|| Verse: 1 ||
श्रीभगवानुवाच ।
ऊर्ध्वमूलमधःशाखमश्वत्थं प्राहुरव्ययम् ।
छन्दांसि यस्य पर्णानि यस्तं वेद स वेदवित् ॥ १ ॥
Translation
The Lord Said:
He who knows the Pipala tree (in the form of creation); which is said to be imperishable with its roots in the Primeval Being (God), whose stem is represented by Brahma (the Creator), and whose leaves are the Vedas, is a knower of the purport of the Vedas.
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|| Verse: 2 ||
अधश्चोर्ध्वं प्रसृतास्तस्य शाखा
गुणप्रवृद्धा विषयप्रवालाः ।
अधश्च मूलान्यनुसन्ततानि
कर्मानुबन्धीनि मनुष्यलोके ॥ २ ॥
Translation
Fed by the three Guƒas and having sense-objects for their tender leaves, the branches of the aforesaid tree (in the shape of the different orders of creation) extend both downwards and upwards; and its roots, which bind the soul according to its actions in the human body, are spread in all regions, higher as well as lower.
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|| Verse: 3 ||
न रूपमस्येह तथोपलभ्यते
नान्तो न चादिर्न च सम्प्रतिष्ठा ।
अश्वत्थमेनं सुविरूढमूलं-
असङ्गशस्त्रेण दृढेन छित्त्वा ॥ ३ ॥
Translation
The nature of this tree of creation does not on mature thought turn out what it is represented to be; for it has neither beginning nor end nor even stability. Therefore, cutting down this Pipala tree, which is most firmly rooted, with the formidable axe of dispassion.
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|| Verse: 4 ||
ततः पदं तत्परिमार्गितव्यं-
यस्मिन्गता न निवर्तन्ति भूयः ।
तमेव चाद्यं पुरुषं प्रपद्ये ।
यतः प्रवृत्तिः प्रसृता पुराणी ॥ ४ ॥
Translation
Thereafter a man should diligently seek for that supreme state, viz., God, having attained which they return no more to this world; and having fully resolved that he stands dedicated to that Primeval Being (God Narayana) Himself, from whom the flow of this beginningless creation has progressed, he should dwell and meditate on Him.
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|| Verse: 5 ||
निर्मानमोहा जितसङ्गदोषा-
अध्यात्मनित्या विनिवृत्तकामाः ।
द्वन्द्वैर्विमुक्ताः सुखदुःखसंज्ञै-
र्गच्छन्त्यमूढाः पदमव्ययं तत् ॥ ५ ॥
Translation
They who are free from pride and delusion, who have conquered the evil of attachment, and are constantly abiding in God, whose cravings have altogether ceased and who are completely immune to all pairs of opposites going by the names of pleasure and pain, and are undeluded, attain that supreme immortal state.
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|| Verse: 6 ||
न तद्भासयते सूर्यो न शशाङ्को न पावकः ।
यद्गत्वा न निवर्तन्ते तद्धाम परमं मम ॥ ६ ॥
Translation
Neither the sun nor the moon nor fire can illumine that supreme self-effulgent state, attaining which they never return to this world; that is My supreme abode.
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|| Verse : 7 ||
ममैवांशो जीवलोके जीवभूतः सनातनः ।
मनःषष्ठानीन्द्रियाणि प्रकृतिस्थानि कर्षति ॥ ७ ॥
Translation
The eternal Jivatma in this body is a fragment of My own Self; and it is that alone which draws around itself the mind and the five senses, which abide in Prakriti.
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|| Verse : 8 ||
शरीरं यदवाप्नोति यच्चाप्युत्क्रामतीश्वरः ।
गृहीत्वैतानि संयाति वायुर्गन्धानिवाशयात् ॥ ८ ॥
Translation
Even as the wind wafts scents from their seat, so, too, the Jivatma, which is the controller of the body, etc., taking the mind and the senses from the body, which it leaves behind, forthwith migrates to the body which it acquires.
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|| Verse : 9 ||
श्रोत्रं चक्षुः स्पर्शनं च रसनं घ्राणमेव च ।
अधिष्ठाय मनश्चायं विषयानुपसेवते ॥ ९ ॥
Translation
It is while dwelling in the senses of hearing, sight, touch, taste, and smell, as well as in the mind, that this Jivatma enjoys the objects of senses.
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|| Verse: 10 ||
उत्क्रामन्तं स्थितं वापि भुञ्जानं वा गुणान्वितम् ।
विमूढा नानुपश्यन्ति पश्यन्ति ज्ञानचक्षुषः ॥ १० ॥
Translation
The ignorant know not the soul departing from, or dwelling in the body, or enjoying the objects of senses, i.e., even when it is connected with the three Gunas; only those endowed with the eyes of wisdom are able to realize it.
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|| Verse: 11 ||
यतन्तो योगिनश्चैनं पश्यन्त्यात्मन्यवस्थितम् ।
यतन्तोऽप्यकृतात्मानो नैनं पश्यन्त्यचेतसः ॥ ११ ॥
Translation
Striving Yogis too are able to realize this Self enshrined in their heart. The ignorant, however, whose heart has not been purified, know not this Self in spite of their best endeavors.
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|| Verse: 12 ||
यदादित्यगतं तेजो जगद्भासयतेऽखिलम् ।
यच्चन्द्रमसि यच्चाग्नौ तत्तेजो विद्धि मामकम् ॥ १२ ॥
Translation
The radiance in the sun illumines the entire world, and that which shines in the moon and that which shines in the fire too, know that radiance to be Mine.
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|| श्लोक : १३ ||
गामाविश्य च भूतानि धारयाम्यहमोजसा ।
पुष्णामि चौषधीः सर्वाः सोमो भूत्वा रसात्मकः ॥ १३ ॥
Translation
And permeating the soil, it is I who support all creatures by My vital energy, and becoming the sapful moon, I nourish all plants.
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|| Verse: 14 ||
अहं वैश्वानरो भूत्वा प्राणिनां देहमाश्रितः ।
प्राणापानसमायुक्तः पचाम्यन्नं चतुर्विधम् ॥ १४ ॥
Translation
Taking the form of fire, as Vaisvanara, lodged in the body of all creatures and united with the Prana (exhalation) and Apana (inhalation) breaths, it is I who digest and assimilate the four kinds of food.
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|| Verse: 15 ||
सर्वस्य चाहं हृदि सन्निविष्टो
मत्तः स्मृतिर्ज्ञानमपोहनञ्च ।
वेदैश्च सर्वैरहमेव वेद्यो
वेदान्तकृद्वेदविदेव चाहम् ॥ १५ ॥
Translation
It is I who remain seated in the heart of all creatures as the inner controller of all; and it is I who am the source of memory, knowledge, and the ratiocinative faculty. Again, I am the only object worth knowing through the Vedas; I alone am the origin of Vedanta and the knower of the Vedas too.
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|| Verse: 16 ||
द्वाविमौ पुरुषौ लोके क्षरश्चाक्षर एव च ।
क्षरः सर्वाणि भूतानि कूटस्थोऽक्षर उच्यते ॥ १६ ॥
Translation
The perishable and the imperishable tooóthese are the two kinds of Puru¶as in this world. Of these, the bodies of all beings are spoken of as perishable; while the Jivatma or the embodied soul is called imperishable.
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|| Verse: 17 ||
उत्तमः पुरुषस्त्वन्यः परमात्मेत्युदाहृतः ।
यो लोकत्रयमाविश्य बिभर्त्यव्यय ईश्वरः ॥ १७ ॥
Translation
Yet, the Supreme Person is other than these, who, having encompassed all the three worlds, upholds and maintains all, and has been spoken of as the imperishable Lord and the Supreme Spirit.
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|| Verse: 18 ||
यस्मात्क्षरमतीतोऽहमक्षरादपि चोत्तमः ।
अतोऽस्मि लोके वेदे च प्रथितः पुरुषोत्तमः ॥ १८ ॥
Translation
Since I am wholly beyond the perishable world of matter or Kshetra, and superior even to the imperishable soul, Jivatma, hence I am known as the Puru¶ottama, the Supreme Self, in the world as well as in the Vedas.
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|| Verse: 19 ||
यो मामेवमसम्मूढो जानाति पुरुषोत्तमम् ।
स सर्वविद्भजति मां सर्वभावेन भारत ॥ १९ ॥
Translation
Arjuna, the wise man who thus realizes Me as the Supreme Personóknowing all, He constantly worships Me (the all-pervading Lord) with his whole being.
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|| Verse : 20 ||
इति गुह्यतमं शास्त्रमिदमुक्तं मयानघ ।
एतद्बुद्ध्वा बुद्धिमान्स्यात्कृतकृत्यश्च भारत ॥ २० ॥
Translation
Arjuna, this most esoteric teaching has thus been imparted by Me; grasping it in essence man becomes wise and his mission in life is accomplished.