अधश्चोर्ध्वं प्रसृतास्तस्य शाखा
गुणप्रवृद्धा विषयप्रवालाः ।
अधश्च मूलान्यनुसन्ततानि
कर्मानुबन्धीनि मनुष्यलोके ॥ १५.२ ॥

adhaścordhvaṃ prasṛtās-tasya śākhā
guṇa-pravṛddhā viṣaya-pravālā: |
adhaśca mūlāny-anusantatāni
karmānubandhīni manuṣya-loke || 15.2 ||

Understanding bondage – the purpose of Aśvattha illustration

The purport is this: The entire world is like the Aśvattha tree, with its roots far above and only branches and leaves down below. No individual has any power or scope to do anything about it. But, a discerning individual should try to understand the world, its magnitude and complexity, by reading the Vedas and going into the meaning of what they say about the whole subject.

Krishna continues his exposition of the Aśvattha tree:

Branches of that tree with guṇas for their nourishment and sensory enjoyments as tender leaves, issue forth downwards and upwards. Its roots are spread forth below in the human world in all directions, giving rise to bondage in the form of activities (through rāga and dveṣa for the results thereof.)

In addition to the initial branches the Aśvattha tree has spread below, says Krishna, there are branches growing upwards also. This specifically implies the pursuit of Vedic rituals, aimed at bestowing results like heavenly life, which become relevant only after one’s body falls.

Prakṛti with its three guṇas, instils desires and motivates manifold activities. Humans are the only beings capable of thinking, designing and acting diversely for various achievements, resulting in drastic changes not only in their life-style but also in nature and environments. This applies to both constructive and destructive activities alike.

The potential is two-fold: Enquiry into the present life along with the world around; and yearning to know about life after death.

By the human spirit of discovery and adventure alone men of the earth were safely landed on the moon and also brought back. This bespeaks how much their spirit of exploration can be effective. There is no limit to the scope humans have before them. The world is endless and the human access to knowledge is also limitless!

Again, it is the same spirit of yearning that has led the religious thinkers to explore into the prospects of life after death and conceive of heavenly prospects and luxuries, referred to in the Vedic and allied scriptures. Arjuna himself refers in the beginning to the life in the heavens and hells, as reward or punishment for the acts done here. Thus the branches with leaves of the Aśvattha tree also extend upward.

The entire visible creation is before us as a huge tree, whose roots are, far above, beyond our reach. Nonetheless, its branches with leaves are available to us. Are we to be allured by them, or a clear note of further discrimination is called for? As earlier, Krishna has his own special note of caution and wisdom to emphasize here. He speaks about not allowing this tree to overpower us, instead to check it by means of our own willful insight.