Krishna describes the inverted Ashvattha tree — roots above, branches below — the cosmos as a tree to be cut by the sword of detachment. He concludes by naming himself the Supreme Person, beyond both the perishable and the imperishable.
श्रीभगवानुवाच । ऊर्ध्वमूलमधःशाखमश्वत्थं प्राहुरव्ययम् । छन्दांसि यस्य पर्णानि यस्तं वेद स वेदवित् ॥
śrī-bhagavān uvāca | ūrdhva-mūlam-adhaḥ-śākham-aśvatthaṃ prāhur-avyayam | chandāṃsi yasya parṇāni yas-taṃ veda sa veda-vit ||
The Blessed Lord said: They speak of an eternal ashvattha tree with roots above and branches below, whose leaves are the Vedic hymns. One who knows it is the knower of the Vedas.
अधश्चोर्ध्वं प्रसृतास्तस्य शाखा गुणप्रवृद्धा विषयप्रवालाः । अधश्च मूलान्यनुसन्ततानि कर्मानुबन्धीनि मनुष्यलोके ॥
adhaś-cordhvaṃ prasṛtās-tasya śākhā guṇa-pravṛddhā viṣaya-pravālāḥ | adhaś-ca mūlāny-anusantatāni karmānubandhīni manuṣya-loke ||
Its branches spread below and above, nourished by the modes, with sense-objects as buds. Below, its roots stretch forth, binding through action in the world of men.
न रूपमस्येह तथोपलभ्यते नान्तो न चादिर्न च सम्प्रतिष्ठा । अश्वत्थमेनं सुविरूढमूलमसङ्गशस्त्रेण दृढेन छित्त्वा ॥
na rūpam-asyeha tathopalabhyate nānto na cādir-na ca sampratiṣṭhā | aśvattham-enaṃ su-virūḍha-mūlam-asaṅga-śastreṇa dṛḍhena chittvā ||
Its form is not perceived here as such — no end, no beginning, no foundation. Having cut down this firmly rooted ashvattha with the strong sword of detachment—
ततः पदं तत्परिमार्गितव्यं यस्मिन्गता न निवर्तन्ति भूयः । तमेव चाद्यं पुरुषं प्रपद्ये यतः प्रवृत्तिः प्रसृता पुराणी ॥
tataḥ padaṃ tat parimārgitavyaṃ yasmin gatā na nivartanti bhūyaḥ | tam-eva cādyaṃ puruṣaṃ prapadye yataḥ pravṛttiḥ prasṛtā purāṇī ||
— then that state should be sought, from which those who have gone there do not return again. "I take refuge in that primal Person from whom the ancient activity has streamed forth."
निर्मानमोहा जितसङ्गदोषा अध्यात्मनित्या विनिवृत्तकामाः । द्वन्द्वैर्विमुक्ताः सुखदुःखसंज्ञैर्गच्छन्त्यमूढाः पदमव्ययं तत् ॥
nirmāna-mohā jita-saṅga-doṣā adhyātma-nityā vinivṛtta-kāmāḥ | dvandvair-vimuktāḥ sukha-duḥkha-saṃjñair-gacchanty-amūḍhāḥ padam-avyayaṃ tat ||
Free from pride and delusion, having conquered the evil of attachment, ever in the Self, with desires turned away, liberated from the dualities called pleasure and pain — the undeluded reach that imperishable state.
न तद्भासयते सूर्यो न शशाङ्को न पावकः । यद्गत्वा न निवर्तन्ते तद्धाम परमं मम ॥
na tad-bhāsayate sūryo na śaśāṅko na pāvakaḥ | yad gatvā na nivartante tad dhāma paramaṃ mama ||
Neither the sun nor the moon nor fire illumines it. Having gone there, none return — that is my supreme abode.
ममैवांशो जीवलोके जीवभूतः सनातनः । मनःषष्ठानीन्द्रियाणि प्रकृतिस्थानि कर्षति ॥
mamaivāṃśo jīva-loke jīva-bhūtaḥ sanātanaḥ | manaḥ-ṣaṣṭhānīndriyāṇi prakṛti-sthāni karṣati ||
A fragment of my own eternal Self, becoming a jiva in the world of the living, draws to itself the senses, mind being the sixth, that abide in prakriti.
शरीरं यदवाप्नोति यच्चाप्युत्क्रामतीश्वरः । गृहीत्वैतानि संयाति वायुर्गन्धानिवाशयात् ॥
śarīraṃ yad-avāpnoti yac-cāpy-utkrāmatīśvaraḥ | gṛhītvaitāni saṃyāti vāyur-gandhān-ivāśayāt ||
When the Lord (jiva) acquires a body and when he leaves it, he carries these senses with him as the wind carries fragrances from their abode.
श्रोत्रं चक्षुः स्पर्शनं च रसनं घ्राणमेव च । अधिष्ठाय मनश्चायं विषयानुपसेवते ॥
śrotraṃ cakṣuḥ sparśanaṃ ca rasanaṃ ghrāṇam-eva ca | adhiṣṭhāya manaś-cāyaṃ viṣayān-upasevate ||
Presiding over hearing, sight, touch, taste, smell — and also the mind — he experiences sense-objects.
उत्क्रामन्तं स्थितं वापि भुञ्जानं वा गुणान्वितम् । विमूढा नानुपश्यन्ति पश्यन्ति ज्ञानचक्षुषः ॥
utkrāmantaṃ sthitaṃ vāpi bhuñjānaṃ vā guṇānvitam | vimūḍhā nānupaśyanti paśyanti jñāna-cakṣuṣaḥ ||
The deluded do not perceive him departing, staying, enjoying — accompanied by the modes. Those with the eye of knowledge see.
यतन्तो योगिनश्चैनं पश्यन्त्यात्मन्यवस्थितम् । यतन्तोऽप्यकृतात्मानो नैनं पश्यन्त्यचेतसः ॥
yatanto yoginaś-cainaṃ paśyanty-ātmany-avasthitam | yatanto’py-akṛtātmāno nainaṃ paśyanty-acetasaḥ ||
Yogis who strive see him established in the Self. But the unawakened, even striving, do not see him.
यदादित्यगतं तेजो जगद्भासयतेऽखिलम् । यच्चन्द्रमसि यच्चाग्नौ तत्तेजो विद्धि मामकम् ॥
yad-āditya-gataṃ tejo jagad-bhāsayate’khilam | yac-candramasi yac-cāgnau tat tejo viddhi māmakam ||
The brilliance in the sun that illumines the whole world, that in the moon, that in fire — know all that brilliance to be mine.
गामाविश्य च भूतानि धारयाम्यहमोजसा । पुष्णामि चौषधीः सर्वाः सोमो भूत्वा रसात्मकः ॥
gām-āviśya ca bhūtāni dhārayāmy-aham-ojasā | puṣṇāmi cauṣadhīḥ sarvāḥ somo bhūtvā rasātmakaḥ ||
Entering the earth, I sustain beings by my energy; becoming the sap-filled moon, I nourish all plants.
अहं वैश्वानरो भूत्वा प्राणिनां देहमाश्रितः । प्राणापानसमायुक्तः पचाम्यन्नं चतुर्विधम् ॥
ahaṃ vaiśvānaro bhūtvā prāṇināṃ deham-āśritaḥ | prāṇāpāna-samāyuktaḥ pacāmy-annaṃ catur-vidham ||
Becoming the digestive fire Vaishvanara, dwelling in the bodies of all living beings, united with the in-breath and out-breath, I digest the four kinds of food.
सर्वस्य चाहं हृदि सन्निविष्टो मत्तः स्मृतिर्ज्ञानमपोहनं च । वेदैश्च सर्वैरहमेव वेद्यो वेदान्तकृद्वेदविदेव चाहम् ॥
sarvasya cāhaṃ hṛdi sanniviṣṭo mattaḥ smṛtir-jñānam-apohanaṃ ca | vedaiś-ca sarvair-aham-eva vedyo vedānta-kṛd-veda-vid-eva cāham ||
I am seated in the hearts of all. From me come memory, knowledge, and their absence. I alone am that which is to be known by all the Vedas. I am the author of Vedanta and the knower of the Vedas.
द्वाविमौ पुरुषौ लोके क्षरश्चाक्षर एव च । क्षरः सर्वाणि भूतानि कूटस्थोऽक्षर उच्यते ॥
dvāv-imau puruṣau loke kṣaraś-cākṣara eva ca | kṣaraḥ sarvāṇi bhūtāni kūṭa-stho’kṣara ucyate ||
There are two persons in the world — the perishable and the imperishable. The perishable consists of all beings; the unchanging is called the imperishable.
उत्तमः पुरुषस्त्वन्यः परमात्मेत्युदाहृतः । यो लोकत्रयमाविश्य बिभर्त्यव्यय ईश्वरः ॥
uttamaḥ puruṣas-tv-anyaḥ paramātmety-udāhṛtaḥ | yo loka-trayam-āviśya bibharty-avyaya īśvaraḥ ||
But the supreme Person is another — called the Supreme Self, the imperishable Lord who, entering the three worlds, sustains them.
यस्मात्क्षरमतीतोऽहमक्षरादपि चोत्तमः । अतोऽस्मि लोके वेदे च प्रथितः पुरुषोत्तमः ॥
yasmāt kṣaram-atīto’ham-akṣarād-api cottamaḥ | ato’smi loke vede ca prathitaḥ puruṣottamaḥ ||
Because I transcend the perishable and am higher than the imperishable — I am known in the world and in the Veda as the Supreme Person (Purushottama).
यो मामेवमसम्मूढो जानाति पुरुषोत्तमम् । स सर्वविद्भजति मां सर्वभावेन भारत ॥
yo mām-evam-asammūḍho jānāti puruṣottamam | sa sarva-vid-bhajati māṃ sarva-bhāvena bhārata ||
One who, undeluded, knows me thus as the Supreme Person — he, knowing all, worships me with his whole being, O Bharata.
इति गुह्यतमं शास्त्रमिदमुक्तं मयानघ । एतद्बुद्ध्वा बुद्धिमान्स्यात्कृतकृत्यश्च भारत ॥
iti guhya-tamaṃ śāstram-idam-uktaṃ mayānagha | etad-buddhvā buddhimān syāt kṛta-kṛtyaś-ca bhārata ||
Thus this most secret teaching has been declared by me, O sinless one. Knowing this, one becomes wise and accomplished in all that one has to do, O Bharata.