Bhagwad Gita - Post 184

Verse 1

The Blessed Lord said:

They (the wise) speak of the indestructible peepul tree, having its root above and branches below, whose leaves are the metres or hymns; he who knows it is a knower of the Vedas.

This world is like an inverted asvattha tree, or any kind of tree, as the word ‘asvattha’ may be construed to mean ‘not lasting for long’. Na svattham—asvattham: It will not endure even until tomorrow. 

Svastha means ‘that which can continue and last until tomorrow’—that is, it will live in the future. But this will not live in the future; its nature is perishable. 

It is not permanent and, therefore, it is asvattha. That is one etymological meaning of the word asvattha: it does not last long. The world will not be there for all times; therefore, it is asvattha. Or we may say that the world is like an asvattha tree—that is, a peepul tree. 

This vast creation, this whole world, is like a peepul tree which has its roots above and branches below. 

The downward gravitational pull of space and time is the reason for the externalization and the ramification of the original power, original vitality, which is the root of creation. 

Root

Brahman, possessed of the un-manifest power in the form of Maya, is referred to by the word 'upward' because of Its subtleness in point of time by virtue of Its being the Cause, and also because of Its eternality and vastness; and That is the root (mulam) of this world. The Tree of the World which is such, is urdhva-mulam. This accords with the Upanishadic text, 'This has its roots above and branches below’ (Katha Upanishad).

The root contains everything that the tree has, but the tree’s branches do not have everything that the root contains. A little bit of the essence of the original root is distributed in different proportions among the branches, which are thick or thin, as the case may be. 

Its root is an imperishable, inconceivable essence; and it is above. The above-ness is to be understood very carefully because we may be under the impression that for a thing to be above, it has to be distant in space in terms of so many miles or so many  light years because we can conceive of above and below only in terms of spatial expanse. 

But that is not actually the meaning of the above-ness of God. As the root of this tree is God Himself, it cannot be regarded as being above in a spatial sense. He is above in the quality of manifestation, above in a logical sense, above in the comprehensiveness and inclusiveness of spirit. It is more a conceptual transcendence, and not a physical above-ness like the stars in the sky. 

(An interesting point to be contemplated here is that in every religion, when God is referred, we look up at high heavens and stretch our hands higher towards high heavens. 

Why?? 

Not because God is seated in sky / heavens but because God, though being cause of this universe which we see at our level, is far beyond this creation, that is why, we look up at God as something far beyond this manifest creation as for as the materiality is concerned, not because of physical height of Lord from this creation).

So, while the tree with its branches/flowers/ fruits/twig etc  are  facing the earth, signifying that the creation is material, the root is facing upward, signifying that Brahman is un-manifest and it is  beyond the created world!

Continued…..

Love.