15.18
Chapter 15, Verse 18
यस्मात्क्षरमतीतोऽहमक्षरादपि चोत्तमः। अतोऽस्मि लोके वेदे च प्रथितः पुरुषोत्तमः৷৷
yasmātkṣaramatītō.hamakṣarādapi cōttamaḥ. atō.smi lōkē vēdē ca prathitaḥ puruṣōttamaḥ৷৷
Translation
Beyond comparison of the Eternal with the non-eternal am I, Who am called by scriptures and sages the Supreme Personality, the Highest God.
Translation — Purohit Swami
Commentary
यस्मात् as, क्षरम् the perishable, अतीतः transcend, अहम् I, अक्षरात् than the imperishable, अपि also, च and, उत्तमः best, अतः therefore, अस्मि (I) am, लोके in the world, वेदे in the Vedas, च and, प्रथितः declared, पुरुषोत्तमः the Highest Purusha. Commentary: Purushottama is a wellknown name of the Lord. The name is ite appropriate as He is the supreme Purusha.Kshara The perishable -- the tree of Samsara.Akshara The imperishable -- the seed of the tree of Samsara.Because I excel the perishable (the tree of illusory Samsara) and am more excellent also than the imperishable (the seed of the tree of the illusory Samsara) and because I am thus superior to the perishable and the imperishable, I am proclaimed in the world and in the Vedas as the highest Purusha. Devotees know Me as such. Poets also describe Me as such.I am beyond all limitations. There is no trace of dualism in Me. Therefore, I am called by all and by the scriptures the highest Purusha.
Commentary — Swami Sivananda
Sanskrit and transliteration of the Bhagavad Gita. Corpus compiled from the vedabase and the IIT Kanpur Gita Supersite.