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Ch 15 · Puruṣottama-Yoga
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Bhagavad Gītā Chapter 15, Verse 3: Krishna to Arjuna — Puruṣottama-Yoga

Bhagavad Gītā 15.3Chapter 15 · Puruṣottama-Yoga · Krishna → Arjuna · upajāti
न रूपमस्येह तथोपलभ्यते नान्तो न चादिर् न च संप्रतिष्ठा ।
अश्वत्थमेनं सुविरूढमूलमसङ्गशस्त्रेण दृढेन छित्त्वा ॥
na← na(252 verses)not (negation particle) rūpam← rūpa(23 verses)nominative neuter singular nounform, shape, appearance; the visible aspectattested in commentariesadvaitaअस्य इह यथा उपवर्णितं तथा नैव उपलभ्यते, स्वप्नमरीच्युदकमायागन्धर्वनगरसमत्वात् दृष्टनष्टस्वरूपो हि स इति अत asy← idam(122 verses)genitive masculine singular nounthis (proximal demonstrative)attested in commentariesadvaitaइह यथा उपवर्णितं तथा नैव उपलभ्यते, स्वप्नमरीच्युदकमायागन्धर्वनगरसमत्वात् दृष्टनष्टस्वरूपो हि स इति अतviśiṣṭādvaitaवृक्षस्य चतुर्मुखादित्वेन ऊर्ध्वमूलत्वं तत्संतानपरम्परया मनुष्याग्रत्वेन अधःशाखत्वं मनुष्यत्वे कृतैः कर्ममिः मूलभूतैः पdvaitaरूपं नोपलभ्यत इत्युक्ते प्रमाणबाधः, अत उक्तम् -- तथे तिeha tath← tathā(47 verses)thus, in that manner; likewiseopalabhyate nānto na← na(252 verses)not (negation particle) cādir na← na(252 verses)not (negation particle) ca← ca(391 verses)and; (homonym: also the consonant ca) saṃpratiṣṭhā← sampratiṣṭhānominative feminine singular noun(sam- + pratiṣṭhā: foundation)attested in commentariesadvaitaस्थितिः मध्यम् अस्य न केनचित् उपलभ्यतेbhaktiस्थितिः कथं तिष्ठतीति न चोपलभ्यतेadvaita-bhaktiस्थितिर्मध्यस्योपलभ्यते आद्यन्तप्रतियोगिकत्वात्तस्य
aśvattham← aśvattha(3 verses)accusative masculine singular nounthe sacred fig tree (Ficus religiosa); the world-treeattested in commentariesadvaitaएनं यथोक्तं सुविरूढमूलं सुष्ठु विरूढानि विरोहं गतानि सुदृढानि मूलानि यस्य तम् एनं सुविरूढमूलम्, असङ्गशस्त्रे ण असङ्गः प enaṃ← enad(18 verses)accusative masculine singular nounthis, this here (close demonstrative) su← su(11 verses)good, well; auspicious prefix-virūḍha← vi-√ruhcompound participle (compound member)to grow forth, sprout (vi- + √ruh)-mūlam← mūla(4 verses)accusative masculine singular nounroot, base, foundation asaṅga← asaṅgacompound (compound member)(a- + saṅga: attachment)attested in commentariesdvaitaएव शस्त्रमिति व्याख्यानमसदिति भावेनाह -- असङ्गे ति-śastreṇa← śastra(6 verses)instrumental neuter singular nounweaponattested in commentariesviśiṣṭādvaitaछित्त्वा ततः विषयासङ्गाद्bhaktiछित्त्वा तत्त्वज्ञाने यतेतेत्याह -- अश्वत्थमेनमिति सार्धेन dṛḍhena← dṛḍha(5 verses)instrumental neuter singular nounfirm, fixed (past participle of √dṛṃh)attested in commentariesadvaitaपरमात्माभिमुख्यनिश्चयदृढीकृतेन पुनः पुनः विवेकाभ्यासाश्मनिशितेन च्छित्वा संसारवृक्षं सबीजम् उद्धृत्यviśiṣṭādvaitaगुणमयभोगासङ्गाख्येन शस्त्रेण छित्त्वा ततः विषयासङ्गाद्bhaktiवैराग्येण शस्त्रेण छित्त्वा तत्त्वज्ञाने यतेतेत्याह -- अश्वत्थमेनमिति सार्धेनadvaita-bhaktiपरमात्माज्ञानौत्सुक्यदृढीकृतेन पुनः पुनर्विवेकाभ्यासनिशितेन छित्त्वा समूलमुद्धृत्य वैराग्यशमदमादिसंपत्त्या सर्वकर्मसंन् chittvā← chid(3 verses)convto cut, sever (verbal root)attested in commentariesviśiṣṭādvaitaततः विषयासङ्गाद्dvaitaइत्यस्यसबीजमुद्धृत्य इति (शं.) व्याख्यानमसदिति भावेनाह -- छेदश्चे तिbhaktiतत्त्वज्ञाने यतेतेत्याह -- अश्वत्थमेनमिति सार्धेनadvaita-bhaktiसमूलमुद्धृत्य वैराग्यशमदमादिसंपत्त्या सर्वकर्मसंन्यासं कृत्वेत्येतत्
spokensingle-voice recital; rendered via IndicF5 conditioned on a Sanskrit reference clip
meaning

The form of this tree cannot be grasped here; no end, no beginning, no ground beneath it can be found. Cut it, deep-rooted as it is, with the firm sword of non-attachment.

Bhāṣyakāra purports

  • Śaṅkaraadvaita

    This ashvattha (the cosmic tree of samsara) has no graspable form here: like a dream, mirage-water, or gandharva-city it appears and vanishes, so its true shape is never seized. It has no end (anta) — no boundary or final resolution — and no beginning from which its course can be traced; its middle (samsthiti) too eludes all perception. Therefore this deeply-rooted tree must be felled with the firm sword of non-attachment (asanga-shastra) — sharpened by repeated discrimination (viveka-abhyasa) and strengthened by unwavering resolve toward the Supreme Self — cutting it along with its seed.

    divergence: Shankara reads the imperceptibility as mithya-status (dream/mirage analogy). The sword is viveka sharpened by vairagya; the goal is jnana-nishtha, not devotion.

  • Rāmānujaviśiṣṭādvaita

    The samsara-tree's form — with Brahma and the gods as its upper root, the human realm as its lower branches, and karma-driven re-growth in every direction — is not perceived by those caught within it; they see only 'I am so-and-so's son, so-and-so's father.' Its end is hidden because non-attachment to guna-born pleasure is not cultivated; its beginning is hidden because the root cause (guna-sanga itself) is not recognized; its foundation is hidden because the ignorance that mistakes the non-Self for Self (anatmani atma-abhimana) is not seen for what it is. Cut this tree with the firm sword of right knowledge rooted in non-attachment to sense-pleasure, then seek refuge in the Primeval Person (adya purusha) alone — for it is only through His grace that this beginningless bondage is overcome.

    divergence: Ramanuja anchors imperceptibility in the samsarin's experiential blindness, not metaphysical illusion. Asanga-shastra is samyag-jnana whose ultimate instrument is prapatti (surrender to the Primeval Person, citing BG 7.14 and 9.10).

  • Madhvadvaita

    The tree as it truly stands is not perceived; its anta (end) and adi (beginning) are Vishnu Himself — as the Bhagavata declares 'You are the beginning, end, and middle of this world,' and the Mokshadharma confirms that even gods and sages do not know His beginningless, endless nature. The sword of asanga is the knowledge accompanied by freedom from all attachment, sharpened by upasana (meditative worship) as stated in the Bhagavata. The 'cutting' (chheda) is vimarsha — discriminative reflection — and when that reflection reaches the root-dwelling Brahman, the tree no longer binds; it is Brahman Himself who is not bound by this, though the tree binds others.

    divergence: Madhva's radical divergence: anta and adi refer to Vishnu, not to the tree's measurability. The cutting is vimarsha (reflection on Brahman), not renunciation. The tree binds jivas but not Brahman who is its root — a theistic realism absent in Shankara.

  • Vallabhaśuddhādvaita

    Those deluded by maya — the disputants who posit the world as ultimately real in its ordinary form — do not perceive this tree's true nature as declared by the Veda, because its essential form remains unmanifest (Brahma-sutra 3.2.3: maya-matram). Nor is there any decisive end (anta), nor any traceable origin (adi), nor any stable foundation (sampratishtha); therefore this world so conceived is asat — unreal and unsupported — exactly as the asuras declare in BG 16.8. Yet the world itself is not thereby negated: what must be cut is only this superimposed, jiva-projected, desire-formed corrupt portion — like separating dross-gold from gold — using the sword of firm vairagya expressed as non-engagement with what is un-adorable (abhajan-iyataya saktyabhava). What remains after the cut is the aksara Brahman that is the Lord's own abode — one's true atma-rupa.

    divergence: Vallabha refuses both full-world-negation (contra Shankara) and simple devotional renunciation. The cut separates jiva-projected samsara from the divine world that persists as Bhagavan's lila; the sword is vairagya toward the non-adorable, not a general detachment.

  • Śrīdharabhakti

    Beings dwelling within this samsara do not perceive the tree's true form in the manner described — neither its upward-rootedness nor any other feature. There is no end to it, for it is aparyanta (limitless); there is no traceable beginning, for it is anadi (beginningless); and how it stands in the middle is equally imperceptible. Because this samsara-vriksha is so difficult to cut and so productive of all calamity, one must sever it with the firm sword of vairagya — which is asanga, the relinquishing of all sense of 'I' and 'mine' — through samyag-vichara (right discernment), and only then strive for tattva-jnana (knowledge of truth).

    divergence: Sridhara is terse and traditional, grounding asanga firmly in ahankara-mamata-tyaga (relinquishing I-ness and mine-ness). No elaborate metaphysical apparatus; the practical orientation toward tattva-jnana is the telos.

  • Madhusūdanaadvaita-bhakti

    The samsara-tree as described cannot be perceived in that manner by beings within it, because it is mithya (false) in the manner of a dream, mirage-water, maya, or gandharva-city — its nature is 'seen and lost.' Therefore its end is imperceptible (it will never be exhausted by time); its beginning is imperceptible (it is anadi, without traceable origin); and its middle-standing is imperceptible (for middle requires two termini). Since this tree is so difficult to uproot and the cause of all calamity, one must cut it — deeply rooted as it is by beginningless avidya — with the firm sword of asanga: asanga being vairagya (freedom from craving, including the renunciation of desires for sons, wealth, and worlds), sharpened repeatedly by viveka-abhyasa and strengthened by keen yearning (autsukya) for the Supreme Self; and then one must take up the complete renunciation (sarva-karma-sannyasa) supported by the wealth of shama, dama, and the rest.

    divergence: Madhusudhana inherits Shankara's mithya-language and dream-mirage analogy, but his asanga-shastra includes devotional yearning (Paramatma-aujsukya) as the edge that sharpens the sword — a synthesis unavailable in strict jnana-marga reading.

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