Verse 15.2

Verse 15.2: “Downwards as well as upwards are its branches extended, waxing strong by the Gunas, with the sense-objects for their leafage. Downwards do the roots (and rootlets) successively spread—being tethered-on to the Karmans—into (this) world of humanity. (144)

Commentary called Jnaneshwari by Jnaneshwar:

This world-tree which has got branches extending downwards, has also got plenty of branches shooting straight upwards. The branches that have shot upwards have also got roots issuing from them and from their bottom also issue forth and spread out creepers and foliage. This we have already said before in the beginning and hear it over again explained in simple words. There is created from Nescience-the admitted root of this tree—(Maya) the eight constituents such as intellect and others along with vast woods in the form of Vedic knowledge.

First shoots out from the bottom (of the tree) a great polygon consisting of four orders 1) Svedaja (svedaja—born from sweat), 2) Jarayuja (jarāyuja—born from womb), 3) Udbhija (a plant or tree bursting forth from soil), 4) Andaja (aṇḍaja—produced from egg). From each of these springs forth 84 lakhs of sub-orders; each sub-order or species has infinite twigs in the form of individuals belonging to it. Some of the branches shoot up straight, and on these, there arise crosswise sub-branches and twigs of different worlds, and these constitute the grades of different classes and sub-classes of beings. The individual distinctions such as female, male, or neuter are then stamped (on these) according to their respective nature. The aggregate of beings with forms waxes strong during the stage of Nescience, in the way dark and new clouds crowd in the sky during the Monsoon season.

Then the overgrown branches of the tree get bent down with their own weight, and also get entangled into each other with the result that the Gunas (Constituent-aspects) become excited and the winds in the form of their excitement begin to blow violently. With the stormy blowing of these winds in the form of the excitement of the Gunas, the world-tree with roots up-wending gets tom in three different places in the form of different worlds. With the breeze of the Rajas Guna dashing violently, the branch representing human order gets fat. That branch neither ascends up nor curves down, with the result that it gets crammed in the middle, and subbranches in the form of four castes issue forth cross-wise from it. There then spring forth and sway backwards and forwards plump and fresh-looking twigs, adding beauty to the branch, in the form of Vedic dicta full of foliage in the form of mandatory and prohibitory injunctions (precepts). Riches and passion then spread out, and from these, keep on shooting out, ever new sprouts in the form of enjoyment of worldly pleasures of momentary duration.

Prakriti then waxes strong and there issue forth countless sprouts of action—good and bad. No sooner the old and worn out bodies, rendered feeble, consequent on the enjoyment (of sense-objects) drop down, than new ones spring up and grow fast. Similarly, new and beautiful foliage in the form of sense-objects such as speech etc, glittering in their natural and attractive colours, keep on springing up. With the Rajas storming violently in this way, the tuft of the human (order) branch has extensive growth, and the mortal world gets properly set up. When the storm of Rajas subsides for a while, the Tamas waxes strong and begins to roar. With this, new foliage in the form of wicked desires begins to spring forth on the lower side of the human order-branch, while twigs of evil actions begin sprouting out. Rough and rugged shoots of evil actions sprout out straight and the twigs appear full of foliage in the form of errors. The three Vedas—the Rik., the Yajus, and the Sama—which lay down positive precepts and prohibitory injunctions, should be taken as the leaves oscillating on the tips of the branches.

The Atharva Veda (Agamas) which propounds black magic—the cause of great harm to others—issues forth, on which thrive the creepers of desires. As this process continues, the bottoms (roots) of the plants of evil actions get strengthened, while the branches in the form of metempsychoses multiply fast. Then shoots up another big branch representing very heinous and wicked class of beings (cāṇḍālādī), in the jumble of which are entangled those that fail to perform the prescribed actions owing to infatuation. Then arises and spreads out, a rank growth of innumerable and crosswise branches in the form of animals, birds, swine, tigers, serpents, scorpions, etc. etc. All these branches, Oh Pandava, remain ever fresh and blooming and they get laden with bumper fruit in the form of (sufferings of) hell. The shoots in the form of evil actions, involving also violence, go on fast growing throughout life after life. In a similar way, spring up branches representing trees, grass, iron, earth, stone, etc. and they are also laden with fruit. In this way, Oh Arjuna, go on growing down-spreading branches representing (from) the human order down to the very immovables.

Therefore the branches representing human order should be considered as the starting point of the lower portion from which the world-tree begins to expand downwards. Otherwise, Oh Partha, considered from the point of view of the original root at the top, the middle branches have to be taken as the lower ones. But the branches of Tamas and Sattva Gunas in the form of actions good and bad, have spread out upwards as also downwards in this tree. The foliage of this tree—the three Vedas-blossoming out, Oh Arjuna, can have no existence except for the human order. Therefore, the branch of the human bodies although arising out of the upwending root, is itself the root of the growth of activism.

The state of things in regard to the tree in general is also similar. As the branches go on getting strength, the roots go deeper and get more strong and as these roots get strong, the tree spreads out more widely. So also this (human) body. There is the activism, so long as there is the continuity of human body, while transactions (actions) do take place and there is no stopping of them so long as there is the body. Therefore, the Lord of the Universe, says that the (human) body is the root of the world-expansion. With the subsidence of the Tamas form, the Sattva Guna begins to blow violently.

At this, blossoms of righteous acts spring forth from the branch of the human race, and there is a rush of shoots of good actions. Then dawns knowledge and with it the intellect becomes stronger, with the result that there is created a tuft of new shoots (of intellect). The long and thick shoots (soṭa) of intellect get strengthened and there issue forth sub-branches of inspiration, and the light of the dawn of the intellect spreads out with the support of the power of discrimination. There then issue forth straight and beautiful shoots of righteous disposition through the foliage of devotion dripping (wet) with the juice of (sacred) intellect.

The sound of the Vedic Teachings resounds on the tips of rank shoots of good conduct. Then there issue forth innumerable leaves and foliage in the form of good manners, Veda-enjoined duties and Sacrificial rituals, etc. Then issue forth twigs of austerity laden with sense-control and comprehensive self-governance, and these twigs give birth to tender but big branches of asceticism. Shoots of special penances issue forth from the sharp ends of the blossom of fortitude and wend upwards straight to a great height. They bear a thick foliage in the form of Vedas which makes a fluttering noise of learning when the winds of Sattva blow violently. Then begins to grow up the extensive branch of religion and from it sprout out straight branches of birth, having cross-branches yielding the fruit of (residence in) heaven and other worlds.

There is another branch of salvation (through holy conduct) which is full of ruddy tender leaves in the form of absolute indifference to worldly pleasures. The side-shoots of the Sun, the Moon, and other stars, also the manes and sages and the learned sect (vidyādhara—a type of Demi-Gods) also begin to sprout out. High up over and above these, are the tufts of the branches of heavens covered up by bunches of fruit, and higher up still rise the big branches strengthened by austerities of sages Mancha, Kashyapa, etc. In this way spread out one over the other, upwending branches, slender at the bottom and heavy at the top, being laden with rich fruit-growth.

Besides, from the tips of the fruit-growth that takes place on the upwending branches, issue forth sprouts, Oh Kind, of Gods Brahmadev [Brahmadeva], Shankara and others. The heavy load of fruit-growth, makes the branches double (fold over) and they rest on the roots. Similar is the state of the ordinary tree. When overloaded with fruit, the branches automatically bend low and rest on the base of the trunk. In the same way when the worldtree gets laden with increased knowledge, its growth, Oh Son of Pandu, bends down and finally rests on its root from which the tree has sprung up. Therefore, there is no scope for the growth of beings higher up than the regions of God Brahmadev [Brahmadeva] and Shiva. Once these heights are reached, there is then only Supreme Brahman above (which the being attains). But this apart: even the Gods Brahmadeva and others, with all their power, cannot come up to the level of the upwending roots.

There are still higher branches well-known by the names Sanaka and others, but these are not encumbered by any fruit-growth and so instead of bending low, they grow straight higher up and enter into the region of the Supreme Brahman. In this way, on account of the foliage, all branches from the human order (in the middle) up to the branches of Gods, Brahmadeva and others,—all-get shot up very high. The topmost branches, Oh Partha, of God Brahmadeva and others having all issued forth from the human order, the human order branch is called the lower root. In this way, we have described to you this unique world-tree-with branches at the top as well as at the base and the roots at the top. So also we discoursed clearly on the roots that lie at the base of the tree; and now I shall preach how the tree could be uprooted and do hear about it.