Verse 15.1

śrībhagavānuvāca
ūrdhvamūlamadhaḥśākhamaśvatthaṃ prāhuravyayam |
chandāṃsi yasya parṇāni yastaṃ veda sa vedavit ||1||

The Subodhinī commentary by Śrīdhara

vairāgyeṇa vinā jñānaṃ na ca bhaktirataḥ sphuṭam |
vairāgyopaskṛtaṃ jñānamīśaḥ pañcadaśe'diśat ||

pūrvādhyānte māṃ ca yo'vyabhicāreṇa bhaktiyogena sevate [Gītā 14.26] ityādinā parameśvaramekāntabhaktyā bhajatastatprasādalabdhajñānena brahmabhāvo bhavatītyuktam | na caikāntabhaktiḥ jñānaṃ cāviraktasya sambhavatīti vairāgyapūrvakaṃ jñānamupadeṣṭukāmaḥ prathamaṃ tāvatsārdhaślokābhyāṃ saṃsārasvarūpaṃ vṛkṣarūpakālaṅkāreṇa varṇayan bhagavānuvāca ūrdhvamūlamiti | ūrdhvamuttamaḥ kṣarākṣarābhyāmutkṛṣṭaḥ puruṣottamo mūlaṃ yasya tam | adha iti tato'rvācīnāṃ kāryopādhayo hiraṇyagarbhādayo gṛhyante | te tu śākhā iva śākhā yasya tam | vinaśvaratvena śvaḥ prabhātaparyantam
api na sthāsyatīti viśvāsānarhatvādaśvatthaṃ prāhuḥ | pravāharūpeṇāvicchedādavyayaṃ ca prāhuḥ | ūrdhvamūlo'vākśākha eṣo'śvatthaḥ sanātana [KaṭhU 2.3.1] ityādyāḥ śrutayaḥ | chandāṃsi vedā yasya parṇāni dharmādharmapratipādanadvāreṇa cchāyāsthānīyaiḥ karmaphalaiḥ saṃsāravṛkṣasya sarvajīvāśrayaṇīyatvapratipādanātparṇasthānīyā vedāḥ | yastamevambhūtamaśvatthaṃ veda sa eva vedārthavit | saṃsāraprapañcavṛkṣasya mūlamīśvaraḥ | brahmādayastadaṃśāḥ śākhāsthānīyāḥ | sa ca saṃsāravṛkso vinaśvaraḥ | pravāharūpeṇa nityaśca | vedoktaiḥ
karmabhiḥ sevyatāmāpāditaśca ityetāvāneva hi vedārthaḥ | ata evaṃ vidvān vedaviditi stūyate ||1||

The Gūḍhārthadīpikā commentary by Madhusūdana

pūrvādhyāye bhagavtā saṃsārabandhahetūn guṇān vyākhyāya teṣāmatyayena brahmabhāvo mokṣo madbhajanena labhyata ityuktam

māṃ ca yo'vyabhicāreṇa bhaktiyogena sevate |
sa guṇān samatītyaitān brahmabhūyāya kalpate || [Gītā 14.26] iti |

tatra manuṣyasya tava bhaktiyogena kathaṃ brahmabhāva ityāśaṅkāyāṃ svasya brahmarūpatājñāpanāya sūtrabhūto'yaṃ śloko bhagavatoktaḥ

brahmaṇo hi pratiṣṭhāhamamṛtasyāvyayasya ca |
śāśvatasya ca dharmasya sukhasyaikāntikasya ca ||[Gītā 14.27] iti |

asya sūtrasya vṛttisthānīyo'yaṃ pañcadaśo'dhyāya ārabhyate | bhagavataḥ śrīkṛṣṇasya hi tattvaṃ jñātvā tatpremabhajanena guṇātītaḥ san brahmabhāvaṃ kathamāpnuyālloka iti | tatra brahmaṇo hi pratiṣṭhāhamityādi bhagavadvacanamākarṇya mama tulyo manuṣyo'yaṃ kathamevaṃ vadatīti vismayāviṣṭamapratibhayā lajjayā ca kiṃcidapi praṣṭumaśaknuvan tamarjunamālakṣya kṛpayā svasvarūpaṃ vivakṣuḥ śrībhagavānuvāca ūrdhveti |

tatra viraktasyaiva saṃsārādbhagavattattvajñāne'dhikāro nānyatheti pūrvādhyāyoktaṃ parameśvarādhīnaprakṛtipuruṣasaṃyogakāryaṃ saṃsāraṃ vṛkṣarūpakalpanayā varṇayati vairāgyāya prastutaguṇātītatvopāyatvāttasya | ūrdhvamutkṛṣṭaṃ mūlaṃ kāraṇaṃ svaprakāśaparamānandarūpatvena nityatvena ca brahma | atahvordhvaṃ sarvasaṃsārabādhe'pyabādhitaṃ sarvasaṃsārabhramādhiṣṭhānaṃ brahma tadeva māyayā mūlamasyetyūrdhvamūlam | adha ityarvācīnāḥ kāryopādhayo hiraṇyagrabhādyā gṛhyante | te nānādikprasṛtatvācchākhā iva śākhā asyetyadhaḥśākham | āśuvināśitvena na śvo'pi sthāteti viśvāsānarham
aśvatthaṃ māyāmayaṃ saṃsāravṛkṣamavyayamanādyanantadehādisantānāśrayamātmajñānamantareṇānucchedyamanantamavyayamāhuḥ śrutayaḥ smṛtayaśca | śrutayastāvat ūrdhvamūlo'vākśākha eṣo'śvatthaḥ sanātanaḥ [KaṭhU 2.3.1] ityādyaḥ kaṭhavallīṣu paṭhitāḥ | arvāñco nikṛṣṭāḥ kāryopādhayo mahadahaṅkāratanmātrādayo vā śākhā asyetyarvākśākha ityadhaḥśākhapadasamānārthaḥ | sanātana tiyavyayapadasamānārtham |

smṛtayaśca
avyaktamūlaprabhavastasyaivānugrahotthitaḥ |
buddhiskandhamayaścaiva indriyāntarakoṭaraḥ ||
mahābhūtaviśākhaśca viṣayaiḥ patravāṃstathā |
dharmādharmasupuṣpaśca sukhaduḥkhaphalodayaḥ ||
ājīvyaḥ sarvabhūtānāṃ brahmavṛkṣaḥ sanātanaḥ |
etadbrahmavanaṃ cāsya brahmācarati sākṣivat ||
etacchittvā ca bhittvā ca jñānena paramāsinā |
tataścātmagatiṃ prāpya tasmānnāvartate punaḥ || [Mbh 14.35.20-22] ityādayaḥ |

avyaktamavyākṛtaṃ māyopādhikaṃ brahma tadeva mūlaṃ kāraṇaṃ tasmātprabhavo yasya sa tathā | tasyaiva mūlasyāvyaktasyānugrahādatidṛḍhatvādutthitaḥ saṃvardhitaḥ | vṛkṣasya hi śākhāḥ skandhādudbhavanti | saṃsārasya ca buddheḥ sakāśānnānāvidhāḥ pariṇāmā bhavanti | tena sādharmyeṇa buddhireva skandhastanmayastatpracuro'yam | indriyāṇāmantarāṇi cchidrāṇyeva koṭarāṇi yasya sa tathā | mahānti bhūtānyākāśādīni pṛthivyantāni vividhāḥ śākhā yasya viśākhaḥ stambho yasyeti vā | ājīvya upajīvyaḥ | brahmaṇā paramātmanādhiṣṭhito vṛkṣo brahmavṛkṣaḥ | ātmajñānaṃ vinā chettumaśakyatayā sanātanaḥ
| etadbrahmavanamasya brahmaṇo jīvarūpasya bhogyaṃ vananīyaṃ sambhajanīyamiti vanaṃ brahma sākṣivadācarati na tvetatkṛtena lipyata ityarthaḥ | etadbrahmavanaṃ saṃsāravṛkṣātmakaṃ chittvā ca bhittvā cāhaṃ, brahmāsmītyatidṛḍhajñānakhaḍgena samūlaṃ nikṛtyetyarthaḥ ātmarūpāṃ gatiṃ prāpya tasmādātmarūpānmokṣānnāvartata ityarthaḥ | spaṣṭamitarat |

atra ca gaṅgātaraṅganudyamānottuṅgatattīratiryaṅnipatitamardhonmūlitaṃ mārutena mahāntamaśvatthamupamānīkṛtya jīvantamiyaṃ rūpakakalpaneti draṣṭavyam | tena nordhvamūlatvādhaḥśākhatvādyanupapattiḥ | yasya māyāmayasyāśvatthasya cchandāṃsi cchādanāttattvavastuprāvaraṇātsaṃsāravṛkṣarakṣaṇādvā karmakāṇḍāni ṛgyajuḥsāmalakṣaṇāni parṇānīva parṇāni | yathā vṛkṣasya parirakṣaṇāthāni parṇāni bhavanti tathā saṃsāravṛkṣasya parirakṣaṇāthāni karmakāṇḍāni dharmādharmaataddhetuphalaprakāśanārthatvātteṣām | yastaṃ yathāvyākhyātaṃ samūlaṃ saṃsāravṛkṣaṃ
māyāmayamaśvatthaṃ veda jānāti sa vedavitkarmabrahmākhyavedārthavitsa evetyarthaḥ | saṃsāravṛkṣasya hi mūlaṃ brahma hiraṇyagarbhādayaśca jīvāḥ śākhāsthānīyāḥ | sa ca saṃsāravṛkṣaḥ svarūpeṇa vinaśvaraḥ pravāharūpeṇa cānantaḥ | sa ca vedoktaiḥ karmabhiḥ sicyate brahmajñānena ca cchidyata ityetāvāneva hi vedārthaḥ | yaśca vedārthavitsa eva sarvaviditi samūlavṛkṣajñānaṃ stauti sa vedaviditi ||1||

The Sārārthavarṣiṇī commentary by Viśvanātha

saṃsāracchedako'saṅga ātmeśāṃśaḥ kṣarākṣarāt |
uttamaḥ puruṣaḥ kṛṣṇaḥ iti pañcadaśe kathā ||
pūrvādhyāye

māṃ ca yo'vyabhicāreṇa bhaktiyogena sevate |
sa guṇān samatītyaitān brahmabhūyāya kalpate || [Gītā 14.26] ityuktam |

tatra tava manuṣyasya bhaktiyogena kathaṃ brahmabhāva iti cet, satyamahaṃ manuṣya eva kintu brahmaṇo'pi tasya pratiṣṭhā paramāśraya ityasya sūtrarūpasya vṛttisthānīyo'yaṃ pañcadaśādhyāya ārabhyate | tatra sa guṇān samatītya ityuktamiti guṇamyo'yaṃ saṃsāraḥ kaḥ, kuto vāyaṃ pravṛttastadbhaktyā saṃsāramatikrāmyan jīvo vā kaḥ | brahmabhūyāya kalpate ityuktaṃ brahma vā kim | brahmaṇaḥ pratiṣṭhā tvaṃ vā ka ityādyapekṣāyāṃ prathamamatiśayoktyalaṅkāreṇa saṃsāro'yamadbhuto'śvatthavṛkṣa iti varṇayati | ūrdhve sarvalokoparitale satyaloke prakṛtibījotthaprathamapraroharūpamahattattvātmakaś
caturmukha eka eva mūlaṃ yasya tam | adhaḥ svarbhuvorbhūlokeṣu anantā devagandharvakinnarāsurarākṣasapretabhūtamanuṣyagavāśvādipaśupakṣikṛmikīṭapataṅgasthāvarāstāḥ śākhā yasya tamaśvatthaṃ dharmādicaturvargasādhakatvādaśvatthamuttamaṃ vṛkṣam | śleṣeṇa bhaktimatāṃ na śvaḥ sthāsyatītyaśvatthaṃ naṣṭaprāyamityarthaḥ | abhaktānāṃ tvavyayamanaśvaram | chandāṃsi vāyavyaṃ śvetamālabheta bhūmikāmaindramekādaśakapālaṃ nirvapetprajākāmaḥ ityādyāḥ karmapratipādakā vedāḥ saṃsāravardhakatvātparṇāni | vṛkṣo
hi parṇaiḥ śobhate | yastaṃ jānāti sa vedajñaḥ | tathā ca ūrdhvamūlo'vākśākha eṣo'śvatthaḥ sanātanaḥ [KaṭhU 2.3.1] iti kaṭhavallīśrutiḥ ||1||

The Gītābhūṣaṇa commentary by Baladeva

saṃsāracchedi vairāgyaṃ jīvo me'ṃśaḥ sanātanaḥ |
ahaṃ sarvottamaḥ śrīmāniti pañcadaśe smṛtam ||

pūrvatra vijñānānandasyautpattikaguṇāṣṭakasyāpi jīvasya karmarūpānādivāsanānuguṇena bhagavatsaṅkalpena prakṛtiguṇasaṅgaḥ | sa ca bahuvidhastadatyayaśca bhagavadbhaktiśiraskena vivekajñānena bhavettasmiṃśca sati samprāptanijasvarūpo jīvo bhagavantamāśritya prmodo sarvadā tasmiṃstiṣṭhatītyuktam | atha tadvivekajñānasthairyakaraṃ vairāgyaṃ jīvasya bhajanīyabhagavadaṃśatvaṃ bhagavataḥ svetarasarvottamatvaṃ cokteṣvartheṣūpayogāya pañcadaśe'smin varṇyate | tatra tāvadguṇaviracitasya saṃsārasya vairāgyavaiccedyatvātsaṃsāraṃ vṛkṣatvena vairāgyaṃ ca śastratvena rūpayan varṇayati bhagavān ūrdhvamūlamityādibhis
tribhiḥ |

saṃsārarūpamaśvatthamūrdhvamūlamadhaḥśākhaṃ prāhuḥ | ūrdhvaṃ sarvoparisatyaloke pradhānabījotthaprathamapraroharūpamahattattvātmakacaturmukharūpaṃ mūlaṃ yasya saḥ | adhaḥ satyalokādarvācīneṣu svarbhuvarbhūrlokeṣu devagandharvakinnarāsurayakṣarākṣasamanuṣyapaśupakṣikīṭapataṅgasthāvarāntā nānādikprasṛtatvācchākhā yasya tam | caturvargaphalāśrayatvādaśvatthamuttamavṛkṣam | tādṛśena vivekajñānena vinā nivṛtterabhāvādavyayaṃ pravāharūpeṇa nityaṃ ca | tamāhuḥ śrutayaścātra

ūrdhvamūlo'vākśākha
eṣo'śvatthaḥ sanātanaḥ |
ūrdhvamūlamarvākśākhaṃ
vṛkṣaṃ yo veda samprati || [KaṭhU 2.3.1] ityādikāḥ |

yasya saṃsārāśvatthasya chandāṃsi karmākarmapratipādakāni śrutivākyāni vāsanāārūpatannidānavardhakatvātparṇāni prāhustāni cchandāṃsi vāyavyaṃ śvetamālabheta bhūtikāma aindramekādaśakapālaṃ nirvapetprajākāmaḥ ityādīni bodhyāni | patraistarurvardhate śobhate ca tamaśvatthaṃ yo veda yathoktaṃ jānāti sa eva vedavit | vedaḥ khalu saṃsārasya vṛkṣatvaṃ chedyatvābhiprāyeṇāha tadchedanopāyajño vedārthaviditi bhāvaḥ |

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