06.037
Pancharatra: Bhagavad Gita 15th chapter.
The Blessed Lord spoke:
The eternal peepul tree is said to have its roots above and branches below. Its leaves are the Vedic hymns, and he who understands this tree is the true knower of the Vedas.
The branches of this tree spread both upwards and downwards, nourished by the modes of nature, with sense objects as its sprouts. The roots, extending downwards, are bound by actions in the human world.
The form of this tree is not perceived here; it has neither an end, nor a beginning, nor a foundation. This banyan tree, with its well-rooted roots, must be cut down with the firm weapon of detachment.
I seek that ultimate state, from which there is no return, and surrender to the primordial being from whom the ancient creation has emanated.
Those who are free from pride and delusion, who have conquered the evil of attachment, who are ever devoted to spirituality, who are freed from desires, and who are liberated from the dualities of happiness and distress, the undeluded reach that eternal state.
Neither the sun, nor the moon, nor fire can illuminate that supreme abode of mine, having reached which, one does not return.
In this world, the eternal living entity, which is a part of My own self, struggles with the mind and the six senses that are rooted in material nature.
The soul acquires a body and when it departs, it takes along the senses, just as the air carries scents from their source.
The senses such as ear, eye, touch, tongue, and nose, along with the mind, engage with and enjoy the objects of the senses.
The deluded do not perceive the soul departing, staying, or enjoying, as it is endowed with qualities; only those with the eye of knowledge can see.
Yogis who strive can perceive this truth within themselves, but those who strive with untrained minds cannot see it, as they are not conscious of it.
The light that resides in the sun, which illuminates the entire world, as well as the light in the moon and fire, understand that light to be mine.
By entering the earth, I support all living beings with my energy. I also nourish all plants, becoming the essence-filled Soma.
I am the universal fire situated in the bodies of living beings. United with the life forces of inhalation and exhalation, I digest the four kinds of food.
I reside in the heart of every being; from me arise memory, knowledge, and forgetfulness. Through all the Vedas, I am the one to be known; I am the author of Vedanta and the knower of the Vedas.
In this world, there are two kinds of beings: the perishable and the imperishable. All creatures are perishable, but the one who is unchanging is called imperishable.
The Supreme Person, distinct from others, is referred to as the Supreme Self. He is the imperishable Lord who pervades and sustains the three worlds.
I am beyond the perishable and even superior to the imperishable; hence, I am renowned in the world and in the Vedas as the Supreme Person.
O Bharata, the one who knows me as the Supreme Person without any delusion, worships me with complete devotion.
Thus, I have imparted this most confidential teaching to you, O sinless one. By understanding this, one becomes wise and accomplished, O descendant of Bharata.
