15th Chapter of Gita-- 18th sloka

Hare Krishna,

We have seen the 3 types of purushas and their characteristics in the last 2 slokas. In todays sloka Lord Krishna is Concluding the topic on the three purushas and explains how the uttama purusha is different from the kshara and akshara purusha.

15.18 – yasmat kshara atitah aham akshara api uttamam
Atosmi loke vede cha pratitah purushottamam

Meaning of words:
Yasmat – since
Kshara – the mutable
Atitah – beyond
Aham – I
aKshara – the immutable
uttamam – supreme
atosmi –hence
loke – world
vede—in the Vedas
pratitah – well known
purushottamam – the supreme self.

Meaning of sloka
I , the uttama purusha is beyond the kshara purusha and supreme among the akshara purusha’s . I am well known in the Vedas and in the world as the purushottamam.

Lord Krishna says that the uttama purusha is beyond the kshara purusha as the kshara pursuha is mutable and is an illusion, nut the uttama purusha is all pervading, as is the ultimate reality and only thing that which exists in this world. Hence uttama purusha , the immutable, imperishable is beyond kshara purusha.
In comparision to the akshara purusha , Lord Krishna says that uttama purusha is supreme among all the akshara pursuha’s i.e the kutastha atma(s) in all jeevas. Kutastha is limited by the body adjuncts, while the uttama purusha has no limitations. As long as a person considers himself as kutastha , separate from uttama purusha., the limitation exists, when he considers himself one with the uttama purusha he will find himself one with everything in the universe. Saint veda vyasa had a son suka who was by birth a realized self. At a very young age he left home. Troubled father veda vyasa called out to his son. As vyasa was also a realized self, he could speak with his son who was passing through the woods , through the trees. So the trees passed on the message of father to the son. Thus when one identifies onself with the Uttama purusha , the all pervading self, he has identified himself with everything in the universe. As brahman is present everywhere without any limits of time and space, so also a person who becomes one with the Uttama purusha feels the same.
Thus Sri Krishna says that I am called as “Purushottamam” in the Vedas as well as in the world.

Hare Krishna

Thanks,
Aparna