Bhagavad-gītā 15.16
Read once with your eyes. Read again aloud.
द्वाविमौ पुरुषौ लोके क्षरश्चाक्षर एव च।क्षरः सर्वाणि भूतानि कूटस्थोऽक्षर उच्यते।।15.16।।
dvāv imau puruṣhau loke kṣharaśh chākṣhara eva cha kṣharaḥ sarvāṇi bhūtāni kūṭa-stho ’kṣhara uchyate
There are two Purushas in the world,:the Perishable and the Imperishable. All beings are the Perishable; and the Kutastha is called Imperishable.
English rendering by Swami Swarupananda. Public domain first edition, 1909.
Build the sentence from its parts
Read across once, then cover the meanings and recover them from the Sanskrit forms.
| Sanskrit form | Meaning here |
|---|---|
| dvau | two |
| imau | these |
| puruṣhau | beings |
| loke | in creation |
| kṣharaḥ | the perishable |
| cha | and |
| akṣharaḥ | the imperishable |
| eva | even |
| cha | and |
| kṣharaḥ | the perishable |
| sarvāṇi | all |
| bhūtāni | beings |
| kūṭa-sthaḥ | the liberated |
| akṣharaḥ | the imperishable |
| uchyate | is said |
Keep the verse in view while connecting dvau (two), eva (even), and uchyate (is said). Ask what changes between the first and last term, and how that movement contributes to the world tree and the person beyond it. State the connection in your own words, then check it against Bhagavad-gita 15.16.
Original school explanation. Written independently from the Sanskrit word map. It is not a quotation, translation, or summary of a named modern commentary. Chapter lens: Follow the inverted tree image, the distinction of persons, the embodied journey, divine support and Puruṣottama.
Five careful reading routes
The cards below are reading references, not claims about what an acharya says in this verse. Modern wording stays inside authorized editions. Classical commentary will appear only after an independent translation has passed scholarly and rights review.
Meaning map
Follow the thought
- 1
There are two Purushas in the world,
- 2
the Perishable and the Imperishable
- 3
All beings are the Perishable
Look, link, cover, teach
Look
Picture the inverted tree.
Link
Use the line starts: dvāv imau / kṣharaḥ sarvāṇi.
Cover
Hide the verse and rebuild one line at a time.
Teach
Explain the flow to another person without looking.
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A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada
Bhagavad-gita As It IsFor Bhagavad-gita 15.16, consult the authorized BBT edition. No purport, translation, or author-attributed summary is reproduced here.
Find the authorized editionBhaktivinoda Thakura
Rasika-ranjanaA verified independent rendering for Bhagavad-gita 15.16 has not yet passed scholarly and rights review. Modern translations are not copied here.
Independent rendering pending reviewBaladeva Vidyabhushana
Gita-bhushana-bhashyaThe original work is classical. A newly commissioned or independently prepared translation for Bhagavad-gita 15.16 must be verified before publication.
Independent translation pending reviewVishvanatha Cakravarti Thakura
Sarartha-varshini-tikaThe original work is classical. A newly commissioned or independently prepared translation for Bhagavad-gita 15.16 must be verified before publication.
Independent translation pending reviewOther Gaudiya acharyas
Authorized Gaudiya editionsFor Bhagavad-gita 15.16, later teachers remain a further-reading route. Their wording and distinctive teaching structures require permission or a separate rights review.
Use an authorized edition