Avatarika
तद्धेतं तर्ह्यव्याकृतमासीत् ।सर्वं वैदिकं साधनं ज्ञानकर्मलक्षणं कर्त्राद्यनेककारकापेक्षं प्रजापतित्वफलावसानं साध्यमेतावदेव, यदेतद्व्याकृतं जगत्संसारः ।अथैतस्यैव साध्यसाधनलक्षणस्य व्याकृतस्य जगतो व्याकरणात्प्राग्बीजावस्था या, तां निर्दिदिक्षति अङ्कुरादिकार्यानुमितामिव वृक्षस्य, कर्मबीजोऽविद्याक्षेत्रो ह्यसौ संसारवृक्षः समूल उद्धर्तव्य इति ; तदुद्धरणे हि पुरुषार्थपरिसमाप्तिः ; तथा चोक्तम्—'ऊर्ध्वमूलोऽवाक्शाखः' इति काठके ; गीतासु च 'ऊर्ध्वमूलमधःशाखम्' इति ; पुराणे च—'ब्रह्मवृक्षः सनातनः' इति ॥
In plain words
That universe was unmanifest then. All Vedic means—characterized by knowledge and action, reliant on agents and instruments, and culminating in the state of Prajapati—extend only this far, remaining bound within the differentiated world of worldly existence. Now, scripture wishes to reveal the seed state of this manifest universe prior to its differentiation, much as the hidden seed of a tree is inferred from its sprouting branches. This worldly tree, rooted in ignorance and nourished by karma, must be completely uprooted along with its roots; for true liberation is attained only when it is utterly destroyed. Thus it is declared in the Kathaka Upanishad: 'It has its root above and its branches below'; in the Bhagavad Gita: 'With its root above and branches below'; and in the Purana: 'The eternal tree of Brahman'.
Close to the Sanskrit
That indeed was unmanifest then. All Vedic means, characterized by knowledge and action, dependent on many factors such as agent, and terminating in the fruit of the state of Prajapati, is only this much—namely, this differentiated world of transmigration. Now, the text wishes to point out the seed state of this very differentiated world of ends and means, prior to its differentiation, just as a tree's seed state is inferred from effects like sprouts; for this tree of transmigration, having karma as its seed and ignorance as its field, must be uprooted entirely along with its roots; because upon its uprooting comes the fulfillment of the human goal. And thus it has been said in the Kathaka Upanishad: 'Having its root above and branches below'; and in the Gita: 'Having root above and branches below'; and in the Purana: 'The eternal tree of Brahman'.