Chapter 15

श्री भगवानुवाच · śrī bhagavānuvāca

ऊर्ध्वमूलमधःशाखमश्वत्थं प्राहुरव्ययम्।छन्दांसि यस्य पर्णानि यस्तं वेद स वेदवित्॥

ūrdhvamūlamadhaḥśākhamaśvatthaṃ prāhuravyayam |chandāṃsi yasya parṇāni yastaṃ veda sa vedavit ||

The Blessed Lord said: They (the wise) speak of the indestructible peepul tree, with its roots above and branches below, whose leaves are the meters or hymns; he who knows it is a knower of the Vedas.

Lord Shri Krishna continued: This phenomenal creation, which is both ephemeral and eternal, is like a tree, with its seed above in the Highest and its ramifications below on this earth. The scriptures are its leaves, and he who understands this knows.

अधश्चोर्ध्वं प्रसृतास्तस्य शाखा गुणप्रवृद्धा विषयप्रवालाः।अधश्च मूलान्यनुसन्ततानि कर्मानुबन्धीनि मनुष्यलोके॥

adhaścordhvaṃ prasṛtāstasya śākhā guṇapravṛddhā viṣayapravālāḥ |adhaśca mūlānyanusantatāni karmānubandhīni manuṣyaloke ||

Its branches spread below and above, nourished by the Gunas; its buds are sense-objects, and its roots stretch forth below in the world of men, originating action.

Its branches shoot upwards and downwards, deriving their nourishment from the qualities; its buds are the objects of sense; and its roots, which follow the law, causing man's regeneration and degeneration, pierce downwards into the soil.

न रूपमस्येह तथोपलभ्यते नान्तो न चादिर्न च संप्रतिष्ठा।अश्वत्थमेनं सुविरूढमूल मसङ्गशस्त्रेण दृढेन छित्त्वा॥

na rūpamasyeha tathopalabhyate nānto na cādirna ca saṃpratiṣṭhā |aśvatthamenaṃ suvirūḍhamūla masaṅgaśastreṇa dṛḍhena chittvā ||

Its form is not perceived here as such, nor its end, origin, foundation, or resting place; having cut asunder this firmly rooted peepul tree with the strong axe of non-attachment.

In this world, its true form is not known, neither its origin nor its end, and its strength is not understood—until the tree, with its roots striking deep into the earth, is hewn down by the sharp axe of non-attachment.

ततः पदं तत्परिमार्गितव्य यस्मिन्गता न निवर्तन्ति भूयः।तमेव चाद्यं पुरुषं प्रपद्ये यतः प्रवृत्तिः प्रसृता पुराणी॥

tataḥ padaṃ tatparimārgitavya yasmingatā na nivartanti bhūyaḥ |tameva cādyaṃ puruṣaṃ prapadye yataḥ pravṛttiḥ prasṛtā purāṇī ||

Then, that goal should be sought for, to which, having gone, none returns again. I seek refuge in that Primeval Purusha, from whence streamed forth the ancient activity or energy.

Beyond lies the path, from which, once found, there is no return. This is the Primal God from whom this ancient creation has sprung.

निर्मानमोहा जितसङ्गदोषा अध्यात्मनित्या विनिवृत्तकामाः।द्वन्द्वैर्विमुक्ताः सुखदुःखसंज्ञै र्गच्छन्त्यमूढाः पदमव्ययं तत्॥

nirmānamohā jitasaṅgadoṣā adhyātmanityā vinivṛttakāmāḥ |dvandvairvimuktāḥ sukhaduḥkhasaṃjñai rgacchantyamūḍhāḥ padamavyayaṃ tat ||

Free from pride and delusion, victorious over the evil of attachment, dwelling constantly in the Self, their desires having completely turned away, freed from the pairs of opposites known as pleasure and pain, they, the undeluded, reach the eternal goal.

The wise attain Eternity when, freed from pride and delusion, they have conquered their love for the things of sense; when, renouncing desire and fixing their gaze on the Self, they cease to be tossed to and fro by the opposing sensations, such as pleasure and pain.

न तद्भासयते सूर्यो न शशाङ्को न पावकः।यद्गत्वा न निवर्तन्ते तद्धाम परमं मम॥

na tadbhāsayate sūryo na śaśāṅko na pāvakaḥ |yadgatvā na nivartante taddhāma paramaṃ mama ||

Neither does the sun illuminate there, nor the moon, nor the fire; having gone there, they do not return; that is My supreme abode.

Neither the sun, nor the moon, nor fire shines there. Those who go there never come back. For, O Arjuna, that is my celestial home!

ममैवांशो जीवलोके जीवभूतः सनातनः।मनःषष्ठानीन्द्रियाणि प्रकृतिस्थानि कर्षति॥

mamaivāṃśo jīvaloke jīvabhūtaḥ sanātanaḥ |manaḥṣaṣṭhānīndriyāṇi prakṛtisthāni karṣati ||

An eternal portion of Myself having become a living soul in the world of life, draws to itself the five senses, with the mind as the sixth, abiding in Nature.

It is only a very small part of My Eternal Self, which is the life of the universe, that draws around itself the six senses, with the mind being the last, which have their source in Nature.

शरीरं यदवाप्नोति यच्चाप्युत्क्रामतीश्वरः।गृहीत्वैतानि संयाति वायुर्गन्धानिवाशयात्॥

śarīraṃ yadavāpnoti yaccāpyutkrāmatīśvaraḥ |gṛhītvaitāni saṃyāti vāyurgandhānivāśayāt ||

When the Lord, as the individual soul, obtains a body and when He leaves it, He takes these with Him, just as the wind takes the scents from their seats (flowers, etc.).

When the Supreme Lord enters a body or leaves it, He gathers these senses together and travels with them, as the wind gathers perfume while passing through the flowers.

श्रोत्रं चक्षुः स्पर्शनं च रसनं घ्राणमेव च।अधिष्ठाय मनश्चायं विषयानुपसेवते॥

śrotraṃ cakṣuḥ sparśanaṃ ca rasanaṃ ghrāṇameva ca |adhiṣṭhāya manaścāyaṃ viṣayānupasevate ||

Presiding over the ears, eyes, touch, taste, smell, and mind, it enjoys the objects of the senses.

He is the perception of the ear, the eye, the touch, the taste, the smell, and the mind; and the enjoyment of the things they perceive is also His.

उत्क्रामन्तं स्थितं वापि भुञ्जानं वा गुणान्वितम्।विमूढा नानुपश्यन्ति पश्यन्ति ज्ञानचक्षुषः॥

utkrāmantaṃ sthitaṃ vāpi bhuñjānaṃ vā guṇānvitam |vimūḍhā nānupaśyanti paśyanti jñānacakṣuṣaḥ ||

The deluded do not see Him who departs, stays, and enjoys; but those who possess the eye of knowledge behold Him.

The ignorant do not see that it is He who is present in life and departs at death, or even that it is He who enjoys pleasure through the qualities. Only the eye of wisdom sees this.

यतन्तो योगिनश्चैनं पश्यन्त्यात्मन्यवस्थितम्।यतन्तोऽप्यकृतात्मानो नैनं पश्यन्त्यचेतसः॥

yatanto yoginaścainaṃ paśyantyātmanyavasthitam |yatanto'pyakṛtātmāno nainaṃ paśyantyacetasaḥ ||

The yogis striving for perfection behold Him dwelling in the Self; but, the unrefined and unintelligent, even though striving, do not see Him.

The saints, with great effort, find Him within themselves; however, the unintelligent, despite their efforts, cannot control their minds.

यदादित्यगतं तेजो जगद्भासयतेऽखिलम्।यच्चन्द्रमसि यच्चाग्नौ तत्तेजो विद्धि मामकम्॥

yadādityagataṃ tejo jagadbhāsayate'khilam |yaccandramasi yaccāgnau tattejo viddhi māmakam ||

That light which resides in the sun, illuminating the whole world; that which is in the moon and in the fire—know that light to be Mine.

Remember that the light which proceeds from the sun, illuminating the whole world, and the light which is in the moon, and that which is in the fire, all are born of me.

गामाविश्य च भूतानि धारयाम्यहमोजसा।पुष्णामि चौषधीः सर्वाः सोमो भूत्वा रसात्मकः॥

gāmāviśya ca bhūtāni dhārayāmyahamojasā |puṣṇāmi cauṣadhīḥ sarvāḥ somo bhūtvā rasātmakaḥ ||

Permeating the earth, I support all beings with My energy; and having become the watery moon, I nourish all herbs.

I enter this world and animate all My creatures with My vitality; and by My cool moonbeams, I nourish the plants.

अहं वैश्वानरो भूत्वा प्राणिनां देहमाश्रितः।प्राणापानसमायुक्तः पचाम्यन्नं चतुर्विधम्॥

ahaṃ vaiśvānaro bhūtvā prāṇināṃ dehamāśritaḥ |prāṇāpānasamāyuktaḥ pacāmyannaṃ caturvidham ||

Having become the fire Vaisvanara, I abide in the bodies of living beings and, associated with the Prana and the Apana, digest the fourfold food.

Becoming the fire of life, I pass into their bodies and, uniting with the vital streams of Prāṇa and Apāna, I digest the various kinds of food.

सर्वस्य चाहं हृदि सन्निविष्टो मत्तः स्मृतिर्ज्ञानमपोहनं च।वेदैश्च सर्वैरहमेव वेद्यो वेदान्तकृद्वेदविदेव चाहम्॥

sarvasya cāhaṃ hṛdi sanniviṣṭo mattaḥ smṛtirjñānamapohanaṃ ca |vedaiśca sarvairahameva vedyo vedāntakṛdvedavideva cāham ||

And I am seated in the hearts of all; from Me come memory and knowledge, as well as their absence. I am verily That which has to be known by all the Vedas; I am indeed the author of the Vedanta and the knower of the Vedas.

I am enthroned in the hearts of all; memory, wisdom, and discrimination owe their origins to Me. I am He Who is to be realized in the scriptures; I inspire their wisdom, and I know their truth.

द्वाविमौ पुरुषौ लोके क्षरश्चाक्षर एव च।क्षरः सर्वाणि भूतानि कूटस्थोऽक्षर उच्यते॥

dvāvimau puruṣau loke kṣaraścākṣara eva ca |kṣaraḥ sarvāṇi bhūtāni kūṭastho'kṣara ucyate ||

Two Purushas there are in this world: the perishable and the imperishable. All beings are perishable, and the Kutastha—the unchanging—is called the imperishable.

There are two aspects in Nature: the perishable and the imperishable. All life in this world belongs to the former, while the unchanging element belongs to the latter.

उत्तमः पुरुषस्त्वन्यः परमात्मेत्युदाहृतः।यो लोकत्रयमाविश्य बिभर्त्यव्यय ईश्वरः॥

uttamaḥ puruṣastvanyaḥ paramātmetyudāhṛtaḥ |yo lokatrayamāviśya bibhartyavyaya īśvaraḥ ||

But distinct is the Supreme Purusha, called the highest Self, indestructible and Lord, who pervades the three worlds and sustains them.

But I am higher than all, the Supreme God, the Absolute Self, the Eternal Lord, who pervades and upholds all the worlds.

यस्मात्क्षरमतीतोऽहमक्षरादपि चोत्तमः।अतोऽस्मि लोके वेदे च प्रथितः पुरुषोत्तमः॥

yasmātkṣaramatīto'hamakṣarādapi cottamaḥ |ato'smi loke vede ca prathitaḥ puruṣottamaḥ ||

As I transcend the perishable and am even higher than the imperishable, I am declared to be the highest Purusha in the world and in the Vedas.

I am beyond comparison with the Eternal and the non-eternal; I am known as the Supreme Personality, the Highest God, by scriptures and sages.

यो मामेवमसम्मूढो जानाति पुरुषोत्तमम्।स सर्वविद्भजति मां सर्वभावेन भारत॥

yo māmevamasammūḍho jānāti puruṣottamam |sa sarvavidbhajati māṃ sarvabhāvena bhārata ||

He who, undeluded, knows Me as the highest Purusha, he, knowing all, worships Me with his whole being (heart), O Arjuna.

He who, with unclouded vision, sees Me as the Lord-God, knows all that there is to be known and will always worship Me with his whole heart.

इति गुह्यतमं शास्त्रमिदमुक्तं मयाऽनघ।एतद्बुद्ध्वा बुद्धिमान्स्यात्कृतकृत्यश्च भारत॥

iti guhyatamaṃ śāstramidamuktaṃ mayā'nagha |etadbuddhvā buddhimānsyātkṛtakṛtyaśca bhārata ||

Thus, I have imparted to you this most secret science, O sinless one; by knowing this, one becomes wise, and all their duties are accomplished, O Arjuna.

Thus, O sinless one, I have revealed this most mystic knowledge to thee. He who understands it gains wisdom and attains the consummation of life.