Shloka 3
Chapter 43: Tumult of Battle-Sounds and the Proliferation of Dvandva
Paired Engagements
ऊर्ध्वमूलमध:शाखमश्चत्थं प्राहुरव्ययम् । छन्दांसि यस्य पर्णानि यस्तं वेद स वेदवित् ।।
ūrdhva-mūlam adhaḥ-śākham aśvatthaṁ prāhur avyayam | chandāṁsi yasya parṇāni yas taṁ veda sa veda-vit || (gītā 15.1) na rūpam asyeha tathopalabhyate nānto na cādir na ca sampratiṣṭhā | aśvattham enaṁ su-virūḍha-mūlam asaṅga-śastreṇa dṛḍhena chittvā ||
They describe an imperishable aśvattha tree whose root is above and branches below; its leaves are the Vedic hymns—whoever truly understands this tree is a knower of the Veda. Yet its real form is not grasped here as it is: it has no beginning, no end, and no secure foundation. Therefore, having cut down this deeply rooted aśvattha—this world-process sustained by attachment—with the firm weapon of non-attachment, one should turn away from entanglement and seek the highest good beyond mere worldly continuity.
अजुन उवाच
Educational Q&A
Saṁsāra is portrayed as an inverted, impermanent-yet-continuing world-tree whose visible structure cannot be securely grasped as ultimate reality. Freedom requires cutting its deep roots—attachment, egoism, and craving—using the disciplined ‘weapon’ of non-attachment, thereby turning toward liberating knowledge.
In the teaching context of the Gītā, the speaker introduces a vivid metaphor: the aśvattha tree represents worldly existence and its entangling growth. The instruction is practical and ethical-spiritual: recognize the instability of worldly supports and actively sever attachment through firm inner discipline.