Who/What is KUTastha : Bhagwad Gita Verse 16, chapter-15

[devotee]

Namaste,

Lord Krishna says in Bhagwad Gita, Chapter-15 verse 16 :

"Dwavimau Purushau loke KsharashchAkshara eva cha |
Ksharah sarvANi bhUtAni KUTasthaoakshar uchyate ||" (BG : 15.16)

==> There are two Purushas in this world : One is perishable and another is imperishable. All beings are perishable and KUTastha is called imperishable

I am leaving the word KUTastha without any interpretation here because unless we keep the next verse in view it can be translated wrongly.
In the next verse He says :

Uttamah Purushah tu anyah ParmAteti udAhritah |
Yo lokatrayam Avishya bibharti avyayah Ishvarah || (BG: 15.17)

Uttama Purusha is quite another one who is called ParmAtmA. Who enters into the three worlds and maintains them and He is unchangeable and the Lord of all.

So, in fact, not two Purushas but there are three Purushas mentioned in these two verses. What are those :

a) BhUtAni ===> Jeevas / beings

This has been translated by some translators as Bodies but that is not correct because Bodies are never referred to as BhUta. BhUta is the being who has a distinct identity as Mana+Buddhi+ahamkaar and it "resides" in the body.

b) KUTastha ====> ??? what is this ? Some translators have translated it as Jeevas but BhUtas have already been mentioned above and they are called perishables in the sloka. This cannot be Ishvara living in the heart of all beings as it is described in the next verse and He is described as different from BhUtas and KUTastha. So, in the above verse KUTastha is different from BhUtas and also Ishvara.

To understand the above, let's try to understand what KUtastha actually means.

KUTastha = KUTa (difficult to understand, devilish, looks what it is not) + stha (staying, residing)

So, that which resides in KUTa is KUTastha.

KUTa is all MAyic creation and that includes BhUtas. Within BhUta/being there are two things : a) Ishvara in the heart of all beings or essence of all beings b) seed of MAyA or essence of MAyA which creates the being with Ishavara as the essence.

MAyA is beginning-less and at cosmic level, its seed or essence is without an end. Because if it would end, it must have a beginning. So, this seed of MAyA too is imperishable. Why should I use seed of MAyA as another term when already there are so many terms available ? This is necessary to understand the nature of MAyA. MAyA is ever changeable ... always changing from one form to the other ... from one mode to different modes etc. but the essence of MAyA or seed of MAyA is indestructible. On Self Realisation, for an individual MAyic prapancha ends ... He doesn't get deluded by the delusive power of MAyA ... but MAyA at cosmic level still remains. Even when everything and all beings are annihilated ... MAyA remains as Avyakta ... the unmanifest.

So, as this seed of MAyA is indestructible in essence, it is called as Akshara and this is the "second thing" in KUTastha, the first is, of course, the Ishvara" as claimed in the next verse (That which enters into the three world and maintains them).

So, correct translation of Verse 16 of Chapter 15 of BG is :

"There are two Purushas in this world : One is perishable and another is imperishable. All beings are perishable and the seed of MAyA is called imperishable"

This translation makes 17 of chapter 15 also meaningful.

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Some translators have translated KUTastha as Jeeva but that is not admissible because Jeeva is not KUTastha ... it is KUTa.

Note : The above post is based on Shankara's translation of the verse.

OM