||om tat sat||

About उत्तम पुरुषः or पुरुषोत्तम

श्रीभगवानुवाच
द्वाविमौ पुरुषोलोके क्षरश्चाक्षर एवच ।
क्षरस्सर्वाणि भूतानि कूटस्थोsक्षर उच्यते॥16||

The direct meaning of the sloka is easy to understand.

In this world there are two persons one is known as क्षर and the other अक्षर. All beings are of the type of क्षर. The ones in a doubtful state are अक्षर.

We need to dig deeper to understand the words Kshara and Akshara.

क्षर means perishable. It is all those who live in this world of body as the ultimate. They are not concerned about the "self" or its discovery.

अक्षर means not perishable. It is those who believe in the mind consciousness. Body may wither but they see the mind as the controller. They continue in the birth and rebirth cycle . They are those who have not yet realized that the "Self " is none other than the "Brahman".

That अक्षर, if he continues his enquiry into the mind complex , focusses on detachment and continues on the path of devotion and in the process acquires the characteritics defined in " निर्मानमोहा जितसंगदोषाः.. " etc , then he realizes that Self and Brahman are one and the same. Then he evolves into the " Uttama Purusha" category. When the realization occurs that the Self is none other than Brahman , then he is no longer अक्षर. He is then "Purushottama".

क्षर can become अक्षर

अक्षर can become उत्तमपुरुष

That उत्तम पुरुष is पुरुषोत्तम.

In Yuddha Kanda of Ramayana Rama mentions अथम मध्यम उत्तम or पुरुषोत्तम.
क्षर is अथम.
अक्षर is मध्यम
उत्तम is पुरुषोत्तम.

The path for क्षर to become अक्षर , as well as the path for अक्षर can become उत्तमपुरुष or पुरुषोत्तम has been detailed by Krishna in Bhagavadgita.

If we remember that this is a dialog between Krishna and Arjuna , we will also understand another thing easily.

Once we say that the Uttama Purusha is another who is better than the two namely Kshara and Akshara , then the natural question will be if all people are devided into the two the Kshara and the Akshara, then are there Uttama Purushas , if so where are they .

Krishna has always been one step ahead of Arjuna in clearing doubts.

Here too he is ahead by telling who is that Uttama Purusha.
This is what he says
Bhagavan says:
यस्मात् क्षरमतीतोsहम् अक्षरादपि चोत्तमः।
अतोsस्मि लोकेवेदे च प्रथितः पुरुषोत्तमः॥18||

" As I transcend the Kshara and and even higher than the Akshara I am declared as Purushottama in this world and in the Vedas". ."

That means Krishna is a Purushottama.

All the slokas start with the preamble - "in this world" ( द्वाविमौ पुरुषो लोके..) This is all about persons in this world. Not about gods or goddesses. This is about us only .

By saying "उत्तम पुरुषः अन्यः, the context of this world continues. That " उत्तम पुरुषः " too is in this world.

That is, the change of state from Kshara to Akshara to Uttama Purusha can happen in this world only .

Attaining the state of "Purushottama" is possible in this world only.

This is in line with what Krshna said about Moksha in chapter two , Sankhya yoga

In the Sankhya Yoga also talking about attaining Moksha or liberation , Krishna clarifies that the liberation is not after death but can be in this life only.

Attaining Purushottama or liberation , it is one and the same.

That is about Purushottama, and Purushottama prapti !

||ओम् तत् सत्||

||ओम् तत् सत्||