Nothing is superior to puruṣaḥ

mahataḥ paramavyaktam avyaktāt puruṣaḥ paraḥ |

puruṣānna param kiñcit sā kāṣṭhā sā parā gatiḥ ||1.3.11||

The unmanifest is superior to mahat. Puruṣaḥ is superior to the unmanifest. There is nothing superior to puruṣaḥ. That is the culmination. That is the supreme goal.

mahataḥ paramavyaktam - avyaktam (unmanifest māyā) is superior to the total intellect. The unmanifest is that in which intellect (knowledge) resolves. All divisions go into the potential condition. That state is called kāraṇa avasthā – māyā, the seed or potential condition of the creation. At the time of resolution, the world resolves into the seed form; thus, unmanifest is superior to the total subtle intellect.

The micromodel for this potential state is our daily sleep. Our mind and intellect resolve during deep sleep state. They are not totally absent, but are in the potential form. It is the subtlest form of creation because one cannot distinguish the emotions from knowledge just as one cannot distinguish the roots, branches etc. in the seed state. However, they are all in the genetic code in the seed and will manifest in time. This is the subtlest form, which is ānandamaya kośa - total happiness (in time being) when asleep.

Puruṣaḥ (ātmā), the consciousness principle that is witnessing the blank state in sleep, is superior to avyaktam - avyaktāt puruṣaḥ paraḥ. During deep sleep one does not experience anything; but when he wakes up, he is able to claim that he had a wonderful and sound sleep. Here the absence of experience is equal to witnessing the absence of experience. Blankness comes during deep sleep and departs in the waking and dream states; as consciousness - I remains in all three states. Consciousness is there as witness to the absence as well as to the presence of thoughts. Thus nothing is superior to consciousness ātmā - puruṣānna param kiñcit. Unmanifest māyā doesn’t exist independently apart from puruṣaḥ ātmā. After arriving at puruṣaḥ ātmā, there is no more journey. That is the culmination of the journey - sā kāṣṭhā. Nothing is superior, subtler, or more pervasive than ātmā. It is the ultimate destination/goal - sā parā gatiḥ. All the others are only intermediate stations (goals).