Illustration for Bhagavad Gita chapter 15 verse 4
Chapter 15 · Purushottama Yoga

Beyond the Tangled Tree · The Final Refuge

ततः पदं तत्परिमार्गितव्यं यस्मिन्गता न निवर्तन्ति भूयः । तमेव चाद्यं पुरुषं प्रपद्ये यतः प्रवृत्तिः प्रसृता पुराणी ॥

tataḥ padaṁ tat parimārgitavyaṁ yasmin gatā na nivartanti bhūyaḥ tam eva cādyaṁ puruṣaṁ prapadye yataḥ pravṛttiḥ prasṛtā purāṇī

Meaning

"One must then seek that goal, having reached which one never returns; I take refuge in that very primal being, from whom this ancient activity has streamed forth."

Explanation

After describing the sprawling, tangled tree of worldly life, Krishna points beyond it to a single, final destination — one that, once reached, ends the whole cycle of coming and going. Refuge is offered here as the way out of the tangle.

Today's Life Lesson

When life today feels like a tangle of branches pulling in every direction, remember there's a single refuge worth seeking beneath it all.

More verses to reflect on