Aswatha vriksham Vs Samsara Vriksham

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" sridharan pillai pakkam nattu " <sri1942

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Wednesday, October 13, 2004 2:17 PM

Aswatha vriksham Vs Samsara Vriksham

 

 

> U.Ve. Sri V.Sadagopan,

> Inspite of reading BG Chap 15 on the above topic

>from several books, I have > not fully understood

>the full significance- Is it possible to give a

> Tabular statement of each part of Aswattha

>tree and corresponding aspects of Samsara

>Vriksham to see one to one correspondence.

 

> Acharyan Thiruvadigale Saranam,

> Dasan,P.N.Sridharan

 

Dear Sri Sridharan :

 

Let me share the response to your good

question with the other list members .

 

Bhagavaan describes the ever flowing /continuing (avyayam)

SamsAra Vruksham as the aswattha ( ever changing )tree with its roots

spreading upward ( Urdhva Moolam) and its branches

spreading downwards (adha: saakham) .Our Lord describes

the leaves on its branches as the Vedams (ChandhAmsi

yasya ParNAni ) and concludes by declaring that any one

who understands this doctrine will a Veda Vith( One who

knows the true purport of the VedAs) .

 

A. This tree is the Prapancham . Its roots are situated above

instead of under ground . Why does VedAs describe it

this way ? The creator of this Prapancham on the Lord's

order is Brahma Devan , who sits above all the 7 lokams .

He is the Aadhi for this samsAra Prapancha vruksham .

Hence the root of this Tree is Brahma in the upward region

(Urdhva Moolam).

 

B. This SamsAric tree has many branches in the region

below Brahma .These are the humans , animals and plants

created by Brahma according to the jeevan's karma vibhAgam.

Hence they are seen as spreading downward (adhO mukham).

 

C. Aswattham means ever changing . It is not the same as

it was seen yesterday .

 

D. Aswattham prAhu: This means the VedAs describe it

this way : " yEshOswattha : SanAthana: " according to

Vedam .

 

E. avyayam : Untill Vivekam and Tatthva Jn~Anam

dawns , this SamsAram continues for the humans .

That is why it is avyayam ( without end) . When one cuts

this samsAra Vruksham with the axe of VairAgyam

(nonattachment ) , this samsaric Tree is destroyed .

 

F.ChandhAmsi yasya PrNAni: The reference is to the leaves

of this SamsAric tree , which are the Veda BhAgams

dealing with Kaamya KarmAs of Karma KaaNDam .

Here some one asks for Phalan thru performance of

a Yaj~nam . Once he gets those phalans that he sought ,

then he is mired further in SamsAram . The leaves here

hide the true nature of the SamsAric tree and keep it

growing forever for all except the Tatthva Jn~Ani.

 

G. Ya: tamm Veda sa Vedavith : One who understands

these truths comprehends the VedAs (Veda BhAgams

dealing with Moksham and nishkAmya karmA's phalan ).

The means for cutting this samsAric tree to get

deliverance (Moksham) are Veda Siras ( Upanishads) .

 

The upadEsam is that the root of the SamsAra Vruksham

is in the Brahma lOkam ( Upward region) and the branches

are in this earth ( downward region in relation to Brahma

lOkam ). The karmAs make the branches grow and spread .

The nonatttachment to the three guNams destroys

this samsAra Vruksham .SaraNAgathy at the sacred feet

of the Lord helps us from the sadness of returning to

this samsAric world ( anAdhi : timeless).

 

The 5th and the 6th slOkma of this 15th adhyAyam

describes the attributes of one , who achieves such

a lofty goal of Moksham thru SaraNAgathy at the sacred

feet of the Lord .

 

In the 15th slOkma of this 15th adhyAyam , the Lord

reveals :

 

" vedaisccha sarvai: ahamEv avEdhya:

vEdAntha kruth vEdavidEva chAham "

 

(Meaning): I am the One to be understood thru the VedAs .

I am the one who grants the fruits that the VedAs

talk about.I am the One who has the clearest

comprehension of the true meanings of the VedAs.

 

In the 18th slOkam of this chapter, the Lord reveals

that He is the PurushOtthaman( PurushEbhya : Utthama:,

PurushANAm utthma: , PurushEshu Utthama: ). Vedam

salutes this Utthama Purushan : " Sa Utthama Purusha: " .

In the 15th SlOkma , the Lord reveals that He sits in

the heat lotus of all Jeevans ( sarvasya chAham hrudhi

sannivishta: ) and asks Arjuna to become the krutha

kruthyan( one who has performed the upAyam of

SaraNAgathy to the Lord) through His upadEsam on

the PurushOtthama yOgam( 15th Chapter) describing

the ways to cut the SamsAric tree with its roots spreading

upwards.

 

GeethAchAryan ThriuvadigaLE SaraNam ,

Oppiliappan Koil V.Sadagopan