The Yoga of the Supreme Divine Personality
Verse 15.3
न रूपमस्येह तथोपलभ्यते नान्तो न चादिर्न च संप्रतिष्ठा।अश्वत्थमेनं सुविरूढमूल मसङ्गशस्त्रेण दृढेन छित्त्वा।।15.3।।
na rūpam asyeha tathopalabhyate nānto na chādir na cha sampratiṣhṭhā aśhvattham enaṁ su-virūḍha-mūlam asaṅga-śhastreṇa dṛiḍhena chhittvā
Word Meanings
na—not; rūpam—form; asya—of this; iha—in this world; tathā—as such; upalabhyate—is perceived; na—neither; antaḥ—end; na—nor; cha—also; ādiḥ—beginning; na—never; cha—also; sampratiṣhṭhā—the basis; aśhvattham—sacred fig tree; enam—this; su-virūḍha-mūlam—deep-rooted; asaṅga-śhastreṇa—by the axe of detachment; dṛiḍhena—strong; chhittvā—having cut down;
Translation · English
Its form is not perceived here as such, nor its end, origin, foundation, or resting place; having cut asunder this firmly rooted peepul tree with the strong axe of non-attachment.
Deep Meaning · English
In this profound metaphor, Sri Krishna describes the material world as an Ashvattha tree, inverted with its roots in the Brahman and branches extending into the manifest universe. The description highlights the illusory and transient nature of Samsara; like a dream or a mirage, it has no discernible beginning, end, or stable foundation upon inspection. Because its roots are established in the transcendental reality of the Supreme, the material manifestation lacks its own independent existence, rendering its complex network of suffering and desire ultimately groundless. By emphasizing that its form cannot be grasped as it truly is, Krishna encourages the seeker to look past the shadows of phenomena toward the eternal substratum. This verse serves as a crucial turning point where the intellect must acknowledge the futility of seeking permanent security within the changing tides of material life. The solution proposed—the 'axe of detachment'—is not a call to physical renunciation, but a radical internal shift. By sharpening the blade of non-attachment through firm spiritual discernment, the seeker severs the conditioned identification with the tree of worldliness. This act of cutting is the final prerequisite for liberation, allowing the individual to stop oscillating between the branches of duality and return to the root of the Absolute.
True liberation begins when we recognize that the material world is a rootless, transient reflection and wield the sharp axe of detachment to sever our identification with it.
Connected Verses
This is the immediate precursor that establishes the metaphor of the eternal Ashvattha tree with its roots above and branches below.
It highlights the interplay between the seer and the seen, reinforcing that all existence arises from the union of the field and the knower of the field.
It connects to the temporary nature of the world, describing it as a place of suffering that the great souls, having attained the Supreme, no longer inhabit.
This verse echoes the necessity of non-attachment, describing the one who attains peace as a person in whom desires disappear like rivers into the ocean.
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