Below and above spread its branches, nourished by the Gunas; sense-objects are its buds; and below, in the world of men, stretch forth the roots, originating action.
In simple words
Krishna continues the image: "The branches of this tree spread both upward and downward, nourished by the three forces of nature. The sense experiences are its buds. And downward, into the human world, its roots spread out — tangling people in action and consequence."
अधःbelowचandऊर्ध्वम्aboveप्रसृताःspreadतस्यitsशाखाःbranchesगुणप्रवृद्धाःnourished by the Gunasविषयप्रवालाःsenseobjects (are) its budsअधःbelowचandमूलानिthe rootsअनुसन्ततानिare stretched forthकर्मानुबन्धीनिoriginating actionमनुष्यलोके
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in the world of men
15.2 अधः below? च and? ऊर्ध्वम् above? प्रसृताः spread? तस्य its? शाखाः branches? गुणप्रवृद्धाः nourished by the Gunas? विषयप्रवालाः senseobjects (are) its buds? अधः below? च and? मूलानि the roots? अनुसन्ततानि are stretched forth? कर्मानुबन्धीनि originating action? मनुष्यलोके in the world of men.Commentary The countless objects? large and small? which life needs are all products of the five elements through the activity of the alities. This tree of Samsara is nourished by the three alities of Nature. The senseobjects are its buds and the roots which grow downwards are the bonds of Karma for those who lead a life of passion and attachment in this world? who are under the sway of likes and dislikes. The sprouts of this marvellous tree are the charming objects of the senses with their characteristics of sound? touch? colour? taste and smell. The roots? the Karmic tendencies from the past lives? grow downwards to generate the bonds of Karma in the world of men. These roots strengthen the bondage by further actions.The primal root is ignorance from which arises the eightfold Nature -- the five elements? mind? intellect and egoism. From the stem of the tree spring four branches called Svedaja? Andaja?,Jarayuja and Udbhijja. Eightyfour lakhs (eight million and four hundred thousand) of species came into being.One branch shoots straight upwards. This is the branch of Dharma which yields the fruit of enjoyment in heaven. Another branch is the branch of dispassion which yields the fruit of Selfrealisation. The sun? the planets? the manes and the sages have also come out of this wonderful tree. Above them are the branches of the worlds of Indra and the gods. Still higher are those of the sages and the men of austerities and penance. Still higher is the Satyaloka where Hiranyagarbha dwells.From man down to the immovable objects below and from him up to the realm of the Creator above? whatever regions are attained in accordance with the nature of knowledge or action? they are the ramifying branches of the tree of Samsara. They are nurtured and fattened by the three Gunas which form their material base.The senseobjects such as sound? touch? colour? taste and smell represent the buds that sprout from the branches of the physical bodies which are the products of actions.The highest root of this wondeful tree is Brahman. The secondary roots are the latent impressions (Samskaras) of likes and dislikes? which spread in this world of men and impel them to perform virtuus and vicious actions and bind them fast to actions.Now listen to the way by which this tree can be cut off. Only he who thus cuts his bondage to this tree of Samsara can be happy even in this world. He has the highest wisdom because he stands as a spectator of this tree and knows it as it is? without being tied to it.
Contemporary scholarly and practical interpretations for modern seekers.
This interpretation draws on a specific tradition and may not represent the view of any single school. For authoritative guidance within a specific tradition, seek a qualified teacher.
Modern
# BG 15.2 — The World Tree Described
In this verse, a more detailed depiction of the world tree is presented. One must not take the symbols bearing deep spiritual significance in their literal sense, whether they belong to literature or art. The very style of the Vedas is symbolic in nature. To express the subtle philosophical principles of wisdom, the description of some appropriate object from the world is rendered in such a poetic manner as to convey the profound message or inner meaning of dharma. This is called the symbolic style.
The Blessed Lord Sri Krishna states that the branches of this tree extend both upward and downward. These refer to the various forms of existence—deities, humans, animals, and other species. The direction of individual human development and the evolution of the world sometimes tends toward elevation, yet it frequently inclines toward the lower levels of animal existence. The words "lower" and "upper" point to these two directions or tendencies.
The upward or downward tendencies of living beings, which arise from the gunas, are sustained and nourished by the three gunas of nature—sattva, rajas, and tamas. A detailed examination of these gunas has already been undertaken in the previous chapter.
On the branches of any tree, we observe sprouts or buds from which new branches emerge when opportunity arises. In this metaphor, the objects of the senses—sound, touch, and others—perceived through the sense organs are called coral sprouts. It is a well-known fact that in the presence of sense objects, we forget our higher ideals and turn toward gratification. Thereafter, we become frenzied in performing new actions to fulfill those desires. Thus, it is fitting to call sense objects coral sprouts.
In this verse, the Blessed Lord Sri Krishna states that the secondary roots of this tree extend downward. The Supreme Self is the primary root of this world tree, being its foundation, yet this tree possesses other roots as well—roots that sustain its existence. In the human body, this individual soul experiences the fruits of countless actions and karmas, through which new impressions and desires become inscribed upon the mind. These desires themselves are the other roots, which continually impel the human being toward actions for their expression. Both auspicious and inauspicious actions arise from these desires. Just as we observe in the world that these secondary roots of a tree penetrate downward into the earth and firmly anchor the tree, so too do these impressions, through auspicious and inauspicious actions and their fruits, bind the human being to the attractions and aversions, gains and losses, income and expenditure, and similar tendencies of this world.
In the next two verses, it is described how we may sever this world tree and, through our true nature as atman, experience the Supreme Self as the upward root of this tree.