Commentary introduction to Chapter 15

Now, cleansing the heart and making it a boarded frame with feet (cauraṅga), let there be installed on it the preceptor’s feet (foot-prints). Filling the cavity formed by putting the hands side by side hollowing the palms (añjulī) in the form of union, with partially blown flowers in the form of all of sense-centres, let the floral oblations be dedicated at the feet of the preceptor. Let the body of the preceptor be smeared with fragrant sandal paste in the form of single-pointed desire (to render service), cleansed with water in form of deep devotion. Let the tender feet of the preceptor be adorned with jingling anklets prepared of gold in the form of unalloyed love. Let the preceptor’s toes be adorned with rings in the form of deep and unswerving devotion. Let there be placed on the feet of the worthy preceptor, fully blown lotus having eight petals constituted of the eight righteous feelings, laden with fragrance in the form of righteous joy. Let there be burnt before him incense in the form of conceit and let there be waved round him the lighted lamp—(nirañjana) in the form of the notion, “I am myself Supreme Brahman.”

Let the preceptor’s feet be closely embraced with the feelings of complete identity. Let the feet of the preceptor wear the pair of wooden sandals in the form of my body and life and let enjoyment and liberation be waved around them. I should be eligible to (render) the service of the preceptor in such a way, that I should secure through such service all the qualifications for (attainment of) all the (four) objects of existence of man. The blaze of knowledge should go up straight to the abode of rest of Supreme Brahman in such a way that the faculty of speech is immediately transformed into the sea of nectar. Each letter (uttered) should have eloquence of such a type that crores of full-moons should be waved around it.

When the East is dominated by the Sun it gives an empire of light to the entire universe; in that way the (faculty of) speech should be able to make a gift of Diwali-festival in the form of knowledge to the entire society of listeners. By offering service to the feet of the preceptor, the (faculty of) speech attains a unique luck—luck that brings out words from the mouth that make the divine resonance look small before them, and to whose level cannot come up even the dignity of the oneness of the Deity;—luck that makes the creeping plant of oration grow in abundance, so that the entire universe enjoys a lovely scenery of the spring season under its bower in the form of hearing,—luck that brings about the miracle of the words (oration) securing Supreme Brahman, which the mind along with speech was unable even to trace and they had to come back disappointed;—luck that makes it possible for the words to store in themselves the Supreme Spirit which is not intelligible to knowledge and also not securable by meditation. That the speech (of the disciple) is invested with such infinite beauty is due to the grace of the pollen of the lotus in the form of the dust of the preceptor’s foot.

What more should be said; it (preceptor’s love) is not securable anywhere else but in the “mother” declared Jnanadev [Jnanadeva]. (He said further) “I am only an infant, while the preceptor is the mother with an only child, with the result that the flow of her affection turns solely towards me. Oh hearers, the preceptor has showered his kindness on me, in the way the cloud pours down all its water-store for the sake of the bird Chatak [Chataka]. Therefore, even from the stray talk in which the unengaged mouth (the uncultivated tongue) might indulge, an eloquent discourse, like that on the Gita, emerges. When luck is favourable, even sand could be converted into gems, and when (with) the longevity of life (it) has not ended, even as assassin turns friendly. Were the master of the universe to be pleased and give food for satisfying hunger, even small bits of stone turn into nectar (sweetened) rice when boiled. In that way when the good preceptor calls one his own, then even the mundane existence leads to liberation. Just see, did Lord Krishna—the incarnation of Narayana; the primeval man (purāṇa-puruṣa—God) the one (all-) revered by the entire universe—did he permit the Pandavas to be ever in want of anything? In that way, Shri Nivrittinath brought up and exalted my ignorance to (the same) level of knowledge. But enough of this; I am overcome with feelings of affection while speaking. Whoever does possess, knowledge to extol adequately the greatness of the preceptor? Now, through his grace, I am dedicating at the feet of you, saints, the interpretation of the Gita.

At the end of Chapter XIV the Lord of the Union (of the individual soul with the Diety) declared, as an established truth, that the man of knowledge is as much the master of deliverance as the God Indra is of the riches of the Heavens; or that one who performs religious duties enjoined to Brahmins (brahmakarma) throughout a hundred births, alone becomes God Brahmadev [Brahmadeva] and none else; or that the bliss of emancipation goes to the lot of the man of knowledge alone, in the way the light of the Sun becomes availabale only to the one having vision, and to none else. Looking (mentally) round for one who becomes qualified to attain such knowledge, (the Lord) found only one such. The magical collyrium shows treasures hidden underground, but the seer must be one born with feet foremost. There is thus no doubt that the mind must be very pure to enable knowledge to get deeply impressed on it. The Lord has, after careful consideration, laid down as an established truth, that knowledge cannot be firmly impressed, unless there is asceticism. Lord Hari has further thought out how the mind can get asceticism. Should one come to know that food has been cooked, mixed with poison, he walks away pushing aside (untouched) the plate (in which the food has been served). In that way, once the fact of the mundane existence being only transitory, is firmly impressed on the mind, asceticism, even though pushed away would closely follow you.

The Lord is preaching in Chapter XV, how it (mundane existence) is transitory, by giving it the form of a sham tree. A (common) tree, if pulled out and re-planted with the roots upwards and the top downwards withers away; but this tree is not like that. With the aid of this simile (of a tree) the Lord has skilfully swept out clean the cycle of mundane existence. This Chapter XV is intended to prove the nullity of the mundane existence and to establish in one’s self the truth of the proposition viz. “I am myself Supreme Brahman.” I am now going heartily to lay bare the Secret of the Sacred Work (Gita) and do hear about it.”

The King of Dvaraka—the full moon, bringing into full tide the ocean of bliss, further said, “Oh Son of Pandu (there is) the semblance of the universe that obstructs the way leading to the abode of the Supreme Self; this universe of vast expanse is not the mundane existence, this is the form of a giant tree, which is static. But is it not like other trees, that have their roots at the base and the branches upwards; and consequently it cannot normally be brought under control. However extensive the top, were an axe to be applied at the base or a fire applied there, the tree is cut at the base and topples down with its branches. But this tree cannot be easily felled down. Oh Arjuna, it is such a novel tale to narrate that all is extraordinary with this tree. The growth of this tree is all directed downwards. The Sun is at an immeasurable height, while his rays spread out downwards; in that way the growth of this tree is downwards in a very curious way. The floods of water occupy the entire cavity of the sky at the time of world dissolution; in that way every nook and comer of the universe is stuffed with this tree; or after sunset, the night gets fully stuffed with darkness; in that way the sky (space) is packed to its fullest capacity by this tree. It (tree) bears neither any fruit that could be tasted nor any flower that could be smelt.

What exists is this tree by itself all alone, Oh Son of Pandu. It is top-rooted; yet it is not (first) up-rooted and (then) placed in that (topsy-turvy) position; and consequently it is ever fresh and green. Even though truly called uprooted, still, it has also got innumerable roots at the base. Owing to rank growth of grass (round about) there, grow its branches in the tuft of its descending shoots (pārambyā). As in the case of Pimpal, Vata and other trees, similarly, Oh Dhananjaya, it is also not the case that it has got branches only at the base. There appear in abundance branches on the top-side also. It looks as if the very sky has become its (tree’s) foliage or the wind has taken the tree-form or the three different states (namely creation, sustenance and end) have appeared in incarnation (in the form of this tree).

Such a big (world-tree), with its upwending roots has come into existence. What is its top, what are the marks of the base, how and why it is down-spreading, and how are its branches, what are the roots at the base, what and how are the branches in the upper region, and why it is called ‘Ashvattha’—all these queries have been answered by that self-knowing God. All this I would make clear in select and choice phraseology, so that you will be able to realize it fully. Hear you, Oh lucky one; this is a befitting occasion for you; so hear it attentively, creating ears (to hear) all over your body! At these words dripping wet with affection for the hero amongst Yadavas, Arjuna became attention incarnate. His longing for hearing got as widely spread out as if all the ten directions wanted to embrace the sky with the result that what was preached by God (Lord Krishna) was felt (by Arjuna) as too scanty. Lord Krishna’s discourse was as wide as the ocean; but a second sage Agastya was created in the form of Arjuna, who wanted to sip it at a single draught (ocean in the form of discourse). The Lord perceived a strong and sweeping wave of longing rising in Arjuna’s heart at which the Lord got pleased and waved around him (his own happiness).