श्री भगवानुवाचऊर्ध्वमूलमधःशाखमश्वत्थं प्राहुरव्ययम्।छन्दांसि यस्य पर्णानि यस्तं वेद स वेदवित्
śhrī-bhagavān uvācha
ūrdhva-mūlam adhaḥ-śhākham aśhvatthaṁ prāhur avyayam
chhandānsi yasya parṇāni yas taṁ veda sa veda-vit
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.
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 rūpam asyeha tathopalabhyate
nānto na chādir na cha sampratiṣhṭhā
aśhvattham enaṁ su-virūḍha-mūlam
asaṅga-śhastreṇa dṛiḍhena chhittvā
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
yad āditya-gataṁ tejo jagad bhāsayate ’khilam
yach chandramasi yach chāgnau tat tejo viddhi māmakam
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.
sarvasya chāhaṁ hṛidi sanniviṣhṭo
mattaḥ smṛitir jñānam apohanaṁ cha
vedaiśh cha sarvair aham eva vedyo
vedānta-kṛid veda-vid eva chāham
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.
dvāv imau puruṣhau loke kṣharaśh chākṣhara eva cha
kṣharaḥ sarvāṇi bhūtāni kūṭa-stho ’kṣhara uchyate
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.