(Image Courtesy Mahanidhiswami)

The Three Gunas, Or Modalities Of Material Nature, Nourish This Everlasting Tree Of Material Life

अधश्चोर्ध्वं प्रसृतास्तस्य शाखा
गुणप्रवृद्धा विषयप्रवाला: |
अधश्च मूलान्यनुसन्ततानि
कर्मानुबन्धीनि मनुष्यलोके ||15.2||

adhaśh chordhvaṁ prasṛitās tasya śhākhā
guṇa-pravṛiddhā viṣhaya-pravālāḥ
adhaśh cha mūlāny anusantatāni
karmānubandhīni manuṣhya-loke|| 15.2||

Shloka Translation
BG – Ch. 15- Ver. 2:

The three gunas nourish the tree’s branches, which spread upward and downward, with the objects of the senses as fragile buds. The tree’s roots hang downward, permitting karma to flow in the human form. Its roots grow out below, creating (karmic) activities in the human world.

Explanation

Lord Krishna then went on to compare the human form to the ashvattha tree. he soul performs karmas in the human body, which is the tree’s trunk, and its branches stretch both upward and downward. The soul is reborn based on how it performs in previous and current forms.

If it had a good life, it will be reborn in the upper branches, which represent the celestial abodes of the gandharvas, devatas, and other beings. If a soul is involved in sinful deeds, it is demoted to the lower branches, which are for the nether regions and animal species, in the following birth.
The three modes of material nature, or the three gunas, irrigate this eternal tree of material existence in the same way that water irrigates a tree. The sense objects produced by these gunas are similar to tree buds which sprout and cause more growth. These buds sprout, forming a network of material wants’ aerial roots.

The sense objects, in the material world, are like the buds on the ashvatth tree, which produce aerial roots when they elicit body pleasure wants in a person. A living being works karma to satisfy these cravings. However, these cravings are limitless and continue to grow, much like the aerial roots that offer nourishment to this symbolic tree, allowing it to expand indefinitely. The soul eventually becomes enmeshed in this web of material consciousness.

Verse & what we can learn

In the previous shloka, Shri Krishna used an upside-down tree as a metaphor for the material world. He proceeds to describe it in further depth here. When its buds or sprouts turn into branches and touch the ground, they change into roots that securely embed themselves in the soil, and then grow into multiple secondary trunks around the primary tree. The Banyan tree family is known for its massive tree structures. A little tree with only one trunk can grow into a micro forest over time.

Through continual pursuing of sense things, this tree of samsara, made up of the three gunas of Prakriti, grows and spreads. Desires are generated by each sense object, desires are generated by actions taken to obtain those sense things, and accomplishment of sense objects generates more desires. Actions tie us by making us value the tree’s branches and causing us to flee from Ishvara, who is at the root of the tree.

To acquire knowledge and to implement that knowledge in life one needs to be mentally and physically active and healthy and for that daily meditation is a great tool.

There are various types of meditation like Buddhist meditation, heartfulness meditation, mindfulness meditation, meditation for stress, and each meditation benefits are countless. There is also numerous meditation techniques for beginners which help in practicing daily meditation so go ahead and start your journey towards a peaceful and balanced life.

Actions tie us by making us value the tree’s branches and causing us to flee from Ishvara, who is at the root of the tree. What are our alternatives for dealing with this issue? The solution is given in the next shloka by Shri Krishna.

Let’s learn to live with “The Gita” via Meditation Affinity…