श्रीमद् भगवद्गीता

मूल श्लोकः

अधश्चोर्ध्वं प्रसृतास्तस्य शाखा

गुणप्रवृद्धा विषयप्रवालाः।

अधश्च मूलान्यनुसन्ततानि

कर्मानुबन्धीनि मनुष्यलोके।।15.2।।

English Commentary By Swami Sivananda

15.2 अधः below, च and, ऊर्ध्वम् above, प्रसृताः spread, तस्य its, शाखाः branches, गुणप्रवृद्धाः nourished by the Gunas, विषयप्रवालाः senseobjects (are) its buds, अधः below, च and, मूलानि the roots, अनुसन्ततानि are stretched forth, कर्मानुबन्धीनि originating action, मनुष्यलोके in the world of men.

Commentary:
The countless objects, large and small, which life needs are all products of the five elements through the activity of the alities. This tree of Samsara is nourished by the three alities of Nature. The senseobjects are its buds and the roots which grow downwards are the bonds of Karma for those who lead a life of passion and attachment in this world, who are under the sway of likes and dislikes. The sprouts of this marvellous tree are the charming objects of the senses with their characteristics of sound, touch, colour, taste and smell. The roots, the Karmic tendencies from the past lives, grow downwards to generate the bonds of Karma in the world of men. These roots strengthen the bondage by further actions.The primal root is ignorance from which arises the eightfold Nature -- the five elements, mind, intellect and egoism. From the stem of the tree spring four branches called Svedaja, Andaja,,Jarayuja and Udbhijja. Eightyfour lakhs (eight million and four hundred thousand) of species came into being.One branch shoots straight upwards. This is the branch of Dharma which yields the fruit of enjoyment in heaven. Another branch is the branch of dispassion which yields the fruit of Selfrealisation. The sun, the planets, the manes and the sages have also come out of this wonderful tree. Above them are the branches of the worlds of Indra and the gods. Still higher are those of the sages and the men of austerities and penance. Still higher is the Satyaloka where Hiranyagarbha dwells.From man down to the immovable objects below and from him up to the realm of the Creator above, whatever regions are attained in accordance with the nature of knowledge or action, they are the ramifying branches of the tree of Samsara. They are nurtured and fattened by the three Gunas which form their material base.The senseobjects such as sound, touch, colour, taste and smell represent the buds that sprout from the branches of the physical bodies which are the products of actions.The highest root of this wondeful tree is Brahman. The secondary roots are the latent impressions (Samskaras) of likes and dislikes, which spread in this world of men and impel them to perform virtuus and vicious actions and bind them fast to actions.Now listen to the way by which this tree can be cut off. Only he who thus cuts his bondage to this tree of Samsara can be happy even in this world. He has the highest wisdom because he stands as a spectator of this tree and knows it as it is, without being tied to it.

Sanskrit Commentary By Sri Shankaracharya

।।15.2।। --,अधः मनुष्यादिभ्यो यावत् स्थावरम् ऊर्ध्वं च यावत् ब्रह्मणः विश्वसृजो धाम इत्येतदन्तं यथाकर्म यथाश्रुतं ज्ञानकर्मफलानि? तस्य वृक्षस्य शाखा इव शाखाः प्रसृताः प्रगताः? गुणप्रवृद्धाः गुणैः सत्त्वरजस्तमोभिः प्रवृद्धाः स्थूलीकृताः उपादानभूतैः? विषयप्रवालाः विषयाः शब्दादयः प्रवालाः इव देहादिकर्मफलेभ्यः शाखाभ्यः अङ्कुरीभवन्तीव? तेन विषयप्रवालाः शाखाः। संसारवृक्षस्य परममूलं उपादानकारणं पूर्वम् उक्तम्। अथ इदानीं कर्मफलजनितरागद्वेषादिवासनाः मूलानीव धर्माधर्मप्रवृत्तिकारणानि अवान्तरभावीनि तानि अधश्च देवाद्यपेक्षया मूलानि अनुसंततानि अनुप्रविष्टानि कर्मानुबन्धीनि कर्म धर्माधर्मलक्षणम् अनुबन्धः पश्चाद्भावि? येषाम् उद्भूतिम् अनु उद्भवति? तानि कर्मानुबन्धीनि मनुष्यलोके विशेषतः। अत्र हि मनुष्याणां कर्माधिकारः प्रसिद्धः।।यस्तु अयं वर्णितः संसारवृक्षः --,

English Translation By Swami Sivananda

15.2 Below and above spread its branches, nourished by the Gunas; sense-objects are its buds; and below, in the world of men, stretch forth the roots, originating action.

English Translation Of Sri Shankaracharya's Sanskrit Commentary By Swami Gambirananda

15.2 Sakhah, the branches, as it were; tasya, of that Tree; prasrtah, extending; adhah, downwards, from the human beings to the immobile (trees etc.); ca, and; urdhvam, upwards, upto Brahma-beginning from the Creator of the Cusmos to Dharma (Death) [According to A.G. 'human beings' stands for the world of human beings, and 'Brahma ' for the 'world of Brahma' (Satva-loka). So Dharma may mean the 'world of Death' (pitr-loka).-Tr.], which, 'in accordance with their work and in conformity with their knowledge' (Ka. 2.2.7), are the results of knowledge and actions; are guna-pravrddhah, strengthened, made stout, by the alities sattva, rajas and tamas, which are their materials; and visaya-pravalah, have the sense-objects as their shoots. The sense-objects (sound etc.) sprout, as it were, like new leaves from the branches (bodies etc.) which are the results of actions. Thery the branches are said to have sense-objects as their shoots. The supreme Root, the material cause of the Tree of the World, has been stated earlier. And now, the latent impressions of attraction, repulsion, etc. born of the results of action are the subsidiary roots, as it were, which grow later on and become the cause of involvement in righteousness and and unrighteousness. And those mulani, roots; karma-anubandhini, which are followed by actions; anu-santatani, spread, enter; adhah, downwards, as compared with the world of gods; manusya-loke, into the world of human beings particularly-for it is well known that (only) here men have competence for rites and duties. They (these roots) are said to be karma-anubandhini since actions (karma) that are characterized as righteous and unrighteous follow as their product (anubandha), (i.e.) succeed the rise of those (attraction, repulsion, etc.).