उत्तमः पुरुषस्त्वन्यः परमात्मेत्युदाहृतः। यो लोकत्रयमाविश्य बिभर्त्यव्यय ईश्वरः।।15.17।।
uttamaḥ puruṣas tv anyaḥ parama‑ātmā ity udāhṛtaḥ; yaḥ loka‑trayam āviśya bibharti avyaya īśvaraḥ
Translation
Besides the beings already described, there is another supreme person, called the Supreme Self; He who, having entered the three worlds, the inexhaustible Lord, sustains all.
Word Meanings
uttamaḥ — the best; puruṣaḥ — personality; tu — but; anyaḥ — another; parama‑ātmā — the Supreme Self; iti — thus; udāhṛtaḥ — is said; yaḥ — who; loka — of the universe; trayam — the three divisions; āviśya — entering; bibharti — is maintaining; avyayaḥ — inexhaustible; īśvaraḥ — the Lord.
Understanding the Verse
Verse 15.17 of the Bhagavad Gita expands the hierarchy of reality that has been outlined in the previous verses. While Chapter 15 initially presents the material world as a banyan tree with its roots above and branches below, it also introduces the concept of the "purusha" (person) who is the supreme knower and controller of the world. In this verse Krishna clarifies that beyond the "purusha" previously mentioned (the immutable soul within each being) there exists an even higher entity – the "uttamaḥ puruṣaḥ" (the best personality). This supreme personality is identified with "paramātmā" (the Supreme Self) and is explicitly called "īśvaraḥ" (the Lord).
The term "uttamaḥ" denotes the highest, most excellent, and unsurpassed quality. It signals that this being is not merely another individual soul but the ultimate principle that transcends all other manifestations. "Puruṣaḥ" here is used in its cosmic sense – the divine person who is the source of consciousness and agency. The qualifier "tu anyaḥ" (but another) emphasizes that this is a distinct entity from the individual souls (jīvas) that inhabit bodies, and even from the impersonal Brahman that pervades the universe. The verse therefore distinguishes between three layers of reality: the material manifestation (the tree of life), the individual living entities (jīvas), and the supreme personal deity who governs the cosmos.
Krishna further describes this supreme deity as one who "lokatrayam āviśya" – who has entered the three worlds (the earthly world, the atmospheric world, and the celestial world). This indicates that the Lord is not a distant, aloof principle but actively partakes in the creation, sustenance, and dissolution of all realms. By entering the three worlds, the Lord becomes immanent in every plane of existence, making the divine accessible to all beings regardless of their level of spiritual evolution.
The verb "bibharti" (maintains, sustains) conveys the Lord's role as the inexhaustible sustainer of the universe. Unlike the temporary forces that arise and fall, "avyaya" (inexhaustible) underscores the eternal, unchanging nature of the divine energy that upholds all existence. This sustenance is not merely material; it includes the preservation of dharma, the moral order, and the spiritual progression of souls.
Finally, the identification of this supreme personality with "īśvaraḥ" (Lord) aligns the verse with the broader Vedantic theme that the ultimate reality can be approached both as a personal deity and as an impersonal absolute. For devotees, this verse offers reassurance that the divine is both transcendent and immanent: beyond all distinctions, yet intimately involved in the cosmic drama. It invites seekers to recognize the Lord as the supreme controller and to cultivate devotion (bhakti) toward this highest person, thereby finding a secure refuge amid the ever‑changing material existence.
