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GITA, TRANSLATION & COMMENTARY, CH. XV 1139
$$ न रूपमस्येह तथोपलभ्यते नान्तो न चादिर्न च संप्रतिष्ठा । अश्वत्थमेनं सुविरूढमूलमसङ्गशस्त्रेण दृढेन छित्त्वा ॥ ३ ॥ ततः पदं तत्परिमार्गितव्यं यस्मिन्गता न निवर्तन्ति भूयः । तमेव चाद्यं पुरुषं प्रपद्ये यतः प्रवृत्तिः प्रसृता पुराणी ॥ ४ ॥
the first stanza, have speard out not only downwards' but also upwards': and thus the thread of the doctrine of Causality (karma-upaka-prakriya) has ultimately been interwoven into the texture. In the description of the Brahmic-Tree (brahma-vrksa) given in the Anugītā, no attempt has been made to harmonise the Vedic and the Samkhya descriptions; and the brahma-vrksa described there is of only the 24 Elements of Samkhya philosophy (See Ma Bhā. Aśva. 35. 22, 23; and Gi. Ra. Ch. VIII, p. 243). But that has not been done in the Gita; and an attempt has been made in these two stanzas to harmonise the Vedic description of the Paramesvara, as a tree in the form of this visible world, with the Samkhya description of the Cosmic Tree (brahmaṇḍa-vrksa) or the diffusion-out of Prakrti. In order to obtain Release, one must be get rid of this development of the three-constituented upwards-rooted tree; but this tree is so tremendous, that it is impossible to find out its origin. Therefore, the Blessed Lord now shows the way how this universe-comprehending tree can be destroyed, and how the Immortal Principle at the root of it can be Realised-1
(3) But, in this world, one cannot ascertain the form of it (as has been described above); nor does one find its end, or commencement or support; cutting this asvattha (tree), of which the roots have gone incalculably deep, with a powerful sword in the shape of Non-Attachment, (4) one should, thereafter, (saying) "I am now going to that primordial Purusa (Spirit-Trans.) from Which (this) ancient (creative) Pravṛtti (Activity-Trans.) arose", find out that seat, having gone where, there is no return.
[The 'samsara' (extensive development) of the universe is the Name-d and Form-ed Karma (Action), and this
