Bhagavad Gita Chapter 15, Verse 1 (BG 15.1) — Meaning, Translation & Commentary

15.1 ऊर्ध्वमूलम् rooted above? अधःशाखम् branches below? अश्वत्थम् the Asvattha? प्राहुः they speak of? अव्ययम् indestructible? छन्दांसि metres or hymns? यस्य of which? पर्णानि leaves? यः who? तम् that? वेद knows? सः he? वेदवित् is the knower of the Vedas.Commentary The description of the universe as a peepul tree is only metaphorical. This peepul is said to be eternal because it cannot be cut except by the axe of knowledge.All persons depend upon the Lord for the fruits of their actions? because He alone knows the right relation between the actions and their fruits. He alone is the dispenser of the fruits of actions of human beings. The wise persons also depend upon the Lord for the fruit of their knowledge. The Lord alone removes the veil of ignorance through His grace and mercy. The inclination for Advaita Vedantic Sadhana arises through the Lords grace. The desire for the realisation of the Oneness is produced in the minds of wise men by the grace of the Lord? which is the antidote to all fears. (Avadhuta Gita? I.1)Those who serve the Lord with unswerving or singleminded devotion go beyond the three alities of Nature through His grace. They attain knowledge of the Self through the grace of the Lord and get release from the round of birth and death. Those who have a right understanding of the real nature of Brahman or the Supreme Being also get emancipation easily.The Lord teaches Arjuna in this discourse about the real nature of Brahman or the Supreme Self and the path that leads the soul to union with Him. The Lord describes the nature of Samsara or worldly life as a peepul tree in order to create nonattachment or dispassion? because he who is endowed with true and lasting dispassion alone is fit for attaining the knowledge of the Self. Samsara is compared to a tree. because it can be cut off like a tree.All the other trees have their roots below? but this peculiar? strange and most wonderful tree of Samsara (Maya) has its root above? in Brahman. This peepul tree is different from all other trees. Brahman is the resting place or support of everything. It is eternal. It is great. It is the most high. It is the Supreme Being. It is supreme over all things. It is the source of everything. Therefore it is said that It is the One above. This One above is the root of this tree of Samsara. Brahan Who is superior to all is Urdhva. That which has Brahman as its cause is Urdhvamulam.In the Puranas it is said The tree of the Unmanifest has sprung from Brahman. Buddhi is its trunk? the senseopenings are its hollows? the great elements its boughs? the senseobjects its leaves and branches? Dharma and Adhrama (virtue and vice) its beautiful flowers? pleasure and pain its fruits. Having cut asunder this tree with the powerful sword of the knowledge of the Self? and then having attained to the eternal bliss of Brahman? no one comes back from there again.Brahman is the root of this tree. It is the upper part of this tree and so It is called Urdhva. In reality there are no distinctions such as upward? downward or middle in the One Which is the indivisible unity.The name Asvattha is usually derived from Asvattha which means not standing or enduring or remaining till tomorrow. A means not Sva means tomorrow Ttha means remaining. This is ite an appropriate word for this worldtree which is ever changing and passing away.In the Katha Upanishad also there is a mention about this Asvattha tree (II.6.1). The Gita is an essence of the Upanishads only.Samsara is generally understood by the common people as meaning remaining surrounded by ones wife and children and doing ones daily duties. This is a restricted or narrow meaning. Samsara means the whole worldprocess or the cosmic manifestation or the everchanging phenomenal world. Hiranyagarbha? the individual souls? the cosmic intelligence? egoism? the rootelements? etc.? represent the brancehs of this tree of Samsara. They extend downwards. They evolve into grosser and grosser states. Therefore it is said that the tree has its branches below. Egoism is the sprout which goes downwards in three directions? viz.? the three alities of Nature.Mind is the offshoot. Then come the five elements? viz.? earth? water? fire? air and ether? and the five organs of knowledge. Then comes sound which stimulates the ears to hear sweet music. Then comes touch which stimulates the skin to enjoy soft things. Then comes form which stimultaes the eye to behold beautiful objects. Then comes taste which stimulates the tongue to enjoy palatable things. Then comes smell which stimulates the nose to enjoy fragrant and scented objects.From the roots of actions with expectation of fruits a new branch of rirth comes up. The mineral kingdom? the vegetable kingdom? the animal kingdom and the human kingdom are all branches of this tree of Samsara. Man does good and evil actions with the help of the body and takes births to experience the fruits thereof. The human body is the water for this tree of Samsara.The body itself is the peepul tree. The root is the cerrospinal nervous system (brain). The various nerves are the branches that ramify downwards to the various organs distributed over the body.Avyaya Eternal? because this tree rests on an unbroken seires of births without beginning and end it is thus eternal. It can be cut down by the sword of knowledge of Brahman. Just as the leaves of a tree protect it? so also the Vedas protect this tree of Samsara? treating of virtue and vice? with their causes and fruits.He who knows this tree of Samsara and its roots as described above is a knower of the Vedas. He is a knower of the teachings of the Vedas. Not even an iota remains to be known beyond this tree of Samsara and its root. He who knows it is omniscient. The Lord has eulogised the knowledge of the tree of Samsara and its root in order to encourage aspirants to acire this knowledge.

Commentaries

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

This verse reminds us of the Ashvattha tree described in the Katha Upanishad. There, the world tree is merely indicated; but here, the great sage Vyasa depicts it in complete detail. The relationship between the eternal Brahman and the transient world is also revealed in this description. If the Supreme Self alone is the one unique truth, how did the insentient world arise from it? After its creation, who sustains and nourishes it? What truly is the relationship between the infinite Creator and the finite creation? When one begins to contemplate life with seriousness, such questions naturally arise in the mind. The complete spiritual principle discussed in this chapter is presented through the beautiful metaphor of the Peepal tree in the first three verses of this chapter. In botanical science, the Ashvattha tree is known as Ficus religiosa, commonly called the Peepal tree in the world. Note that the Ashvattha tree does not refer to the Banyan tree. According to Shankaracharya, the world is called Ashvattha based on etymological derivation. The meaning of Ashvattha is as follows: "Ashva" means tomorrow or the coming day; "ttha" means that which remains. Thus, Ashvattha means that which does not remain the same in the next moment or the following instant. The implication is that the word Ashvattha points to this entire transient and ever-changing visible world. In this verse, it is said that the root of this Ashvattha is upward, that is, above. If we take only the literal meaning, it would appear that an uneducated artist has depicted this world tree. From a spiritual perspective, this picture might seem incongruous; from a religious perspective, it might appear harmful; and from an aesthetic perspective, it might look ugly. But such a thought would be an insult to the great glory of this dharmic image. Shankaracharya himself wrote in his commentary on the Upanishads that the reason the world is called a tree is that it can be cut down—"from cutting, it is called a tree." Through dispassion, we can end all the sufferings we experience in this world. The world tree that appears to sprout and manifest from the Supreme Self can be cut down by focusing our meditation on the Supreme Self. Students of history must remember the traditions of many dynasties. The tradition shown in history is like this inverted-rooted tree. From one primordial being, the entire lineage expands. Similarly, the root of this world tree is said to be upward, which is Brahman—existence, consciousness, and bliss. A tree receives its support and nourishment from its own root. In the same way, both the experiencing soul and the experienced world derive their support and nourishment from the infinite, pure nature of Brahman. Yet many people are curious about the use of the word "upward." The word "upward" is used in the same sense as we use "higher class," "higher authority," "precious ornaments," and so forth in common speech. The word "higher" does not refer to geometric height, but rather to excellence, ideals, or value. From the perspective of human sentiment, it is natural for the mind to place subtle and divine principles in a higher position and gross and demonic principles in a lower position. Though the Supreme Self transcends space, time, and causation, it is called "upward" here. It is the self-luminous principle that bestows consciousness upon inert nature. It is fitting that in the language of metaphor, this world tree is described as having its root upward. This changing world (Ashvattha) is considered imperishable (avyaya), but only from a relative perspective is it called imperishable. A Peepal tree standing in a village witnesses many generations who play and grow in its shade. In this way, compared to the average human lifespan, that tree can be called imperishable or eternal. Similarly, compared to these many generations that develop, form plans and aspirations, strive to achieve their goals, and then perish, this world can be called imperishable. The Vedas, or sacred knowledge, are the leaves of this tree. Veda means knowledge. With the growth of knowledge, human life certainly gains momentum. The material progress of the modern world, the advancement of science, the achievements in industry, and superhuman energy—compared to these, the ancient generation can hardly be called alive. With the growth of knowledge, future goals become clearer, and as a result, humans become more diligent in pursuing them. Comparing the Vedas, or knowledge, to the leaves of a tree is not inappropriate. The leaves of a tree are the places from which water evaporates, creating a pressure in the tree's roots. Due to this pressure, the roots are able to gather more water and nutrients from the earth. Thus, if the leaves of a tree are cut off, the tree's growth will be immediately arrested. The greater the number of leaves, the greater the size and development of the tree. Where knowledge abounds, the radiance of expressed life also shines more brightly. The person who not only knows the Ashvattha tree but also recognizes its ultimate truth—its upward root—is truly a knower of the Vedas, one who understands their meaning. The purpose of his Vedic study is fulfilled. The purpose of the Vedas is to impart knowledge of the one unique Supreme Self, the primordial source of the entire universe. Complete knowledge of truth cannot be obtained from knowledge of matter alone, nor from devotion alone. This is the conclusion of the Gita. Only when we truly understand this world and the next, the finite and the infinite, the creation and the Creator, can our knowledge be called complete. Other branches of knowledge, however worthy of study, reveal only particular aspects of complete truth. According to the Vedas, the fully enlightened person is one who knows both this perishable world tree and its imperishable upward root—the Supreme Self. Lord Krishna calls such a person here a knower of the Vedas. The metaphorical description of the other parts of the world tree is given in the next verse.