Panchajanyam Hrshikesah

July 13, 2007

Chapter20-The tree with roots above and branches below –[adhyaya15-The Supreme purusha, All pervading Being]

Oordhvamoolam aDhahshAkham Svattham prAhuravyayam

cchasndhAmsi yasya parNAni yastham vedha sa vedhavith(BG15-1)

In the adhyaya dealing with kshethra and ldhethrajna, (BG-13) Krishna has elucidated on the nature of prakrthi, the insentient matter and of purusha the sentient soul and the connection between the two. Her in this chapter The Lord is talking about the Supreme Self , Brhaman , described as `anAdhimath param brahma ,' (BG.13-12),who is all pervading. ,'sarvam AvrthyathishTathi,' (BG.13-13)

The prakrthi, the cause of bondage of the purusha , the individual self, is compared to as aSvattha, banyan tree, with its roots above and branches below, oorDhvamoolam aDhasshAkham. Its leaves are the Vedas, cchandhAmsi yasya parNAni. He who knows this knows the Vedas.

The above meaning of the sloka has to be explained further to understand its import. This idea is the reflection of the Upanishadic declaration `oorDhvamoolo avAkshAkhah Esha aSvatthah sanAthanah,(Kat.up.2-3-1) this peepul tree has roots above and branches below. This tree is the samsara, the effect of the bondage of purusha caused by identification with prakrthi. Since both prakrthi and pusrusha originate from Brahman their substratum and the original cause of the universe of the sentient and the insentient, Brahman is the root of the tree and it is said to be situated above meaning not the physical position but because it is high above everything being the subtlest and unmanifest.

The tree is said to have branches below as the whole creation is originated from Brahman and proceeds below, that is away from the reality, being the effect of karma causing bondage. The branches represent the whole creation from devas to the lowest forms of life and also the immovables. Its leaves are said to cchandhAmsi or Vedas. All karma that are done with an expectation of fruit are enjoined in the Vedas and they are necessary for the worldly life as the leaves are for the tree. Hence the Vedas are compared to parNas, leaves. One who understands this will desist from doing desire motivated karma which will cause the cycle of births and deaths. Hence it is said that one who knows this tree, knows the Vedas, meaning that he will understand the real nature of the Vedas.

aDhaschOrDhvam prasrthAsthasya SAkhAh

guNa pravrddhA vishaypravAlAh

aDHascha moolAnyanusanthathAni

karmAnubanDheeni manushyalOke (BG.15-2)

The branches of the tree extend both above and below, nourished by the guNas. Their shoots are the sense objects. The secondary roots of the tree extend downwards resulting in acts which bind men to the world.

The branches which shoot upwards mean the actions of those who elevate themselves by meritorious deeds and take birth as celestial beings and those that go downward denote the karmas which take souls to the lower births into animals etc.

The tree is nourished by the gunas as all the activities are based on the gunas and the sense objects are termed as the shoots that make the tree grow.

The secondary roots are the actions done which cause further bondage and become the roots of further condition of samsara.

Na roopam asya iha thaTHopalabhyathe

nAntho na chAdhirna cha samprathishTA

Asvatthamenam suvirooDamoolam

asangaSasthrENa dhrDEna cchithvA (Bg.15- 3)

This tree , says Krishna is not seen at all and hence not understood. That is why it was said at the outset that one who knows this will understand the import of the Vedas. The human beings bound by their karma see them selves as identified with their body only and unaware that it is the gunas which are responsible for their actions as explained in the previous chapter. So it is something like seeing only the branches and not the roots of the tree.

This Asvattha tree is suvirooDamoolam, very deep rooted and it I not possible to cut it. A man bound by his karma is like one sitting on the branch of a tree and hence cutting it is not possible for him. So how to get free from bondage and samsara?

Krishna gives the answer in the second line of the sloka. `asangasasthreNa DhrDena cchitthvA', one can only cut off this tree by the weapon of asanga, detachment.

The shoots of the branches which make the tree grow are the sense objects which arouse desire and the activities motivated by desire are due to the gunas. So the root cause of samsara is the desire risen out of gunas. Hence the axe that cuts the tree is detachment.

Krishna stops the previous sloka with an unfinished sentence, `cutting the tree with the weapon of detachment,' giving rise to the question, what next? The answer is given in the next sloka which is in relevance with the topic of the adhyaya15, the supreme purusha.

Thathah param thath parimArgithavyam

Yasmin gathA na nivarthanthi bhooyah

thamEva chAdhyam purusham prapadhye

yathah pravrtthih prasrthA purANee (BG.15-4)

Then the Supreme reality, attaining which there is no more return to samsara, is to be sought after. That supreme reality is the Supreme purusha from whom this beginningless activity has sprung forth because both purusha and prakrthi have come form Him only.

Who are those who attain this state of release?

The answer is given in the next sloka.

nirmAnamohA jithasangadhOshA

aDhyAthmanithyA vinivrttha kAmAh

dhvandhvairvimukthAh sukah duhkhasamjne

gacchanthyamooDAh padham avyayam thath (BG.15- 5)

Devoid of egoism and delusion, overcoming the flaws of attachment, firmly established in the knowledge of the self, free from desires, released from the dualities like pleasure and pain, the wise reach the imperishable state.

Armed with aDhyAtmavidyA, knowledge of the Self, the wise do not identify themselves with their body, mind and intellect and hence devoid of ego. Knowing that everything is the interaction between the gunas and the sense objects they have no attachment because they are free from desires. As a result of their equanimity they are not moved either by sorrow or joy being and therefore they have risen above the dualities. This is the state described as `EshA brAhmee sthithih,' in the second adhyaya, in which one attains brahmanirvaNa.

This state is further described as the one reaching which there is no more lapsing back into samsara. Krishna says that neither the Sun nor the moon shines there! This may make one wonder whether the state of Brahmanirvana is one of total darkness! Definitely not! The parampadha is self illumined and its brilliance eclipses that of the Sun and the Moon and hence they do not shine there. The Upanishad says

`thameva bhAntham anubhAthi sarvam thasya bhAsA sarvamidham vibhAthi,' meaning that all shine because of the light of the Supreme purusha as He is the giver of lustre to all.

Krishna then proceeds to describe the Supreme purusha in detail.