adhaÅ› chordhvaá¹ prasá¹›tÄs tasya Å›ÄkhÄ guṇa-pravá¹›ddhÄ viá¹£aya-pravÄlÄḥ adhaÅ› cha mÅ«lÄny anusantatÄni karmÄnubandhÄ«ni manuá¹£ya-loke [2]
tasya Å›ÄkhÄḥ–Its branches, representing the living beings; viá¹£aya-pravÄlÄḥ–with shoots, representing the objects of the senses; guṇapravá¹›ddhÄḥ–nourished by the three modes of nature; adhaḥ prasá¹›tÄḥ–extend downwards as the planes of human, animal, and lower species; Å«rdhvam cha–and upwards, as the planes of higher celestial beings. karma-anubandhÄ«ni–According to religious and irreligious actions; mÅ«lÄni–some roots, as aerial roots; anusantatÄni–as a secondary causal factor, as the search to enjoy the fruits of actions, have extended; adhaḥ cha–downwards also; manuá¹£ya-loke–in the human plane. [2]
Some of its branches extend upwards (as the planes of the demigods and celestial beings), some of the branches extend downwards (as the planes of the humans, animals, and lower species), and nourished by three modes of nature, its shoots are the objects of the senses. Some aerial roots also extend downwards, to take root in the land of karma, within the human plane.
Within the expansive manifestation of this ‘perishable yet endless’ world, some of the living beings are nourished by the mode of goodness, and they wander throughout the upper planes, in the ego of gods and celestial beings. Others, influenced by the modes of passion and ignorance, are wandering throughout the planes of the humans, animals, trees, and lower species, assuming the identities of those species. The shoots of the tree of this world represent the objects of the senses—sound, smell, touch, taste, and form, as transformations of the five primary subtle elements (pañcha-tanmÄtra) produced from the ego of the living beings.
The principal roots face upwards, inverted, indicating aversion to the Supreme Lord. Further, some aerial roots face downward, entering the land of karma in the human plane. These represent the humans’ attempt to enjoy the fruits of their actions, and these aerial roots nourish the tree as a separate, secondary cause.
