adhaśh chordhvaṁ prasṛitās tasya śhākhā
guṇa-pravṛiddhā viṣhaya-pravālāḥ
adhaśh cha mūlāny anusantatāni
karmānubandhīni manuṣhya-loke
adhaḥ — downward;
cha — and;
ūrdhvam — upward;
prasṛitāḥ — extended;
tasya — its;
śhākhāḥ — branches;
guṇa — modes of material nature;
pravṛiddhāḥ — nourished;
viṣhaya — objects of the senses;
pravālāḥ — buds;
adhaḥ — downward;
cha — and;
mūlāni — roots;
anusantatāni — keep growing;
karma — actions;
anubandhīni — bound;
manuṣhya-loke — in the world of humans
In this verse, we learn about a symbolic tree, often compared to our life and the world around us. This tree has branches that stretch both up and down, similar to how our experiences and actions cover a wide range in life.
The branches that go down represent the different types of living beings, like humans, animals, and insects. Think of this like the branches of a tree that hold various fruits; on the lower branches, we might find smaller, simpler beings like ants or birds.
The upper branches symbolize more elevated forms of life, like angels or divine beings that are imagined in various cultures. These higher beings are often seen as having more wisdom or power.
Now, the branches of this tree are fed by three ‘modes’ of material nature. Picture this as different kinds of soil that provide nutrients to a tree. Depending on what type of soil a tree is planted in, it will grow in a certain way. Here, the three modes refer to qualities that influence how people behave and life unfolds: goodness, passion, and ignorance.
If a person is influenced more by goodness, they might show kindness and wisdom; in environments where passion is strong, people can become very ambitious, pursuing success and pleasures. And in ignorance, one might act without understanding, leading to confusion or destructive behaviors.
Just like a dry piece of land won’t grow well, where these three modes are not balanced, you may see a lack of harmony or well-being in a community or among people. Areas flourishing with goodness create stronger, healthier communities and beings.
Finally, the roots of this tree go deep into the ground and are tied to our actions in society, meaning that the way we live, treat others, and interact builds our foundation. Every decision we make is like nurturing the roots of this tree, leading to different fruits or outcomes based on what we do and how we treat those around us.
In simple terms, this verse teaches us to be more aware of our actions and how they affect not just ourselves, but also the world and lives around us. It suggests that by understanding the influences around us – kind of like the soil and climate for a tree – we can choose to grow better in our lives.