TEXT 1

sri-bhagavan uvaca
urdhva-mulam adhah-sakham
asvattham prahur avyayam
chandamsi yasya parnani
yas tam veda sa veda-vit

SYNONYMS
sri bhagavan uvaca—the Supreme Personality of Godhead said; urdhva-mulam—
with roots above; adhah—downwards; sakham—branches; asvattham—banyan
tree; prahuh—said; avyayam—eternal; chandamsi—Vedic hymns; yasya—of
which; parnani—the leaves; yah—anyone; tam—that; veda—knows; sah—he; veda-
vit—the knower of the Vedas.
TRANSLATION
The Blessed Lord said: There is a banyan tree which has its roots upward and
its branches down and whose leaves are the Vedic hymns. One who knows
this tree is the knower of the Vedas.

TEXT 2
adhas cordhvam prasrtas tasya sakha
guna-pravrddha visaya-pravalah
adhas ca mulany anusantatani
karmanubandhini manusya-loke

SYNONYMS
adhah—downward; ca—and; urdhvam—upward; prasrtah—extended; tasya—
its; sakhah—branches; guna—modes of material nature; pravrddhah—
developed; visaya—sense objects; pravalah—twigs; adhah—downward; ca—
and; mulani—roots; anusantatani—extended; karma—according to work; anubandhini—
bound; manusya-loke—in the world of human society.
TRANSLATION
The branches of this tree extend downward and upward, nourished by the
three modes of material nature. The twigs are the objects of the senses. This
tree also has roots going down, and these are bound to the fruitive actions of
human society.

Bg 15.3-4
 na rūpam asyeha tathopalabhyate
nānto na cādir na ca sampratiṣṭhā
aśvattham enaṁ su-virūḍha-mūlam
asaṅga-śastreṇa dṛḍhena chittvā
tataḥ padaṁ tat parimārgitavyaṁ
yasmin gatā na nivartanti bhūyaḥ
tam eva cādyaṁ puruṣaṁ prapadye
yataḥ pravṛttiḥ prasṛtā purāṇī
SYNONYMS:
na — not; rūpam — the form; asya — of this tree; iha — in this
world; tathā — also; upalabhyate — can be perceived; na —
never; antaḥ — end; na — never; ca — also; ādiḥ — beginning; na —
never; ca — also; sampratiṣṭhā — the foundation; aśvattham — banyan
tree; enam — this; su-virūḍha — strongly; mūlam — rooted; asaṅga-
śastreṇa — by the weapon of detachment; dṛḍhena — strong; chittvā —
cutting; tataḥ — thereafter; padam — situation; tat —
that; parimārgitavyam — has to be searched out; yasmin —
where; gatāḥ — going; na— never; nivartanti — they come
back; bhūyaḥ — again; tam — to Him; eva — certainly; ca —
also; ādyam — original; puruṣam — the Personality of
Godhead; prapadye — surrender; yataḥ — from whom; pravṛttiḥ — the
beginning; prasṛtā — extended; purāṇi — very old.
TRANSLATION:
The real form of this tree cannot be perceived in this world. No one
can understand where it ends, where it begins, or where its
foundation is. But with determination one must cut down this
strongly rooted tree with the weapon of detachment. Thereafter, one
must seek that place from which, having gone, one never returns, and
there surrender to that Supreme Personality of Godhead from whom
everything began and from whom everything has extended since
time immemorial.

Bg 15.5
 nirmāna-mohā jita-saṅga-doṣā
adhyātma-nityā vinivṛtta-kāmāḥ
dvandvair vimuktāḥ sukha-duḥkha-saṁjñair
gacchanty amūḍhāḥ padam avyayaṁ tat
SYNONYMS:
niḥ — without; māna — false prestige; mohāḥ — and illusion; jita —
having conquered; saṅga — of association; doṣāḥ — the
faults; adhyātma — in spiritual knowledge; nityāḥ — in
eternity; vinivṛtta — disassociated; kāmāḥ — from lust; dvandvaiḥ —
from the dualities; vimuktāḥ — liberated; sukha-duḥkha — happiness and
distress; saṁjñaiḥ — named; gacchanti — attain; amūḍhāḥ —
unbewildered; padam — situation; avyayam — eternal; tat— that.
TRANSLATION:
Those who are free from false prestige, illusion and false association,
who understand the eternal, who are done with material lust, who
are freed from the dualities of happiness and distress, and who,
unbewildered, know how to surrender unto the Supreme Person
attain to that eternal kingdom.

Bg 15.6
na tad bhāsayate sūryo
na śaśāṅko na pāvakaḥ
yad gatvā na nivartante
tad dhāma paramaṁ mama
SYNONYMS:
na — not; tat — that; bhāsayate — illuminates; sūryaḥ — the sun; na —
nor; śaśāṅkaḥ — the moon; na — nor; pāvakaḥ — fire, electricity; yat —
where; gatvā — going; na — never; nivartante — they come
back; tat dhāma— that abode; paramam — supreme; mama — My.
TRANSLATION:
That supreme abode of Mine is not illumined by the sun or moon, nor
by fire or electricity. Those who reach it never return to this material
world.

Bg 15.7
mamaivāṁśo jīva-loke
jīva-bhūtaḥ sanātanaḥ
manaḥ-ṣaṣṭhānīndriyāṇi
prakṛti-sthāni karṣati
SYNONYMS:
mama — My; eva — certainly; aṁśaḥ — fragmental particle; jīva-loke —
in the world of conditional life; jīva-bhūtaḥ — the conditioned living
entity; sanātanaḥ — eternal; manaḥ — with the mind; ṣaṣṭhāni — the
six; indriyāṇi — senses; prakṛti — in material nature; sthāni —
situated; karṣati — is struggling hard.
TRANSLATION:
The living entities in this conditioned world are My eternal
fragmental parts. Due to conditioned life, they are struggling very
hard with the six senses, which include the mind.

Bg 15.8
śarīraṁ yad avāpnoti
yac cāpy utkrāmatīśvaraḥ
gṛhītvaitāni saṁyāti
vāyur gandhān ivāśayāt
SYNONYMS:
śarīram — the body; yat — as; avāpnoti — gets; yat — as; ca api —
also; utkrāmati — gives up; īśvaraḥ — the lord of the body; gṛhītvā —
taking; etāni — all these; saṁyāti — goes away; vāyuḥ — the
air; gandhān — smells; iva — like; āśayāt — from their source.
TRANSLATION:
The living entity in the material world carries his different
conceptions of life from one body to another, as the air carries
aromas. Thus he takes one kind of body and again quits it to take
another.

Bg 15.9
śrotraṁ cakṣuḥ sparśanaṁ ca
rasanaṁ ghrāṇam eva ca
adhiṣṭhāya manaś cāyaṁ
viṣayān upasevate
SYNONYMS:
śrotram — ears; cakṣuḥ — eyes; sparśanam — touch; ca —
also; rasanam — tongue; ghrāṇam — smelling power; eva — also; ca —
and; adhiṣṭhāya — being situated in; manaḥ — mind; ca — also; ayam —
he; viṣayān— sense objects; upasevate — enjoys.
TRANSLATION:
The living entity, thus taking another gross body, obtains a certain
type of ear, eye, tongue, nose and sense of touch, which are grouped
about the mind. He thus enjoys a particular set of sense objects.

Bg 15.10
utkrāmantaṁ sthitaṁ vāpi
bhuñjānaṁ vā guṇānvitam
vimūḍhā nānupaśyanti
paśyanti jñāna-cakṣuṣaḥ
SYNONYMS:
utkrāmantam — quitting the body; sthitam — situated in the
body; vā api — either; bhuñjānam — enjoying; vā — or; guṇa-anvitam —
under the spell of the modes of material nature; vimūḍhāḥ — foolish
persons; na — never; anupaśyanti — can see; paśyanti — can see; jñāna-
cakṣuṣaḥ — those who have the eyes of knowledge.
 TRANSLATION:
The foolish cannot understand how a living entity can quit his body,
nor can they understand what sort of body he enjoys under the spell
of the modes of nature. But one whose eyes are trained in knowledge
can see all this.

Bg 15.11
yatanto yoginaś cainaṁ
paśyanty ātmany avasthitam
yatanto ’py akṛtātmāno
nainaṁ paśyanty acetasaḥ
SYNONYMS:
yatantaḥ — endeavoring; yoginaḥ — transcendentalists; ca —
also; enam — this; paśyanti — can see; ātmani — in the
self; avasthitam — situated; yatantaḥ — endeavoring; api —
although; akṛta-ātmānaḥ — those without self-realization; na — do
not; enam — this; paśyanti — see; acetasaḥ — having undeveloped
minds.
TRANSLATION:
The endeavoring transcendentalists who are situated in self-
realization can see all this clearly. But those whose minds are not
developed and who are not situated in self-realization cannot see
what is taking place, though they may try.

Bg 15.12
yad āditya-gataṁ tejo
jagad bhāsayate ’khilam
yac candramasi yac cāgnau
tat tejo viddhi māmakam
SYNONYMS:
yat — that which; āditya-gatam — in the sunshine; tejaḥ —
splendor; jagat — the whole world; bhāsayate — illuminates; akhilam —
entirely; yat — that which; candramasi — in the moon; yat — that
which; ca — also; agnau — in fire; tat — that; tejaḥ — splendor; viddhi —
understand; māmakam — from Me.
TRANSLATION:
The splendor of the sun, which dissipates the darkness of this whole
world, comes from Me. And the splendor of the moon and the
splendor of fire are also from Me.

Bg 15.13
gām āviśya ca bhūtāni
dhārayāmy aham ojasā
puṣṇāmi cauṣadhīḥ sarvāḥ
somo bhūtvā rasātmakaḥ
SYNONYMS:
gām — the planets; āviśya — entering; ca — also; bhūtāni — the living
entities; dhārayāmi — sustain; aham — I; ojasā — by My
energy; puṣṇāmi — am nourishing; ca — and; auṣadhīḥ —
vegetables; sarvāḥ — all; somaḥ — the moon; bhūtvā — becoming; rasa-
ātmakaḥ — supplying the juice.
TRANSLATION:
I enter into each planet, and by My energy they stay in orbit. I become
the moon and thereby supply the juice of life to all vegetables.

Bg 15.14
ahaṁ vaiśvānaro bhūtvā
prāṇināṁ deham āśritaḥ
prāṇāpāna-samāyuktaḥ
pacāmy annaṁ catur-vidham
SYNONYMS:
aham — I; vaiśvānaraḥ — My plenary portion as the digesting
fire; bhūtvā — becoming; prāṇinām — of all living entities; deham — in
the bodies; āśritaḥ — situated; prāṇa — the outgoing air; apāna — the
down-going air; samāyuktaḥ — keeping in balance; pacāmi — I
digest; annam — foodstuff; catuḥ-vidham — the four kinds.
TRANSLATION:
I am the fire of digestion in the bodies of all living entities, and I join
with the air of life, outgoing and incoming, to digest the four kinds of
foodstuff.

Bg 15.15
sarvasya cāhaṁ hṛdi sanniviṣṭo
mattaḥ smṛtir jñānam apohanaṁ ca
vedaiś ca sarvair aham eva vedyo
vedānta-kṛd veda-vid eva cāham
SYNONYMS:
sarvasya — of all living beings; ca — and; aham — I; hṛdi — in the
heart; sanniviṣṭaḥ — situated; mattaḥ — from Me; smṛtiḥ —
remembrance; jñānam — knowledge; apohanam — forgetfulness; ca —
and; vedaiḥ — by the Vedas; ca — also; sarvaiḥ — all; aham — I
am; eva — certainly; vedyaḥ — knowable; vedānta-kṛt — the compiler of
the Vedānta; veda-vit — the knower of the Vedas; eva — certainly; ca —
and; aham — I.
TRANSLATION:
I am seated in everyone’s heart, and from Me come remembrance,
knowledge and forgetfulness. By all the Vedas, I am to be known.
Indeed, I am the compiler of Vedānta, and I am the knower of the
Vedas.

Bg 15.16
 dvāv imau puruṣau loke
kṣaraś cākṣara eva ca
kṣaraḥ sarvāṇi bhūtāni
kūṭa-stho ’kṣara ucyate
SYNONYMS:
dvau — two; imau — these; puruṣau — living entities; loke — in the
world; kṣaraḥ — fallible; ca — and; akṣaraḥ— infallible; eva —
certainly; ca — and; kṣaraḥ — fallible; sarvāṇi — all; bhūtāni — living
entities; kūṭa-sthaḥ— in oneness; akṣaraḥ — infallible; ucyate — is said.
TRANSLATION:
There are two classes of beings, the fallible and the infallible. In the
material world every living entity is fallible, and in the spiritual
world every living entity is called infallible.

Bg 15.17
uttamaḥ puruṣas tv anyaḥ
paramātmety udāhṛtaḥ
yo loka-trayam āviśya
bibharty avyaya īśvaraḥ
SYNONYMS:
uttamaḥ — the best; puruṣaḥ — personality; tu — but; anyaḥ —
another; parama-ātmā — the Supreme Self; iti — thus; udāhṛtaḥ — is
said; yaḥ — who; loka — of the universe; trayam — the three
divisions; āviśya — entering; bibharti — is maintaining; avyayaḥ —
inexhaustible; īśvaraḥ — the Lord.
TRANSLATION:
Besides these two, there is the greatest living personality, the
Supreme Soul, the imperishable Lord Himself, who has entered the
three worlds and is maintaining them.

Bg 15.18
 yasmāt kṣaram atīto ’ham
akṣarād api cottamaḥ
ato ’smi loke vede ca
prathitaḥ puruṣottamaḥ
SYNONYMS:
yasmāt — because; kṣaram — to the fallible; atītaḥ —
transcendental; aham — I am; akṣarāt — beyond the infallible; api —
also; ca — and; uttamaḥ — the best; ataḥ — therefore; asmi — I
am; loke — in the world; vede— in the Vedic literature; ca —
and; prathitaḥ — celebrated; puruṣa-uttamaḥ — as the Supreme
Personality.
TRANSLATION:
Because I am transcendental, beyond both the fallible and the
infallible, and because I am the greatest, I am celebrated both in the
world and in the Vedas as that Supreme Person.

Bg 15.19
yo mām evam asammūḍho
jānāti puruṣottamam
sa sarva-vid bhajati māṁ
sarva-bhāvena bhārata
SYNONYMS:
yaḥ — anyone who; mām — Me; evam — thus; asammūḍhaḥ — without a
doubt; jānāti — knows; puruṣa-uttamam — the Supreme Personality of
Godhead; saḥ — he; sarva-vit — the knower of everything; bhajati —
renders devotional service; mām — unto Me; sarva-bhāvena — in all
respects; bhārata — O son of Bharata.
TRANSLATION:
Whoever knows Me as the Supreme Personality of Godhead, without
doubting, is the knower of everything. He therefore engages himself
in full devotional service to Me, O son of Bharata.
Bg 15.20
iti guhya-tamaṁ śāstram
idam uktaṁ mayānagha
etad buddhvā buddhimān syāt
kṛta-kṛtyaś ca bhārata
SYNONYMS:
iti — thus; guhya-tamam — the most confidential; śāstram — revealed
scripture; idam — this; uktam — disclosed; mayā — by Me; anagha — O
sinless one; etat — this; buddhvā — understanding; buddhi-mān —
intelligent; syāt— one becomes; kṛta-kṛtyaḥ — the most perfect in his
endeavors; ca — and; bhārata — O son of Bharata.
TRANSLATION:
This is the most confidential part of the Vedic scriptures, O sinless
one, and it is disclosed now by Me. Whoever understands this will
become wise, and his endeavors will know perfection.