Katha Upanishad 6.1Famous
intermediate
ऊर्ध्वमूलोऽवाक्शाख एषोऽश्वत्थः सनातनः। तदेव शुक्रं तद्ब्रह्म तदेवामृतमुच्यते। तस्मिंल्लोकाः श्रिताः सर्वे तदु नात्येति कश्चन। एतद्वै तत्॥
ūrdhvamūlo'vākśākha eṣo'śvatthaḥ sanātanaḥ | tadeva śukraṃ tadbrahma tadevāmṛtamucyate | tasmiṃllokāḥ śritāḥ sarve tadu nātyeti kaścana | etadvai tat ||
""This eternal ashvattha tree has its roots above and branches below. That alone is the Pure, that is Brahman, that alone is called the Immortal. In it all worlds rest; none goes beyond it. This verily is That.""
What This Means:
The cosmic tree has its roots in Brahman (above) and branches spreading into the world (below). This tree is Brahman itself - the immortal source of all worlds.
Going Deeper:
The inverted tree symbolizes manifestation from the unmanifest. The root (source) is transcendent; branches (effects) spread into multiplicity.
How To Apply This:
Trace all manifestation back to its root. Don't get lost in the branches.
#cosmic tree#roots above#Brahman