अधश्चोर्ध्वं प्रसृतास्तस्य शाखा गुणप्रवृद्धा विषयप्रवालाः ।
अधश्च मूलान्यनुसन्ततानि कर्मानुबन्धीनि मनुष्यलोके ॥
अधश्च मूलान्यनुसन्ततानि कर्मानुबन्धीनि मनुष्यलोके ॥
Hindi · हिन्दी
उस संसारवृक्षकी गुणोंसत्त्व, रज और तम के द्वारा बढ़ी हुई तथा विषयरूप कोंपलोंवाली शाखाएँ नीचे, मध्यमें और ऊपर सब जगह फैली हुई हैं । मनुष्यलोकमें कर्मोंके अनुसार बाँधनेवाले मूल भी नीचे और ऊपर सभी लोकोंमें व्याप्त हो रहे हैं ॥
English
Its branches spread below, above, and across. They are nourished by the three qualities, with sense-pleasures as their shoots. In the human world, action-bound roots extend everywhere, tying beings to results.
What this verse means
The world-tree spreads everywhere, fed by the three qualities and by desire for sense-pleasures. Its roots reach through human life through action and its consequences.
Context & commentary
Krishna has just described the upside-down world-tree of existence to Arjuna on the battlefield. Now he shows how it grows: the three qualities feed its branches, sense-pleasures keep them alive, and action binds the roots through human life.
Why this verse still matters
You keep checking one message, then another, then another. Each small craving feeds the whole pattern until it feels like the pattern is running you.
The takeaway
You can feel how deeply life is entangled when desire and action keep feeding the same tree.
Word-by-word translation
अधः (below) / च (and) / ऊर्ध्वं (above) / प्रसृताः (spread out) / तस्य (of that) / शाखाः (branches) / गुणप्रवृद्धाः (grown by the qualities) / विषयप्रवालाः (with sense-objects as shoots) / अधः (below) / च (and) / मूलानि (roots) / अनुसन्ततानि (extended everywhere) / कर्मानुबन्धीनि (bound by action) / मनुष्यलोके (in the human world)
This verse is part of Bhagavad Gita Chapter 15: Purushottama Yoga — The Yoga of the Supreme Person, which contains 20 verses.
Explore related themes: gunas (47 verses)