अधश्चोर्ध्वं प्रसृतास्तस्य शाखा गुणप्रवृद्धा विषयप्रवालाः
अधश्च मूलान्यनुसंततानि कर्मानुबन्धीनि मनुष्यलोके
adhaś cordhvaṃ prasṛtās tasya śākhā
guṇapravṛddhā viṣayapravālāḥ
adhaś ca mūlāny anusaṃtatāni
karmānubandhīni manuṣyaloke
SYNONYMS
TRANSLATION
Its branches extend both above and below, nourished by the Gunas. Their shoots are sense objects and their secondary roots extend downwards, resulting in acts which bind in the world of men.
PURPORT
This tree spreads downward with men etc., who are the products of their Karma, as branches. It again spreads above into Gandharvas, Yakshas, gods, etc. They are nourished by the Gunas of Sattva etc. They have tender shoots augmented by sense-objects. How does this happen? Shri Krishna explains:
The ‘secondary roots’ of this tree having the main roots in the world of Brahma and its crest in men ramify below in the world of men. They bind them according to their Karma. The meaning is that the effects of acts causing bondage become roots in the world of men. For, the effect of actions done in the human state brings about the further condition of men, beasts etc., down below, and of divinities etc., up above.