Commentary on the Bhagavadgita

by Swami Krishnananda

The tree of life has its root upwards in the unmanifest, which is rooted in the Divine Being, with its branches spread below as the manifested universe. This tree is inclusive of great miseries like birth, old age, grief, and death. It appears to be of a different nature every moment. It is now seen, and now not seen – like the illusion of water in a mirage, or a city in the clouds.

It can be felled like a tree, and it has a beginning and an end like a tree. It is essenceless, like the sapless plantain tree. It is the cause of great doubts and confusion in the minds of the non-discriminating. Its true nature is not ascertained even by aspirants of knowledge. Its true meaning is found in the original essence of Brahman, which is ascertained in the Vedanta sastra. This tree is born out of the potency of ignorance, desire and action. It is born out of the sprout of Hiranyagarbha, who combines in himself cosmic knowledge and action. The branches of this tree consist of the various subtle bodies of individuals. It has become proud due to being watered by the desires and cravings of individuals. Its buds consist of the objects of the mind and the senses. Its leaves consist of knowledge from the scriptures, tradition, logic, and learning. Its flowers are the impulses for sacrifice, charity, austerity, etc. Its essence is the experience of pleasure and pain. Its root is fastened tightly because of the constant watering through the intense longing for the different objects on which all individuals depend. It is inhabited by several birds, called individuals – from Brahma, the creator, down to inanimate matter. It is full of tumultuous noises like those of weeping, shouting, playing, joking, singing, dancing, running, and such other sounds created by the experiences of exhilaration and grief, giving rise to pleasure and pain.

This tree can be cut down with the strong weapon of detachment, consequent upon the realisation of the identity of the self with Brahman, through hearing of the Vedanta texts, contemplating upon their meaning, and profound meditation thereon. This tree shakes, being blown by the wind of various desires and actions of the individual. Its various parts are the different worlds inhabited by celestial beings, human beings, beasts, demons, etc.

The beginning of this tree is not known. It extends everywhere, and its form is incomprehensible. This tree is ultimately based on the pure essence of self-luminous consciousness. The enigmatic character of this tree is accounted for by the incomprehensible nature of Brahman itself in which it is rooted. This tree is essentially unreal, because it is experienced as a modification. The Sruti says that all modification is only a play of speech – a mere name – and, therefore, false. This Brahman, which is the reality behind this universal tree, is transcended by nothing; and other than It, there is no reality.

This whole universe works systematically, being controlled by the supreme life-principle – Brahman. Mahadbhayam vajramudyatam (Katha Upan. 2.3.2): This Brahman is like a great terror, like an uplifted thunderbolt. Acharya Sankara has given an elaborate commentary on this verse of the Kathopanishad.

Adhas chordhvam prasrtas tasya sakha guna-pravrddha vishaya-pravalah, adhas cha mulany anusantatani karmanubandhini manushya-loke (15.2): The branches of this tree are spread out in all directions, both above and below, and these branches have become very stout, being fed with the food of the three gunas of prakriti – sattva, rajas and tamas, which are the diet for this tree; and all the fine leaves which are shining at the end of these branches, which are attractive to the senses, are the objects of perception: vishaya-pravalah.

Adhas cha mulany anusantatani karmanubandhini manushya-loke: At the base of this manifested form, as the branches spread out everywhere originating from the root which is above, there are the individuals on this earth plane of human beings – manushyaloke, who are bound by the cords of karma. The farther one moves from the root, the more is one bound. The gunas of prakriti bind more and more tightly as consciousness moves further and further from the root, as we have seen yesterday.

Na rupam asyeha tathopalabhyate (15.3): We cannot have a clear concept of the form of this tree. It is so widespread and so large in its dimension that our two eyes cannot actually see its extent. We see only a little bit of this vast universal tree, the whole of which nobody can see because of our limited perceptive faculties.

It has no beginning, and no end also. We cannot know from where this tree has started and we cannot know where it ends, because it spreads itself in all directions throughout space. Its origin, its sustenance, is also something very indescribable. Nanto na chadir na cha sampratishtha: Nothing about it can be known. It exists like a chronic disease whose origin is not easy to detect but is known to exist on account of the trouble it creates.

Asvattham enam suvirudha-mulam asanga-sastrena dridhena chhittva (15.3); tatah padam tat parimargitavyam (15.4): This kind of tree, terrible as it looks, though imperceptible to the eyes, beginningless and endless though it may seem, has to be felled with the axe of detachment. If we are not attached to the manifestations of this tree, then the qualities or gunas of prakriti that are feeding this tree through its branches will not affect us.

This point is similar to the other well-known analogy of two birds perched on a single tree. This analogy is in the Veda and also in the Mundaka Upanishad: dva suparna sayuja sakhaya samanam vrksham parishasvajate tayor anyah pippalam svadvatty anasnann anyo’bhicakasiti (Mu. Up. 3.1.1). On this large tree, two birds are perched. One of the birds is busy eating the sweet berries – the fruits that are yielded by this wonderful tree – but, unfortunately, these  are  the forbidden fruit. So delicious is this fruit, so rapidly is the bird gulping the fruit, so insatiable is the desire to eat it, and so endlessly is this activity of eating going on, that it has lost the consciousness that there is another bird sitting by its side. If we are at a large luncheon and are given delicious dishes, we may not notice the person sitting next to us because of our enchantment with the food. The bird that is by the side of this indulging bird is not eating anything. It is just sitting there and gazing at all the wonders of this manifestation of the tree, knowing everything about it, root and branch, but not concerned with either the majesty of the tree, the size of the tree, or the beauty of its product, the fruit. The bird that is eating the fruit of this tree is attached. The bird that is unconcerned and is just looking at the tree is detached. The tree cannot affect the bird that is detached; but the bird that is attached is bound, hand and foot. When the eating is over and it is satiated and cannot eat any more, the bird looks around and sees another bird sitting by its side. The moment it looks at that other bird sitting there, this bird attains liberation. By the mere consciousness of the existence of that bird, without having to do anything at all with it other than the mere awareness of it being there, liberation is attained.

There is no necessity to deal with God. The only thing that is required is to be aware that such a thing called God exists. The mere awareness of the existence of such a thing called God is sufficient for the liberation of the soul, and no activity is called for here. The unconsciousness of there being such a thing called God is the reason why we are indulging in all the wondrous binding activities of the world and are busy eating the delicacies which this world is yielding for us.

This tree, which is otherwise very deeply rooted, is of course perishable in its nature. One of the meanings of the word asvattha is that it will not last even till tomorrow. Svah na sthasyati iti asvatthah: It is a very perishable, transient thing. Though it is suvirudhamulam – it looks unshakeable in its root – yet it has aspects which are perishable and, therefore, it can be shaken completely from its very root by only one weapon: asangasastra, the weapon of detachment. We should have no emotional concern with anything that we see with our eyes, and be detached. The bird that is not interested in the glory of the tree’s manifestation also sees this wondrous tree – this world, this creation. We also can see this wonderful world; there is no objection to mere seeing. We can see the mystery, the majesty and the enigmatic character of the working of the whole universe. There is no harm in seeing it like a movement of film in a cinema; but we should not say “It is mine; I want it” with ahamta or self-consciousness, causing thereby a desire to possess certain attractive things like the fruits of the tree.

With a powerful cut at the tree with the axe of detachment, felling it down in this manner and throwing it on the ground, root and branch, what then happens? We have to aspire for that great Abode, reaching which people do not come back. Tatah padam tat parimargitavyam yasmin gata na nivartanti bhuyah (15.4): After having achieved this almost impossible feat of non-attachment to things in this world, one should cast one’s gaze above this world and seek that transcendent Eternal Bliss, having attained and enjoyed which, no one will come back.