Shloka 17
Chapter 43: Tumult of Battle-Sounds and the Proliferation of Dvandva
Paired Engagements
उत्तम: पुरुषस्त्वन्य: परमात्मेत्युदाहृत: । यो लोकत्रयमाविश्य बिभर्त्यव्यय ईश्वर:
uttamaḥ puruṣas tv anyaḥ paramātmety udāhṛtaḥ | yo lokatrayam āviśya bibharty avyaya īśvaraḥ ||
Arjuna said: “But distinct from these two is the Supreme Person, proclaimed as the Paramātman. Entering and pervading the three worlds, He sustains and upholds all beings as the imperishable Lord.”
अजुन उवाच
Educational Q&A
Beyond the previously discussed categories of beings/principles, there is a distinct Supreme Person—Paramātman—who pervades the three worlds and sustains them as the imperishable Lord. The ethical implication is that ultimate refuge and moral orientation rest in the highest sustaining reality, not merely in transient or limited forms of existence.
Arjuna, in dialogue, articulates a doctrinal clarification: he identifies the ‘other’ and ‘supreme’ Person as Paramātman/Īśvara, emphasizing this being’s cosmic role of entering the worlds and upholding them. The statement functions as a theological and philosophical conclusion within the discourse.