adhaś cordhvaṁ prasṛtās tasya śākhā guṇa-pravṛddhā viṣaya-pravālāḥ adhaś ca mūlāny anusantatāni karmānubandhīni manuṣya-loke
"Below and above spread its branches, nourished by the gunas, with sense objects as shoots; and below, its roots stretch out, bound to action in the human world."
What This Means:
The tree's branches spread in all directions—up to higher realms, down to lower ones—nourished by the three gunas. Sense objects are the new shoots. Secondary roots spread into the human world, binding us through karma.
Going Deeper:
'Adhaḥ ca ūrdhvam prasṛtāḥ śākhāḥ'—branches spreading down and up (all realms of existence). 'Guṇa-pravṛddhāḥ'—nourished/grown by the gunas. 'Viṣaya-pravālāḥ'—sense objects as sprouts/shoots (constantly growing). 'Mūlāni karma-anubandhīni'—secondary roots binding through karma. In the human realm, our actions create new karmic roots that perpetuate the cycle.
How To Apply This:
Every desire creates a new tendril binding you to the tree of existence. Notice how pursuing sense objects (the shoots) creates more entanglement. Each action creates new roots. Liberation requires cutting these roots.
Key Sanskrit Terms: