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अध्याय- १५ - FIFTEEN
374
Note:Botanical name of this tree is "Fiscus Religiosa" Allegorically it represents our worldly life and it is referred to in Kathopanishad." Etmologically the word "Shva (1) means tomorrow" prifix 31(a) gives the negative sense. So Ashva means a thing which is so transitory that it would not last even for a day (Ashva also means "horse and as routinely horses were tied down under this tree it is called "Ashvattha" Our worldly life has many changing modes which many a times do not last more than a day. Hence our wordly existence is compared with Ashvattha tree. This verse describes it as "Avyayan" meaning indestructible.
"According to Sankhya philosophy. Prakriti is indestructible and even according to Jain philosophy Ajiva (Prakriti) is also indestructible. But Jain doctrine would not agree that this indestructible "Ashvattha" was created by anybody.
The use of the word "Urdhva Mulam" which literally would mean "with roots upwords" is used allegorically and so would man "whose origin is so high that its source is Brahman" The next verse makes it clear that physical roots of this tree are "imbedded" below.
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