Panchajanyam Hrshikesah_chapter20-adhyaya15

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, " sarojram18 "

<sarojram18 wrote:

>

>

> Chapter20-The tree with roots above and branches below

> –[adhyaya15-The Supreme purusha, All pervading Being]

>

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> Oordhvamoolam aDhahshAkham Svattham prAhuravyayam

>

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

> thanksw for your email jpranams to the srivaishnva koshti.

adiyan rangaraja thasan

>

>

> 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)

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>

>

> 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)

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> 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.

>