यस्मात्क्षरमतीतोऽहमक्षरादपि चोत्तमः ।अतोऽस्मि लोके वेदे च प्रथितः पुरुषोत्तमः ॥
yasmāt kṣaram atīto 'ham akṣarād api cottamaḥ |ato 'smi loke vede ca prathitaḥ puruṣottamaḥ ||
- यस्मात् · yasmāt
- since, because
- क्षरम् · kṣaram
- the perishing
- अतीतः · atītaḥ
- beyond, transcending
- अहम् · aham
- I
- अक्षरात् · akṣarāt
- than the imperishable
- उत्तमः · uttamaḥ
- higher, supreme
- अतः · ataḥ
- therefore
- अस्मि · asmi
- I am
- लोके · loke
- in the world
- वेदे · vede
- in the Vedas
- प्रथितः · prathitaḥ
- celebrated
- पुरुषोत्तमः · puruṣottamaḥ
- the Supreme Person
“Since I transcend the perishing and am higher even than the imperishable, I am celebrated in the world and in the Vedas as the Supreme Person.”
— Original plain-language translation
Krishna derives his title by logic: greater than matter, greater even than the changeless spirit — therefore supreme. Both popular devotion and scripture agree on the name. The verse closes the doctrine with its seal of authority.
— Reader's notes (original)