B.G 15.01

श्रीभगवानुवाच

śrībhagavānuvāca

[श्री (śrī) - auspicious; भगवान् (bhagavān) - Lord; उवाच (uvāca) - said;]

The auspicious Lord said:

ऊर्ध्वमूलमधःशाखं अश्वत्थं प्राहुरव्ययम्। छन्दांसि यस्य पर्णानि यस्तं वेद स वेदवित् ॥१॥

ūrdhvamūlamadhaḥśākhaṃ aśvatthaṃ prāhuravyayam। chandāṃsi yasya parṇāni yastaṃ veda sa vedavit ॥1॥

[ऊर्ध्व (ūrdhva) - upward; मूलम् (mūlam) - root; अधः (adhaḥ) - downward; शाखम् (śākham) - branches; अश्वत्थम् (aśvattham) - sacred fig tree; प्राहुः (prāhuḥ) - they say; अव्ययम् (avyayam) - eternal; छन्दांसि (chandāṃsi) - Vedas; यस्यम् (yasyam) - whose; पर्णानि (parṇāni) - leaves; यः (yaḥ) - who; तम् (tam) - that; वेद (veda) - knows; सः (saḥ) - he; वेदवित् (vedavit) - knower of the Vedas;]

They speak of the imperishable peepul tree having its roots above and branches below. Its leaves are the Vedas, i.e. knowledge; he who knows it is the knower of the Vedas.

Gīta Bhāshya 15.01

This chapter presents an understanding of the characteristics of the universal-society, and the means of transcending it. 'ūrdhva' - Lord Viṣṇu, is superior everywhere. Inferior branches are beings. The Vedas, i.e. knowledge, like leaves, are the cause of fruits.

संसारस्वरूपतदत्ययोपायविज्ञानानि अस्मिन्नध्याये दर्शयति-

saṁsārasvarūpatadatyayopāyavijñānāni asminnadhyāye darśayati-

[संसार (saṁsāra) - world-society; स्वरूप (svarūpa) - characteristics; तत् (tat) - that; अत्यय (atyaya) - transcendence; उपाय (upāya) - means; विज्ञानानि (vijñānāni) - knowledge; अस्मिन् (asmin) - in this; अध्याये (adhyāye) - chapter; दर्शयति (darśayati) - shows;]

This chapter presents an understanding of the characteristics of the universal-society, and the means to transcend it.

ऊर्ध्वो विष्णुः।

ūrdhvo viṣṇuḥ।

[ऊर्ध्वः (ūrdhvaḥ) - above; विष्णुः (viṣṇuḥ) - Viṣṇu;]

The word 'ūrdhva' in the context is Lord Viṣṇu.

"ऊर्ध्वपवित्रो वाजिनीवस्वमृतमस्मि। द्रविणं सवर्चसम्॥"

"ūrdhvapavitro vājīnīvasvamṛtamasmi। draviṇaṃ savarcasam॥"

[ऊर्ध्वपवित्रः (ūrdhvapavitraḥ) - elevated, purity; वाजिनीवस्वम् (vājīnīvasvam) - like a swift horse; अमृतम् (amṛtam) - immortal; अस्मि (asmi) - I am; द्रविणम् (draviṇam) - wealth; सवर्चसम् (savarcasam) - full of radiance;]

"I am 'ūrdhva', i.e. elevated, purity, swift like a horse, immortal, possessing wealth and full of radiance."

इति हि श्रुतिः।

iti hi śrutiḥ।

[इति (iti) - thus; हि (hi) - indeed; श्रुतिः (śrutiḥ) - Vedic testimonial;]

- thus indeed is the Vedic testimonial.

ऊर्ध्वः उत्तमः सर्वतः। अधः निकृष्टम्। शाखा भूतानि। श्वोऽपि एकप्रकारेण न तिष्ठतीति अश्वत्थः। तथापि न प्रवाहव्ययः। पूर्वब्रह्मकाले यथा स्थितिः तथा सर्वत्रापि इति अव्ययता। फलकारणत्वात् - च्छन्दसां पर्णत्वम्। न हि कदाचिदपि अजाते पर्णे फलोत्पत्तिः ॥१॥

ūrdhvaḥ uttamaḥ sarvataḥ। adhaḥ nikṛṣṭam। śākhā bhūtāni। śvo'pi ekaprakāreṇa na tiṣṭhatīti aśvatthaḥ। tathāpi na pravāhavyayaḥ। pūrvabrahmakāle yathā sthitiḥ tathā sarvatrāpi iti avyayatā। phalakāraṇatvāt - cchandasāṃ parṇatvam। na hi kadācidapi ajāte parṇe phalotpattiḥ ॥1॥

[ऊर्ध्वः (ūrdhvaḥ) - upwards; उत्तमः (uttamaḥ) - best; सर्वतः (sarvataḥ) - everywhere; अधः (adhaḥ) - downwards; निकृष्टम् (nikṛṣṭam) - inferior; शाखा (śākhā) - branches; भूतानि (bhūtāni) - beings; श्वः (śvaḥ) - tomorrow; अपि (api) - also; एकप्रकारेण (ekaprakāreṇa) - in one way; न (na) - not; तिष्ठति (tiṣṭhati) - remains; इति (iti) - thus; अश्वत्थः (aśvatthaḥ) - peepal tree; तथापि (tathāpi) - nevertheless; न (na) - not; प्रवाहव्ययः (pravāhavyayaḥ) - flowing away; पूर्वब्रह्मकाले (pūrvabrahmakāle) - in the former age of Brahma; यथा (yathā) - as; स्थितिः (sthitiḥ) - state; तथा (tathā) - so; सर्वत्र (sarvatra) - everywhere; अपि (api) - also; इति (iti) - thus; अव्ययता (avyayatā) - immutability; फलकारणत्वात् (phalakāraṇatvāt) - due to the cause of fruits; च्छन्दसां (cchandasāṃ) - of the Vedas; पर्णत्वम् (parṇatvam) - leafiness; न (na) - not; हि (hi) - indeed; कदाचिदपि (kadācidapi) - at any time; अजाते (ajāte) - unborn; पर्णे (parṇe) - in the leaf; फलोत्पत्तिः (phalotpattiḥ) - fruit production;]

The 'ūrdhva', i.e. elevated, is superior everywhere. 'adhaḥ', i.e. below, is inferior. Branches are beings. Tomorrow does not remain the same as today, hence the comparison to the peepul tree. At the same time it does not lose its essence. In the age of Brahma, as it was, so it remains everywhere, signifying immutability. The Vedas, i.e. knowledge, like leaves, are the cause of fruits. Indeed, there is no fruit production if there are no leaves.

Gīta Tātparya 15.01

Here, the union of consciousness and matter is declared to be a tree. The earth, the deity, is like clay, the insentient. Lord Hari, due to the superiority of the roots, is remembered as having roots above. From there, the inferior - 'mahat aham', i.e. the great ego principle, intellect - joined with elements, emerged. The branches are the Vedic hymns, and the leaves represent desires and liberation.

त्रयोदशाध्यायोक्तं विविच्य दर्शयति-

trayodaśādhyāyoktaṃ vivicya darśayati-

[त्रयोदश (trayodaśa) - thirteen; अध्याय (adhyāya) - chapter; उक्तं (uktaṃ) - said; विविच्य (vivicya) - having examined; दर्शयति (darśayati) - shows;]

It elaborates on the topics touched on in the thirteenth chapter (13.06).

"पृथङ्ग् मूलं हरिस्त्वस्य जगद्वृक्षस्य भूमिवत्। सत्त्वादियुक्ते चिदचित्प्रकृती मूलभागवत्॥ अत्रापि चिदचिद्योगो वृक्षवत् सम्प्रकीर्तितः। पृथिवी देवतावत् तद्धरिर्मृद्वदचेतना। उत्तमत्वात्तु मूलानामूर्ध्वमूलस्त्वयं स्मृतः। नीचास्ततो महदहम्बुद्धयो भूतसंयुताः। शाखाः छन्दांसि पर्णानि काममोक्षफले ह्यतः॥ ॥१॥"

"pṛthaṅg mūlaṃ haristvasya jagadvṛkṣasya bhūmivat। sattvādi-yukte cidacitprakṛtī mūlabhāgavat॥ Atrāpi cidacid-yogo vṛkṣavat samprakīrtitaḥ। Pṛthivī devatāvat taddharirmṛdvadacetana। Uttamatvāttu mūlānāmūrdhvamūlastvayaṃ smṛtaḥ। Nīcāstato mahadahambuddhayo bhūtasaṃyutāḥ। Śākhāḥ chandāṃsi parṇāni kāmamokṣaphale hyataḥ॥ ॥1॥

[पृथङ्ग् (pṛthaṅg) - distinct; मूलं (mūlaṃ) - root; हरिः (hariḥ) - Hari; तस्य (tasya) - of that; जगद्वृक्षस्य (jagadvṛkṣasya) - of the world tree; भूमिवत् (bhūmivat) - like the earth; सत्त्वादियुक्ते (sattvādi-yukte) - endowed with qualities like sattva; चिदचित्प्रकृती (cidacitprakṛtī) - conscious and unconscious nature; मूलभागवत् (mūlabhāgavat) - root part of the divine; अत्र (atra) - here; अपि (api) - also; चित् (cit) - consciousness; अचित् (acit) - matter; योगः (yogaḥ) - union; वृक्षवत् (vṛkṣavat) - like a tree; सम्प्रकीर्तितः (samprakīrtitaḥ) - is declared; पृथिवी (pṛthivī) - earth; देवतावत् (devatāvat) - like a deity; तत् (tat) - that; हरिः (hariḥ) - Hari (God); मृद्वत् (mṛdvat) - like clay; अचेतना (acetana) - insentient; उत्तमत्वात् (uttamatvāt) - due to superiority; तु (tu) - but; मूलानाम् (mūlānām) - of the roots; ऊर्ध्वमूलः (ūrdhvamūlaḥ) - with roots above; अयम् (ayam) - this; स्मृतः (smṛtaḥ) - is remembered; नीचाः (nīcāḥ) - low; ततः (tataḥ) - from there; महत् (mahat) - great; अहम् (aham) - I; बुद्धयः (buddhayaḥ) - intellects; भूत (bhūta) - elements; संयुताः (saṃyutāḥ) - joined; शाखाः (śākhāḥ) - branches; छन्दांसि (chandāṃsi) - Vedic hymns; पर्णानि (parṇāni) - leaves; काम (kāma) - desire; मोक्ष (mokṣa) - liberation; फले (phale) - fruits; हि (hi) - indeed; अतः (ataḥ) - therefore;]

"Lord Hari is the distinct root of the world tree. The earth, possessing qualities such as sattva, represents both the conscious and unconscious aspects of nature, being the divine root. Here, the union of consciousness and matter is declared to be a tree. The earth, the deity, is like clay, the insentient. Lord Hari, due to the superiority of the roots, is remembered as having roots above. From there, the inferior - 'mahat aham', i.e. the great ego principle, intellect - joined with elements, emerged. The branches are the Vedic hymns, and the leaves represent desires and liberation."