Srimad Bhagavad Gita Shloka 15.2

“Its branches spread below and above, nourished by the gunas; senseobjects are its buds; its roots extend below, binding to action in the human world.”
Key Teaching: The tree’s branches, driven by gunas, bind through action.
Theme: Guidance, Jnana Yoga, Moksha Sannyasa Yoga, Karma Yoga.
Description:
Krishna elaborates that the Ashvattha tree’s branches, nourished by the gunas (sattva, rajas, tamas), spread above and below, with senseobjects as buds and roots extending downward, binding humans to action. This verse, continuing 15.1, addresses Arjuna’s quest (2.9, 13.1). The themes of guidance, as Krishna details samsara, Jnana Yoga, as he emphasizes wisdom, Moksha Sannyasa Yoga, as he points to liberation, and Karma Yoga, as he discusses action, are central.

In the Mahabharata, Arjuna’s entanglement in duty (1.28–46) mirrors the tree’s binding roots. The teaching aligns with Jnana Yoga (14.5–9), explaining the gunas’ role, and Karma Yoga (3.27), highlighting action’s bondage. Krishna builds on the tree metaphor (15.1), showing how senseobjects fuel attachment.

Philosophically, the verse deepens the samsara metaphor, a theme Krishna refines with teachings on detachment (15.3). The gunas drive the cycle of action, binding beings to karma. Arjuna’s path is clarified by understanding this entanglement, urging detachment. The themes of Jnana and Karma Yoga underscore the Gita’s focus on liberation through wisdom and selfless action.

Sanjaya’s narration ensures objective clarity. This verse serves as a metaphor for life’s attachments, where gunas bind through senses. Krishna’s teaching prepares readers to transcend action, aligning with liberation.