🪷 Bhagavad Gita
Bhagavad Gita Chapter 15 Summary: The Supreme Person and the Tree of Life
Last updated: August 31, 2026
Chapter 15 uses the image of an inverted tree to describe conditioned existence and directs the seeker toward the supreme source beyond temporary forms.
This Bhagavad Gita Chapter 15 summary covers the chapter titled Purushottama Yoga, “the yoga of the supreme person.” In the Bhagavad Gita, Chapter 15 is short and often recited before meals in some traditions. It uses the image of an upside-down tree to describe worldly existence and then points beyond it to the supreme self, the Purushottama.
Key themes of Chapter 15
Krishna describes the world as an ashvattha tree with its roots above and branches below, nourished by the gunas, with roots that also extend downward into human action. The instruction is to cut this deeply rooted tree with “the strong axe of detachment” and seek the original source from which everything has come.
He then explains that a fragment of the divine becomes the living self, drawing the senses and mind around it, and that the undisciplined do not perceive this while those with the eye of knowledge do. Krishna distinguishes the perishable (all beings), the imperishable (the unchanging), and the supreme person who is beyond both and sustains the world. Knowing this, he says, a person’s spiritual understanding is complete.
Important verses in Chapter 15
- Bhagavad Gita 15.1: the tree of worldly existence, with roots above and branches below.
- Bhagavad Gita 15.7: a fragment of the divine becomes the eternal living self in the world.
- Bhagavad Gita 15.15: “I am seated in the hearts of all; from me come memory, knowledge, and their absence.”
Each verse page includes the Sanskrit text, transliteration, Hindi meaning, English meaning, explanation, and a practical life lesson.
A simple way to study this chapter
Read one section aloud and sit with the tree image: when a worry keeps multiplying into more worries, notice that you are “rearranging branches,” and turn attention toward the root instead. Chapter 15 follows the three gunas of Chapter 14 and leads into Chapter 16 on divine and destructive qualities.
Related chapter summaries
- Previous: Bhagavad Gita Chapter 14 summary
- Next: Bhagavad Gita Chapter 16 summary
- Overview: all 18 Bhagavad Gita chapters summarised
- Full text: Bhagavad Gita Chapter 15 and the complete Gita collection
Frequently asked questions
What is Bhagavad Gita Chapter 15 about?
Chapter 15 is called Purushottama Yoga. It describes worldly existence as an inverted tree to be cut with detachment, and points to the supreme person who is beyond both the perishable and the imperishable and sustains the world.
How many verses are in Bhagavad Gita Chapter 15?
Chapter 15 has 20 verses, making it one of the shortest chapters. Read them with Sanskrit and meaning on the Bhagavad Gita Chapter 15 page.
What does the inverted tree symbolise?
The tree with roots above and branches below represents conditioned existence, sustained by the gunas and spreading through desire and action. The Gita advises seeking its source rather than endlessly tending its branches.
Who is the Purushottama?
Purushottama means “supreme person.” Krishna uses the term for the reality beyond the perishable world and the unchanging absolute, present in every heart as the source of memory and knowledge.