श्री भगवानुवाच | ऊर्ध्वमूलमधःशाखमश्वत्थं प्राहुरव्ययम् | छन्दांसि यस्य पर्णानि यस्तं वेद स वेदवित् || १ ||
śrī-bhagavān uvāca ūrdhva-mūlam adhaḥ-śākham aśvatthaṁ prāhur avyayam chandāṁsi yasya parṇāni yas taṁ veda sa veda-vit
śrī-bhagavān uvāca—the Supreme Lord said; ūrdhva-mūlam—with roots above; adhaḥ-śākham—branches below; aśvattham—the banyan tree (the world); prāhuḥ—they say; avyayam—eternal; chandāṁsi—the Vedic hymns; yasya—whose; parṇāni—leaves; yaḥ—whoever; tam—that; veda—knows; saḥ—he; veda-vit—the knower of the Vedas.
“The Supreme Lord said: They speak of an eternal ashvattha tree with its roots above and branches below, whose leaves are the Vedic hymns. One who knows this tree is a knower of the Vedas.”
The ashvattha tree is a symbol of the world of samsara. Its roots are above in Brahman, the ultimate source, while its branches spread downward into the world of names and forms. The Vedas are its leaves—the nourishing scriptures that sustain the world. To truly know this tree of existence—its origin, nature, and transience—is to possess true Vedic knowledge.
Just as a tree's visible form distracts us from its hidden roots, worldly life distracts us from its spiritual source. Regularly tracing your experiences, desires, and thoughts back to their source in pure awareness is the practice this verse invites. Meditation helps us 'see the root above' — finding stillness beneath the busyness of life.