Bhagavad Gita, Chapter 15, Verse 4

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

tataḥ padaṃ tatparimārgitavyaṃ yasmingatā na nivartanti bhūyaḥ | tameva cādyaṃ puruṣaṃ prapadye | yataḥ pravṛttiḥ prasṛtā purāṇī

Translation

Its form is not perceived as such here, neither its end nor its origin nor its existence. Having cut asunder this firm-rooted Aśvattha with the strong sword of dispassion, then That Goal should be sought for, whither having gone none return again. "I seek refuge in that Primeval Puruṣa whence streamed forth the Ancient Current."

— Alladi Mahadeva Sastri

Word meanings

tataḥ

then

padam

foot (stepping-place)

tat

that

parimārgitavyam

should be sought

yasmin

in which

gatāḥ

gone

na

not

nivartanti

return

bhūyaḥ

again

tam

him

eva

even

ca

and

ādyam

original

puruṣam

Man

prapadye

(I) go

yataḥ

whence

pravṛttiḥ

forthgoing

prasṛtā

issued

purāṇī

ancient

Śaṅkarācārya's commentary

The aspirant should seek for and know the abode of Viṣṇu beyond that Tree. Those who have reached this Goal never return to saṃsāra. How is that Goal to be sought after? It is sought after thus: "I seek refuge in Him, the Primeval Puruṣa," who is spoken of as the Goal — i.e., He is to be sought for by way of seeking refuge in Him. Who is this Puruṣa? It is that Puruṣa from whom the emanation of the Tree of illusory Saṃsāra streamed forth, just as illusory sights (māyā) issue from out of a juggler.