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Adhyāyas / Puruṣottama Yogaḥ / verse 2

Mūla — the verse

Gita Press numbering
अधश्चोर्ध्वं प्रसृतास्तस्य शाखा गुणप्रवृद्धा विषयप्रवालाः। अधश्च मूलान्यनुसन्ततानि कर्मानुबन्धीनि मनुष्यलोके
adhaśh chordhvaṁ prasṛitās tasya śhākhā guṇa-pravṛiddhā viṣhaya-pravālāḥ adhaśh cha mūlāny anusantatāni karmānubandhīni manuṣhya-loke
Triṣṭubh (s u u I)(!!) irregular in source

Translation

Swami Gambhīrānanda · follows Śaṅkara-bhāṣya

The branches of that Tree, extending downwards and upwards, are strengthened by the qualities and have sense-objects as their shoots. And the roots, which are followed by actions, spread downwards in the human world [According to A.G. and M.S. manusya-loke means a body distinguished by Brahminhood etc.].

हिन्दी अनुवाद — Swami Tejomayānanda

उस वृक्ष की शाखाएं गुणों से प्रवृद्ध हुईं नीचे और ऊपर फैली हुईं हैं; (पंच) विषय इसके अंकुर हैं; मनुष्य लोक में कर्मों का अनुसरण करने वाली इसकी अन्य जड़ें नीचे फैली हुईं हैं।।

Pronunciation — Vaamshii

from Vaamshii
अधश् चोर्ध्वम् प्रसृतास् तस्य शाखाः(!!)
गुणप् रवृद् धा विषयप् रवालाः
अधश् चमूलान् यनु सन् ततानि
कर् मानु बन्धीनि मनुष्य लोके
॥ २ ॥
Pāda meters: Śālinī, Upendravajrā, Upendravajrā, Indravajrā — I = Indravajrā, u = Upendravajrā, s = Śālinī pāda
Read each split group as one breath-unit; hyphens join pādas kept whole for the meter or a compound word. Symbols: # upadhmānīya (visarga before p/ph), % jihvāmūlīya (visarga before k/kh), ऽ avagraha (an elided a). Full method →

Word by word

padārtha
adhaḥdownward
chaand
ūrdhvamupward
prasṛitāḥextended
tasyaits
śhākhāḥbranches
guṇamodes of material nature
pravṛiddhāḥnourished
viṣhayaobjects of the senses
pravālāḥbuds
adhaḥdownward
chaand
mūlāniroots
anusantatānikeep growing
karmaactions
anubandhīnibound
manuṣhya-lokein the world of humans

Themes

from The Thematic Companion to the Bhagavad Gītā

Meaning — Questions & Solutions

from Q&A with KnA
15.2How do the branches of the world-tree spread — nourished by what, rooted where?

The branches of that Tree, extending downwards and upwards, are strengthened by the qualities and have sense-objects as their shoots. And the roots, which are followed by actions, spread downwards in the human world [According to A.G. and M.S. manusya-loke means a body distinguished by Brahminhood etc.].

The verse itself, in Swami Gambhīrānanda's rendering, is the answer. For reasoned solutions to knotty verses, browse the Q&A index.