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 (kootastha -soul). 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 earlier answered the first question when he told us to relinquish any action (immaterial of what we are doing) unto HIM; to be devoid of 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 earlier said to remember Him all the time and now he says worship Him with one's whole 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 every one.