśhyanty ātmany avasthitam
yatanto ‘py akṛitātmāno nainaṁ paśhyanty achetasaḥ

Word-for-Word Translation

yatantaḥ—striving; yoginaḥ—yogis; cha—too; enam—this (the soul); paśhyanti—see; ātmani—in the body; avasthitam—enshrined; yatantaḥ—strive; api—even though; akṛita-ātmānaḥ—those whose minds are not purified; na—not; enam—this; paśhyanti—cognize; achetasaḥ—unaware

Meaning

The yogis striving for perfection behold Him dwelling in the Self; but, the unrefined and unintelligent, even though striving, do not see Him.

Explanation

Even sincere yogis who strive can perceive the soul seated within, Krishna says, while those whose minds remain unpurified fail to see it no matter how hard they try. Effort alone isn't enough — the quality and clarity of one's inner practice determines whether real vision dawns. It's an encouraging but honest verse: sustained striving with a purified heart bears fruit that surface-level effort does not.

यदादित्यगतं तेजो जगद्भासयतेऽखिलम्।
यच्चन्द्रमसि यच्चाग्नौ तत्तेजो विद्धि मामकम्।।15.12।।

yad āditya-gataṁ tejo jagad bhāsayate ’khilam
yach chandramasi yach chāgnau tat tejo viddhi māmakam

Word-for-Word Translation

yat—which; āditya-gatam—in the sun; tejaḥ—brilliance; jagat—solar system; bhāsayate—illuminates; akhilam—entire; yat—which; chandramasi—in the moon; yat—which; cha—also; agnau—in the fire; tat—that; tejaḥ—brightness; viddhi—know; māmakam—mine

Meaning

That light which resides in the sun, illuminating the whole world; that which is in the moon and in the fire—know that light to be Mine.

Explanation

Krishna now turns from the soul's inner journey to describing His presence in the cosmos, beginning with light itself — the brilliance of the sun that lights the whole world, along with the moon and fire, all traced back to Him. This begins a short sequence in which Krishna reveals Himself as pervading and sustaining nature at every level. It invites a practitioner to see even ordinary daylight as touched by the Divine, rather than as something merely physical.

गामाविश्य च भूतानि धारयाम्यहमोजसा।
पुष्णामि चौषधीः सर्वाः सोमो भूत्वा रसात्मकः।।15.13।।

gām āviśhya cha bhūtāni dhārayāmy aham ojasā
puṣhṇāmi chauṣhadhīḥ sarvāḥ somo bhūtvā rasātmakaḥ

Word-for-Word Translation

gām—earth; āviśhya—permeating; cha—and; bhūtāni—living beings; dhārayāmi—sustain; aham—I; ojasā—energy; puṣhṇāmi—nourish; cha—and; auṣhadhīḥ—plants; sarvāḥ—all; somaḥ—the moon; bhūtvā—becoming; rasa-ātmakaḥ—supplying the juice of life

Meaning

Permeating the earth, I support all beings with My energy; and having become the watery moon, I nourish all herbs.

Explanation

Krishna next describes entering the earth itself to sustain all living beings with His energy, and becoming the moon to nourish every plant with its rasa, or vital essence. The imagery moves from cosmic light to the intimate sustenance of soil and growth — nothing in nature's provisioning happens apart from Him. This can quietly deepen gratitude at even a simple meal, recognizing its source.

अहं वैश्वानरो भूत्वा प्राणिनां देहमाश्रितः।
प्राणापानसमायुक्तः पचाम्यन्नं चतुर्विधम्।।15.14।।

ahaṁ vaiśhvānaro bhūtvā prāṇināṁ deham āśhritaḥ
prāṇāpāna-samāyuktaḥ pachāmy annaṁ chatur-vidham

Word-for-Word Translation

aham—I; vaiśhvānaraḥ—fire of digestion; bhūtvā—becoming; prāṇinām—of all living beings; deham—the body; āśhritaḥ—situated; prāṇa-apāna—outgoing and incoming breath; samāyuktaḥ—keeping in balance; pachāmi—I digest; annam—foods; chatuḥ-vidham—the four kinds

Meaning

Having become the fire Vaisvanara, I abide in the bodies of living beings and, associated with the Prana and the Apana, digest the fourfold food.

Explanation

Continuing this theme, Krishna identifies Himself as the digestive fire within every living body, working together with the incoming and outgoing breath to process the four kinds of food. It is a strikingly intimate claim — the Supreme is present not only in sun and soil but in the ordinary act of digestion within one's own body. Nothing about our sustenance, Krishna suggests, is truly separate from Him.

सर्वस्य चाहं हृदि सन्निविष्टो
मत्तः स्मृतिर्ज्ञानमपोहनं च।
वेदैश्च सर्वैरहमेव वेद्यो
वेदान्तकृद्वेदविदेव चाहम्।।15.15।।

sarvasya chāhaṁ hṛidi sanniviṣhṭo
mattaḥ smṛitir jñānam apohanaṁ cha
vedaiśh cha sarvair aham eva vedyo
vedānta-kṛid veda-vid eva chāham

Word-for-Word Translation

sarvasya—of all living beings; cha—and; aham—I; hṛidi—in the hearts; sanniviṣhṭaḥ—seated; mattaḥ—from me; smṛitiḥ—memory; jñānam—knowledge; apohanam—forgetfulness; cha—as well as; vedaiḥ—by the Vedas; cha—and; sarvaiḥ—all; aham—I; eva—alone; vedyaḥ—to be known; vedānta-kṛit—the author of the Vedānt; veda-vit—the knower of the meaning of the Vedas; eva—alone; cha—and; aham—I

Meaning

And I am seated in the hearts of all; from Me come memory and knowledge, as well as their absence. I am verily That which has to be known by all the Vedas; I am indeed the author of the Vedanta and the knower of the Vedas.

Explanation

This is one of the most personal verses in the Gita: Krishna says He sits in the hearts of all beings as the Supersoul, and from Him come memory, knowledge, and their forgetting — the soul forgets its eternal relationship with Krishna and, by His mercy, can also be reminded of it through knowledge and revealed scripture. He alone is what all the Vedas ultimately aim to reveal, and Krishna declares Himself to be both the compiler of the Vedanta-sutra and the true knower of its meaning, since the Vedanta is meant to lead one to know Him, not merely to abstract impersonal Brahman. For a devotee, this verse grounds the whole chapter's teaching: all scriptural knowledge finds its purpose only in coming to know and serve the Supreme Person seated within one's own heart.

द्वाविमौ पुरुषौ लोके क्षरश्चाक्षर एव च।
क्षरः सर्वाणि भूतानि कूटस्थोऽक्षर उच्यते।।15.16।।

dvāv imau puruṣhau loke kṣharaśh chākṣhara eva cha
kṣharaḥ sarvāṇi bhūtāni kūṭa-stho ’kṣhara uchyate

Word-for-Word Translation

dvau—two; imau—these; puruṣhau—beings; loke—in creation; kṣharaḥ—the perishable; cha—and; akṣharaḥ—the imperishable; eva—even; cha—and; kṣharaḥ—the perishable; sarvāṇi—all; bhūtāni—beings; kūṭa-sthaḥ—the liberated; akṣharaḥ—the imperishable; uchyate—is said

Meaning

Two Purushas there are in this world: the perishable and the imperishable. All beings are perishable, and the Kutastha—the unchanging—is called the imperishable.

Explanation

Krishna now draws a clear distinction between two categories of purusha: the kshara, or perishable, which includes all conditioned living beings, and the akshara, the unchanging, liberated state. This sets up a contrast that the following verses will resolve. It's a reminder that even liberation as commonly understood — the imperishable — is not yet the final word on Krishna's own position.

उत्तमः पुरुषस्त्वन्यः परमात्मेत्युदाहृतः।
यो लोकत्रयमाविश्य बिभर्त्यव्यय ईश्वरः।।15.17।।

uttamaḥ puruṣhas tv anyaḥ paramātmety udāhṛitaḥ
yo loka-trayam āviśhya bibharty avyaya īśhvaraḥ

Word-for-Word Translation

uttamaḥ—the Supreme; puruṣhaḥ—Divine Personality; tu—but; anyaḥ—besides; parama-ātmā—the Supreme Soul; iti—thus; udāhṛitaḥ—is said; yaḥ—who; loka trayam—the three worlds; āviśhya—enters; bibharti—supports; avyayaḥ—indestructible; īśhvaraḥ—the controller

Meaning

But distinct is the Supreme Purusha, called the highest Self, indestructible and Lord, who pervades the three worlds and sustains them.

Explanation

Beyond both the perishable and the imperishable, Krishna says, is a third, Supreme Person — the Paramatma who enters and sustains the three worlds as their indestructible Lord. This verse is the pivot of the chapter's argument: it's not enough to know the soul or even the impersonal unchanging reality: there's a Supreme Person underlying both. This is what gives the chapter its name, Purushottama Yoga.

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

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

Word-for-Word Translation

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

Meaning

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.

Explanation

Krishna now declares plainly that because He transcends both the perishable world and the imperishable self, He is celebrated as Purushottama, the Supreme Person, in the world and in the Vedas alike. This is Krishna's own direct claim to being the ultimate reality behind all philosophical categories discussed so far. It resolves the tension built up over the previous verses by placing Krishna, not an abstract principle, at the very top.

यो मामेवमसम्मूढो जानाति पुरुषोत्तमम्।
स सर्वविद्भजति मां सर्वभावेन भारत।।15.19।।

yo mām evam asammūḍho jānāti puruṣhottamam
sa sarva-vid bhajati māṁ sarva-bhāvena bhārata

Word-for-Word Translation

yaḥ—who; mām—me; evam—thus; asammūḍhaḥ—without a doubt; jānāti—know; puruṣha-uttamam—the Supreme Divine Personality; saḥ—they; sarva-vit—those with complete knowledge; bhajati—worship; mām—me; sarva-bhāvena—with one’s whole being; bhārata—Arjun, the son of Bharat

Meaning

He who, undeluded, knows Me as the highest Purusha, he, knowing all, worships Me with his whole being (heart), O Arjuna.

Explanation

Whoever knows Krishna without doubt as this Supreme Person, He says, becomes complete in knowledge and worships Him with their whole being. Knowledge here is not merely intellectual; it culminates naturally in loving worship, in bhajana. This links back to the chapter's opening image of the tree — true knowledge of the root leads not to abstract understanding alone but to devotion.

इति गुह्यतमं शास्त्रमिदमुक्तं मयाऽनघ।
एतद्बुद्ध्वा बुद्धिमान्स्यात्कृतकृत्यश्च भारत।।15.20।।

iti guhyatamaṁ śhāstram idam uktaṁ mayānagha
etad buddhvā buddhimān syāt kṛita-kṛityaśh cha bhārata

Word-for-Word Translation

iti—these; guhya-tamam—most secret; śhāstram—Vedic scriptures; idam—this; uktam—spoken; mayā—by me; anagha—Arjun, the sinless one; etat—this; buddhvā—understanding; buddhi-mān—enlightened; syāt—one becomes; kṛita-kṛityaḥ—who fulfills all that is to be accomplished; cha—and; bhārata—Arjun, the son of Bharat

Meaning

Thus, I have imparted to you this most secret science, O sinless one; by knowing this, one becomes wise, and all their duties are accomplished, O Arjuna.

Explanation

Krishna closes the chapter by calling this teaching the most confidential of all scriptures, and says that whoever understands it becomes truly wise and fulfilled in all duties. It functions as a seal on the whole chapter's argument — from the inverted tree to the Supreme Person — presenting it as complete, practical wisdom rather than mere philosophy. For a sincere reader, taking this teaching to heart is presented as the very fulfillment of a well-lived life.