Bhagavad Gita, Chapter 15, Verse 18

यस्मात्क्षरमतीतोऽहमक्षरादपि चोत्तमः । अतोऽस्मि लोके वेदे च प्रथितः पुरुषोत्तमः

yasmātkṣaramatīto'hamakṣarādapi cottamaḥ | ato'smi loke vede ca prathitaḥ puruṣottamaḥ

Translation

Because I transcend the perishable and am even higher than the imperishable, therefore am I known in the world and in the Veda as 'Puruṣottama,' the Highest Spirit.

— Alladi Mahadeva Sastri

Word meanings

yasmāt

whereas

kṣaram

destructible

atītaḥ

beyond

aham

I

akṣarāt

than the indestructible

api

also

ca

and

uttamaḥ

best

ataḥ

hence

asmi

(I) am

loke

in the world

vede

in the Veda

ca

and

prathitaḥ

declared

puruṣottamaḥ

the highest spirit

Śaṅkarācārya's commentary

Because I transcend the perishable, the Tree of illusory saṃsāra called Aśvattha, because I am higher than even the imperishable which constitutes the seed of that Tree of the illusory saṃsāra, because I am thus superior to the perishable and the imperishable, I am known in the world and in the Veda as the Highest Spirit: devotees know Me as such, and the poets, too, incorporate this name in their poems and other works.