Here is the description of the Tree of Samsar in the Bhagavad Gita, Ch.15, Verses 1,2 &3
Urdhvamulam adhaksakham asvattham prahur avyayam I
chandamsi yasya parnani yas tam veda sa vedavit II
The Tree is the “Aswattha” Tree– Ficus religiosa, the Peepal tree- considered sacred in Hinduism. In Tamil, it is known as “arasa maram”.Also known as Bodhi tree (Buddha).
The Aswattha Tree has been chosen to represent the entire cosmos because of its derivative meaning. “SWA” means tomorrow. “STHA” means that which remains. .A-SWA-STHA means that which will not remain the same tomorrow. In short,the word implicates the ephemeral, the ever-changing.
According to Anandagiri (who has written notes on Sri Sankara’s commentary), the Samsar is represented as a tree (VRIKSHA) because of the etymological meaning of the Sanskrit term “Vriksha”– that which can be cut down.
The experience of change and sorrow which the world of plurality gives us can be totally ended through detachment, The Tree — of multiplicity– that has seemingly sprung forth from the Infinite Consciousness Divine, can be ‘cut down’ by shifting our attention from the Tree to the Divine.
For this Tree of life, the vedas themselves are the leaves. Veda means knowledge. The larger the number of leaves, the greater is the tree’s dimension and growth.Where there is greater knowledge, there we are sure to find a greater manifestation of life.
“Having its root above ” should not be read in its literal meaning. Without the root, no tree can survive. It gives stability to the tree. The root system sustains the growth of the tree . The world of plurality is allegorically pictured here as the fig tree arising from and sustained by the higher consciousness.
adhas ca urdhvam prasrtas tasya sakhah gunapravrddha visayapravalah I
adhas ca mulany anusamtatani karmanubandhini manushya loke II
.”Upwards and downwards its branches spread”. The flow of life in the individual, as well as in the world, is sometimes towards the higher evolutionary purposes, but more often,it tends to cater for the animal nature.These two tendencies are indicated when it is said that the branches of the Tree of life grow both “upwards” and “downwards”.
“Nourished by the Gunas”These urges for living the higher and the lower values are nourished by the particular tendencies (gunas) available in the individual.
“Sense objects are its buds”– In any tree, there are nodular buds which are potential stems that have not developed, but are waiting for a chance to burst forth with leaves and flowers. In this Asvattha tree, these buds are the sense objects. In the presence of a sense object,our tendencies revolt against all our higher concepts and ideals and run amuck to gain their gratification.
“Downwards the roots extend”– the secondary roots which spring forth all around– these are the thought channels (vasanas) initiating actions.
na rupam asye ha tatho palabhyate na anta na ca aadhih na ca sampratistha I
asvattham enam suvirudhamulam asangasastrena drdhena chittva II
“Very few have the comprehensive vision to perceive its form and very few recognise its end, origin or foundation.With the axe of detachment, this Tree of multiple experiences needs to be cut down ( by shifting the attention to the Divine)”
( Swami Chinmayananda)
The Tree of Samsar is described in Viveka Choodamani also- Verse 145.
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