The Bhagavad Gita Interpreted - Part 15

Krishna said:

—Arjuna, you have heard of the Tree of Eternity, its trunk nested in the heavens, its branches here among us. Its leaves are the hymns of praise, of sacrifice, and of ritual. The one who knows this Tree, knows the first of scriptures.

—Into all the worlds, its branches spread, each bud an object of desire. Nourished by the three dispositions, its roots attach to action.

—Who has seen this Tree from root to branch? Who has seen its expanse and the breadth of its canopy? Its end, its beginning, its foundation no living eye perceives.

—Hew this Tree with the axe of detachment. Escape the tangle of its roots and branches. Say, "I take refuge in Him. I seek solace in Him alone, the Most High, the One supreme."

—Come to the place from whence none return. Cut away the fruit of every action. Step out from the shadow of desire and attachment. Come to the One from Whom none depart.

—Give up selfish desire, and reject the opposites of hatred and love, of pain and pleasure, of sorrow and delight. Fix your eye on the inviolable Self and take comfort beneath the canopy of My majesty, within the precincts of My mercy. Here there is no sun, no moon, no fire. My eternal home shines with the light of My glory.

—With but a spark of Myself, I kindle the light of all lamps. Without its light, what use has a lamp? Who cannot see the fire that burns there? Coming into this world, a man has five senses and mind, and he experiences the objects of sense. Departing from this world, by Creation's perfume he is scented. Yet the one who is lost to himself does not understand his own coming, his going, or his experience of the three threads of nature. While the wise man sees him dwelling within himself, the lost, even by seeking, cannot find him.

—I am the light of creation. Without Me, the sun and moon go dark, and the fire has no glow. I sustain creation. I am the food and drink of every creature. I am their digestion, their inhalation, their exhalation. I reside within every heart, and from Me, your every thought, your memories, your reasonings are possible. I reside in scripture, and am the key to scripture, and its voice. I complete every scripture.

—Within creation there is impermanence and permanence. The impermanent include the lives of every creature. The permanent is the inviolable Self. But there is a third transcending both impermanence and permanence. This is the Most High, the One Supreme, and He alone holds together these three worlds.

—I transcend time and eternity and am higher even than the inviolable Self. In this world and in scripture I am acknowledged as the Most High by those who are are free from delusion, who have come to Me as I have bidden them come.

—Blameless prince, I have revealed My wisdom, the best end of all understanding. Knowing with My knowledge, a man becomes wise, and the purpose of his life is achieved.