215. Open Secret

 

The fifteenth chapter of the Bhagavad Gita is called ‘Purushottama Yoga’. The title comes from the following verse where Krishna says, “I am beyond the perishable prakriti (Nature) and am even higher than imperishable soul (kootastha). Hence, I am proclaimed as Purushottama (Supreme Being) in the Vedas and in the world” (15.18).

Once awareness starts setting in, two fundamental questions we face are: what are we supposed to do and what are we supposed to know? Krishna had already answered this when He advised us to offer all actions of the present moment to Him, regardless of whether they are to our liking or not, noble or otherwise, while remaining free from egotism (nir-mama) and desires (nir-aasha) (3.30). Krishna answers the second question and says, “The undeluded knows me as Purushottama, knows all. He worships Me with his whole being” (15.19). Though it is a simple and open secret, ‘knowing all’ is when the knowing is at the existential level.

Krishna instructed us to ‘remember Him at all times’ (Sarveshu-kaleshu-maam-anusmara) (8.7), and now he calls us to worship Him with our entire being. It is worshipping Him every moment and with each cell of ours which seems impossible. The key to this riddle is given earlier as ‘Seeing the self in all beings and all beings in the self and seeing Him everywhere’ (6.29 & 6.30).

Krishna concludes this chapter and says, “I have taught you this secret wisdom. By understanding this, a person becomes a sage and fulfills all his duties” (15.20). This implies that our duty in this world is to realise this wisdom.

In Srimad Bhagavatam, Krishna gave a simple path to realise what He said in the aforementioned verses. He says to realise Him when we see a thief, a donkey or an enemy. Certainly, this is easy to understand but difficult to practice. Essentially, it is the same Purushottama behind everyone.