श्रीभगवान्
In plain words
The Blessed Lord said: They speak of the imperishable aśvattha tree with roots above and branches below, whose leaves are the Vedic hymns. One who knows this tree knows the Veda.
Word for word
[They] declare the aśvattha, with roots above [and] branches below, [to be] imperishable, whose leaves [are] the Vedic hymns; who knows it, he [is] a knower of the Veda.
ऊर्ध्वमूलमधःशाखमश्वत्थं प्राहुरव्ययम्छन्दांसि यस्य पर्णानि यस्तं वेद स वेदवित्
Other commentaries
The commentators
▸Bhagavadgītābhāṣyam
यस्मात् मदधीनं कर्मिणां कर्मफलं ज्ञानिनां च ज्ञानफलम् , अतः भक्तियोगेन मां ये सेवंते ते मम प्रसादात् ज्ञानप्राप्तिक्रमेण गुणातीताः मोक्षं गच्छन्ति । किमु वक्तव्यम् आत्मनः तत्त्वमेव सम्यक् विजानन्तः इति अतः भगवान् अर्जुनेन अपृष्टोऽपि आत्मनः तत्त्वं विवक्षुः उवाच ‘ऊर्ध्वमूलम्’ इत्यादिना । तत्र तावत् वृक्षरूपककल्पनया वैराग्यहेतोः संसारस्वरूपं वर्णयति — विरक्तस्य हि संसारात् भगवत्तत्त्वज्ञाने अधिकारः, न अन्यस्येति ॥
ऊर्ध्वमूलं कालतः सूक्ष्मत्वात् कारणत्वात् नित्यत्वात् महत्त्वाच्च ऊर्ध्वम् ; उच्यते ब्रह्म अव्यक्तं मायाशक्तिमत् , तत् मूलं अस्येति सोऽयं संसारवृक्षः ऊर्ध्वमूलः । श्रुतेश्च — ‘ऊर्ध्वमूलोऽवाक्शाख एषोऽश्वत्थः सनातनः’(क. उ. २ । ३ । १) इति । पुराणे च —
‘अव्यक्तमूलप्रभवस्तस्यैवानुग्रहोच्छ्रितः । बुद्धिस्कन्धमयश्चैव इन्द्रियान्तरकोटरः ॥ महाभूतविशाखश्च विषयैः पत्रवांस्तथा । धर्माधर्मसुपुष्पश्च सुखदुःखफलोदयः ॥ आजीव्यः सर्वभूतानां ब्रह्मवृक्षः सनातनः । एतद्ब्रह्मवनं चैव ब्रह्माचरति नित्यशः ॥ एतच्छित्त्वा च भित्त्वा च ज्ञानेन परमासिना । ततश्चात्मरतिं प्राप्य तस्मान्नावर्तते पुनः ॥ ’इत्यादि । तम् ऊर्ध्वमूलं संसारं मायामयं वृक्षम् अधःशाखं महदहङ्कारतन्मात्रादयः शाखा इव अस्य अधः भवन्तीति सोऽयं अधःशाखः, तम् अधःशाखम् न श्वोऽपि स्थाता इति अश्वत्थः तं क्षणप्रध्वंसिनम् अश्वत्थं प्राहुः कथयन्ति ।
अव्ययं संसारमायायाः अनादिकालप्रवृत्तत्वात् सोऽयं संसारवृक्षः अव्ययः, अनाद्यन्तदेहादिसन्तानाश्रयः हि सुप्रसिद्धः, तम् अव्ययम् । तस्यैव संसारवृक्षस्य इदम् अन्यत् विशेषणम् — छन्दांसि यस्य पर्णानि, छन्दांसि च्छादनात् ऋग्यजुःसामलक्षणानि यस्य संसारवृक्षस्य पर्णानीव पर्णानि । यथा वृक्षस्य परिरक्षणार्थानि पर्णानि, तथा वेदाः संसारवृक्षपरिरक्षणार्थाः, धर्माधर्मतद्धेतुफलप्रदर्शनार्थत्वात् । यथाव्याख्यातं संसारवृक्षं समूलं यः तं वेद सः वेदवित् , वेदार्थवित् इत्यर्थः । न हि समूलात् संसारवृक्षात् अस्मात् ज्ञेयः अन्यः अणुमात्रोऽपि अवशिष्टः अस्ति इत्यतः सर्वज्ञः सर्ववेदार्थविदिति समूलसंसारवृक्षज्ञानं स्तौति ॥ १ ॥
In plain words
Since the fruit of action, for those still caught up in action, and the fruit of knowledge, for those who know, both depend entirely on me, it follows that those who serve me through devotion, by my grace, moving step by step toward knowledge and going beyond the guṇas, reach liberation. And what need even be said of those who already know the Self's very truth completely? So the Lord, even though Arjuna never asked, wanting to explain the truth of the Self directly, begins speaking: 'with its roots above...' and so on. Here, first, using the image of a tree, he paints a picture of what saṃsāra really is, in order to awaken dispassion — because only someone who has become dispassionate toward saṃsāra is actually ready to know the Lord's true nature. No one else is.
'Rooted above.' What 'above' names here is Brahman — unmanifest, holding the power of māyā — and it is called above because it comes first in time, because it is subtle, because it is the cause, because it is eternal, because it is vast. That is this tree's root; so this tree of saṃsāra is a tree whose root is above. The śruti says the same: 'Its root above, its branches below, this aśvattha is everlasting.' And in the Purāṇa —
'Its root is the unmanifest, and it stands raised up by his very grace; its trunk is the intellect, and the senses are its hollow chambers; its branches are the great elements, its leaves the objects of sense; its flowers are virtue and vice, blooming bright, and its fruit is the pleasure and pain that ripen from them. All beings live off this eternal tree of Brahman, and Brahman himself moves constantly through this very forest. Cut it down, split it apart with the great sword of knowledge, and once you've found delight in the Self, you never come back again' — and so the passage continues. This is the tree whose root grows upward: saṃsāra itself, a tree woven entirely out of māyā, its branches spreading downward — the great principle, ego, the subtle elements, and all the rest, hanging below it like branches. That's why it's called 'branched below'. And because a tree like this won't even stand until tomorrow, it's called aśvattha, 'the one that won't last till dawn' — this tree, perishing moment by moment, is what people mean when they speak of the aśvattha.
'Imperishable' means this: because the māyā of saṃsāra has been operating since beginningless time, this tree of saṃsāra never truly ends — it is well known to be the very support underlying an endless chain of bodies with no discoverable beginning or end. That is what makes it imperishable. Here is another way this same tree is described: its leaves are the Vedic metres. 'Chandas' comes from a root meaning 'to cover' or 'protect', and here it refers to the Ṛg, Yajur, and Sāma, which are like the leaves of this tree. Just as a tree's leaves exist to protect it, the Vedas exist to protect the tree of saṃsāra, because they show us clearly what is right action and what is wrong, and what each one leads to. Whoever knows this tree of saṃsāra, root and all, exactly as described, is truly a 'knower of the Veda', meaning someone who knows what the Veda actually means, not just its words. Because, in truth, there is nothing else left to know once you know this tree completely, down to its root — not even an atom's worth. That is why Kṛṣṇa praises this knowledge of the tree, root included, as nothing less than omniscience itself: knowing the meaning of every Veda there is.
Close to the Sanskrit
Since the fruit of action for men of action, and the fruit of knowledge for men of knowledge, are dependent on Me, therefore those who serve Me through the yoga of devotion, by My grace, through the sequence of attaining knowledge, having transcended the guṇas, go to liberation. What then need be said of those who directly and fully know the very truth of the Self? Therefore the Blessed Lord, though not questioned by Arjuna, wishing to declare the truth of the Self, spoke [the verse beginning] 'with roots above' and so on. There, first, by the figurative device of a tree, for the sake of dispassion, he describes the nature of transmigratory existence — for only one who is dispassionate toward transmigratory existence is qualified for knowledge of the Lord's true nature, not another.
'Rooted above': from time, from subtlety, from being the cause, from being eternal, and from being great, Brahman — unmanifest, possessed of the power of māyā — is called 'above'; 'that is its root' — thus this tree of saṃsāra is one whose root is above. And because of the śruti: 'Its root above, its branches below, this aśvattha is everlasting' (Kaṭha Upaniṣad 2.3.1). And in the Purāṇa —
'Having the unmanifest as its root-source, raised up by his very grace; made of the trunk that is intellect, having the senses as its inner hollows; having the great elements as its branches, and with the sense-objects as its leaves; having virtue and vice as its beautiful flowers, having the arising of pleasure and pain as its fruit; that which is lived upon by all beings, the eternal tree of Brahman; this very forest of Brahman, Brahman itself constantly moves through; having cut and split this with the supreme sword of knowledge, and then having attained delight in the Self, one does not return from there again' — and so on. That [is] the tree with its root above, [namely] transmigratory existence, the illusory tree, with its branches below — the great principle, ego, the subtle elements and so on, which are like branches, being below it — thus it is 'branched-below'; that branched-below tree does not stand even until tomorrow — thus it is [called] aśvattha; that momentarily-perishing [tree], aśvattha, they call, they term.
'Imperishable': because of the beginningless-time continuity of the māyā of saṃsāra, this tree of saṃsāra is imperishable — being the support of the beginningless-and-endless continuum of bodies and so on, this is well established — that is [what is meant by] imperishable. Of that same tree of saṃsāra, this is another qualification: 'the Vedic metres are its leaves' — chandas [comes] from [the root meaning] 'to cover', [i.e.] the Ṛg, Yajur and Sāma so characterized — of that tree of saṃsāra, they are like leaves, [i.e.] its leaves. Just as leaves exist for the protection of a tree, so the Vedas exist for the protection of the tree of saṃsāra, because they serve the purpose of showing dharma, adharma, and their causes and fruits. He who knows this tree of saṃsāra as explained, together with its root, he is a knower of the Veda, [i.e.] a knower of the meaning of the Veda: this is the meaning. For indeed, apart from this tree of saṃsāra together with its root, there remains nothing else knowable, not even the measure of an atom; therefore Kṛṣṇa praises the knowledge of the tree of saṃsāra together with its root as [making one] all-knowing, [i.e.] a knower of the meaning of all the Vedas.
▸Gītā Vāhini
నానా రూప ప్రపంచముపై వైరాగ్యము కల్గిన వారికే అనన్యభక్తి కుదురును. అదే ఆత్మజ్ఞానము నందించును. సంసారాసక్తమైన చిత్తమునకు వైరాగ్యము నేర్పు నిమిత్తమై ప్రపంచమును ఒక అశ్వత్థముగా చెప్పడమైనది. దీనిని తెలుసుకొన్న వాడే నిజమైన వేదాంతి అని కూడనూ చెప్పవచ్చును. లోకమున సామాన్యముగ ఊర్ధ్వమన్న పై భాగమని తలంతురు. కానీ ఈ భగవత్ వాక్యమైన బ్రహ్మాండ వృక్షమునకు బ్రహ్మమే ఊర్ధ్వము. మాయోపాధిక బ్రహ్మము ఈ జగత్తునకు మూలమైనది; సమస్తమునకు బ్రహ్మమే అధిష్ఠానము. దీనిని గురించే తదుపరి, పరమాత్మ అర్జునునకు తెలుపుచున్నాడు.
“అర్జునా! సంసార వృక్షము చాలా విచిత్రమైన అశ్వత్థము. ప్రపంచమున చూచు వృక్షమునకును, ఈ విచిత్రమైన సంసార వృక్షమునకు చాలా వ్యత్యాసము. ప్రపంచమున చూచు వృక్షములకు కొమ్మలు పై భాగమునందును, వేర్లు లోభాగమైన భూమియందును ఉండును. అయితే, సంసార అశ్వత్థము అట్లుకాక పూర్ణ విరుద్ధమైనదై, వేర్లు పై భాగమునందును, కొమ్మలు క్రింది భాగమునందునూ కనుపించు చుండును! అనగా, తలక్రిందలు వృక్షముగా నుండును. దీనికి అశ్వత్థమని పేరు” అని అన్నాడు.
అందులకు అర్జునుడు “దీనికీ పేరెట్లు వచ్చినది? ఆ పేరు వచ్చుటకు ఆధారమేమి, స్వామీ? మరే పేరైననూ పెట్టవచ్చును కదా?” అని అన్నాడు. అందుకు కృష్ణుడు “అర్జునా! విచిత్రమైన వృక్షమునకు పేరే విచిత్రము; అదే ఈ చిత్రము. విను! అశ్వత్థమనగా అనిత్యము, క్షణికము, అని అర్థము. లోకమున దీనినే రావిచెట్టు అందురు. దీనిలోని ఫలపుష్పాలు తినుటకుగానీ, వాసన చూచుటకు గానీ పనికి వచ్చునవి కావు. అంతియేకాక ఎల్లప్పుడూ దాని ఆకులు ఆడుచునే ఉండును. వృక్షము విశాలమై యుండును. దీనికి మరొక పేరు కూడనూ కలదు. ‘చలదళ’మని కూడనూ పేరు; చలించు దళములు కలదని అర్థము. ప్రపంచ వస్తువులు కూడనూ నిరంతరమూ చలన శీలాలు. ప్రపంచము యొక్క అనిత్యత్వాన్ని, నిష్ఫలత్వాన్ని నిరూపించుట కోసం, దీనికి అశ్వత్థమనే పేరు వచ్చినది. ప్రపంచముపై వైరాగ్యమును నేర్పి, ఊర్ధ్వదృష్టి కలిగించి బ్రహ్మనిష్ఠను నెలకొల్పుటే ఈ ప్రపంచము యొక్క ప్రయోజనము” అని వివరించెను.
ఇట్టి ప్రపంచమున గల ఒక వస్తువు యొక్క సమగ్ర స్వరూపాన్ని తెలిసికోవాలంటే బహిరంగ నిరీక్షణ, అంతరంగ నిరీక్షణ రెండునూ అవసరము. మొదటిది జీవ ప్రపంచము. రెండవది ఈశ్వర ప్రపంచము. జీవ ప్రపంచము బంధకారణము. ఈశ్వర ప్రపంచము బంధరహిత కారణము. ప్రపంచమును ప్రపంచముగా తెలుసుకొన్నవాడు వేదవేత్త కాజాలడు; ప్రపంచమును పరమాత్మ స్వరూపముగా తలంచినవాడే నిజమైన వేదవేత్త. కార్యమైన ప్రపంచము కారణమునకంటే భిన్నము కాదని, బ్రహ్మము మూలమని నానా జీవకోట్లు కొమ్మలని, ఇవి కర్మల ద్వారా వర్ధిలుచున్నవని తెలుసుకొనినవాడు వేదవేత్త కాగలడు.
In plain words
Only those who have Vairāgya toward this world of manifold forms become settled in ananya Bhakti, and that itself bestows Ātma-jñāna. To teach Vairāgya to the citta attached to saṃsāra, the world has been described as an aśvattha. It can also be said that only one who has understood this is a true Vedāntin. In the world people ordinarily take ‘ūrdhva’ to mean the upper part. But for the cosmic tree of which the Lord speaks here, the ūrdhva is Brahman itself. Brahman, with Māyā as its upādhi, is the root of this world; Brahman itself is the adhiṣṭhāna of all. It is of this that the Paramātma next tells Arjuna.
“Arjuna! The tree of saṃsāra is a very strange aśvattha. There is a great difference between the trees one sees in the world and this strange tree of saṃsāra. The trees one sees in the world have their branches above and their roots below, in the earth. But the aśvattha of saṃsāra is not like that; it is the exact opposite, with its roots seen above and its branches below! That is, it is an upside-down tree. Its name is aśvattha,” He said.
Then Arjuna said, “How did it come by this name? What is the reason for that name, Svāmī? Could it not have been given some other name?” Kṛṣṇa explained, “Arjuna! A wondrous tree has a wondrous name; that is the wonder here. Listen! Aśvattha means impermanent, momentary. In the world this is what people call the rāvi tree. Its fruits and flowers are of no use, either to eat or to smell. Not only that, its leaves are always moving, and the tree grows vast. It has another name too: it is also called ‘caladala’, meaning ‘that which has moving leaves’. The things of the world, too, are ceaselessly in motion. To show that the world is impermanent and fruitless, it was given the name aśvattha. To teach Vairāgya toward the world, to give the upward vision, and to establish steadfastness in Brahman: that alone is the purpose of this world.”
To know the complete svarūpa of any object in such a world, both outward observation and inward observation are needed. The first is the world of the jīva; the second is the world of Īśvara. The world of the jīva is a cause of bondage; the world of Īśvara is a cause free of bondage. One who knows the world only as the world cannot become a knower of the Veda; only one who sees the world as the svarūpa of the Paramātma is a true knower of the Veda. One who knows that the world, the effect, is not different from its cause; that Brahman is the root and the countless multitudes of jīvas are the branches; and that these grow through karmas: he can become a knower of the Veda.