The Yoga of the Supreme Divine Personality
Verse 15.4
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 Meanings
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
Translation · English
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.
Deep Meaning · English
In this verse, Krishna redirects the seeker’s attention from the illusory, ever-changing nature of the material world—the 'upside-down banyan tree' mentioned previously—to the source of all existence. This is not a search for a geographical destination, but a call for an internal psychological and spiritual transformation. By suggesting one must 'search out' that place from which there is no return, the Lord is defining liberation not as an annihilation of the self, but as the cessation of the cycle of samsara (repeated birth and death). To return to the 'Supreme Abode' is to wake up from the dream of separateness and recognize the substratum of reality that remains untouched by the fluctuations of time. Furthermore, the verse emphasizes the necessity of 'surrender' (prapadye) to the Primeval Person. Krishna posits that the root cause of our existence is not an accident of nature but a divine projection. This acknowledges that the 'ancient' or 'eternal' energy of manifestation flows directly from the Supreme Purusha. By seeking refuge in Him, the devotee aligns their limited will with the Infinite, thereby transmuting worldly activity into a divine flow. It is a profound shift from seeking external gratifications to resting in the stillness of the Source, where the 'activity' of life is understood as a rhythmic manifestation of the Divine itself.
True liberation is found by turning the gaze inward to the Source, seeking refuge in the Primeval Lord, and thereby ending the cycle of rebirth by realizing one's eternal nature in the Absolute.
Connected Verses
Provides the bridge to the concept of 'prapadye' (surrender), showing that absolute abandonment of ego is the key to reaching that eternal state.
It complements this verse by describing that the sun, moon, and fire do not illuminate that Supreme Abode, emphasizing its self-effulgent nature.
This verse reinforces the same theme, identifying that the Unmanifest and Imperishable is the ultimate goal from which one does not return.
Describes the state of Brahman-nirvana, the spiritual peace attained by one who ceases the search for worldly pleasure and fixes the mind on the Infinite.
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