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 ||
ພວກເຂົາກ່າວເຖິງຕົ້ນອັສວັດຖະ (aśvattha) ອັນບໍ່ເສື່ອມສະລາຍ—ຮາກຢູ່ເທິງ ແລະກິ່ງງ່າຢູ່ລຸ່ມ; ໃບຂອງມັນແມ່ນບົດສັນລະເສີນແຫ່ງເວດະ. ຜູ້ໃດຮູ້ຈັກຕົ້ນນີ້ຢ່າງແທ້ຈິງ ຜູ້ນັ້ນແມ່ນຜູ້ຮູ້ເວດະ. ແຕ່ຮູບແທ້ຂອງມັນໃນໂລກນີ້ບໍ່ອາດຈັບໄດ້ດັ່ງທີ່ມັນເປັນ—ບໍ່ມີຕົ້ນກໍາເນີດ ບໍ່ມີທ້າຍສຸດ ແລະບໍ່ມີຖານທີ່ໝັ້ນຄົງ. ດັ່ງນັ້ນ ຈົ່ງຕັດຕົ້ນອັສວັດຖະທີ່ຮາກເລິກ—ຕົ້ນໄມ້ແຫ່ງຂະບວນການໂລກທີ່ຖືກຫຼ້ຽງດ້ວຍຄວາມຍຶດຕິດ—ດ້ວຍອາວຸດອັນໝັ້ນຄົງແຫ່ງຄວາມບໍ່ຍຶດຕິດ (non-attachment) ແລ້ວຫັນອອກຈາກຄວາມພັນທະ ເພື່ອສະແຫວງຫາຄຸນຄ່າສູງສຸດເຫນືອການສືບຕໍ່ທາງໂລກີຍ.
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.