श्रीभगवानुवाच । ऊर्ध्वमूलमधःशाखमश्वत्थं प्राहुरव्ययम् । छन्दांसि यस्य पर्णानि यस्तं वेद स वेदवित् ॥ १ ॥
śhrī-bhagavān uvācha ūrdhva-mūlam adhaḥ-śhākham aśhvatthaṁ prāhur avyayam chhandānsi yasya parṇāni yas taṁ veda sa veda-vit
Translation
The Blessed Lord said: They speak of an eternal ashvattha tree with its roots above and branches below. Its leaves are the Vedic hymns; one who knows this tree knows the Vedas.
Hindi Meaning (हिंदी अर्थ)
श्रीभगवान बोले: जिसकी जड़ ऊपर और शाखाएँ नीचे हैं, ऐसे अविनाशी अश्वत्थ (पीपल) वृक्ष की बात कही जाती है। वेद के छंद उसके पत्ते हैं; जो इस वृक्ष को जानता है, वही वेदों का ज्ञाता है।
Commentary
Chapter 15, Purushottama Yoga, is short (twenty verses) and is traditionally recited before meals in many homes and monasteries. It opens with a striking image drawn from the Katha Upanishad (2.3.1): the world as an upside-down fig tree. Its root is above, in God, the source of everything, and its branches spread downward into the world. The ashvattha (peepal) is a sacred tree in India, and the name was often explained as "that which will not last till tomorrow" (a-shvah-stha): the world looks permanent but is always changing.
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