Bhagavad Gita · Purushottama YogaChapter 15, Shloka 4 (15.4)
Original Sanskrit · श्रीभगवान्
ततः पदं तत् परिमार्गितव्यं
यस्मिन् गता न निवर्तन्ति भूयः
तमेव चाऽऽद्यं पुरुषं प्रपद्ये
यतः प्रवृत्तिः प्रसृता पुराणी
॥ 15.4 ॥
tataḥ padaṃ tat parimārgitavyaṃ
yasmin gatā na nivartanti bhūyaḥ
tameva cā''dyaṃ puruṣaṃ prapadye
yataḥ pravṛttiḥ prasṛtā purāṇī
Translation
"— then one should seek that state, reaching which one does not return again; (holding the feeling,) 'I take refuge in that very Primal Person from whom this ancient flow of activity has spread forth.'"
Interpretation
Shankaracharya. yat padaṃ vaiṣṇavaṃ tat parimārgitavyam, parimārgaṇam anveṣaṇaṃ jñātavyam ity arthaḥ — to seek the state of Vishnu = to know it; kathaṃ parimārgitavyam iti āha — tam eva ca … ādyaṃ puruṣaṃ prapadye ity evaṃ parimārgitavyaṃ taccharaṇatayā — how? "Taking refuge in that very Primal Person" — in the spirit of surrender.
Acharya Ramanuja (15.3–15.4): through understanding the true nature of the tree and through surrender — the search for the pada (state).
Shridhara Swami. tam eva cādyaṃ puruṣaṃ prapadye śaraṇaṃ vrajāmīty evam ekāntabhaktyānveṣṭavyam — "I go for refuge to that very Primal Person" — one should seek with this single-minded devotion.
Madhusudana Saraswati. The way to seek: guruṃ upasṛtya … vedāntavākyavicāreṇa parimārgitavyam — by approaching a guru and reflecting on the statements of Vedanta; his authority is the Chandogya: so 'nveṣṭavyaḥ sa vijijñāsitavyaḥ.
Madhvacharya. na ca bhagavato 'nyaḥ śaraṇyo 'sti — there is no refuge other than the Lord; and chedanopāyo hy atrākāṅkṣitaḥ — what is asked here is precisely the means of cutting.
AI-assisted draft translation — under review.