ऊर्ध्वमूलमधःशाखमश्वत्थं प्राहुरव्ययम् ।छन्दांसि यस्य पर्णानि यस्तं वेद स वेदवित् ॥
Urdhvamulamadhahshakhamashvattham prahuravyayamChhandansi yasya parnani yastam veda sa vedavit
Krishna speaks. He tells of an aśvattha, a sacred fig tree, with its roots above and its branches below. People call it imperishable, he says; its leaves are the Vedic hymns (chandas), and whoever knows this tree knows the Veda. Telang's note on 15.5 reads the tree as the course of worldly life, rooted in the Supreme.
Explanation written for this site and checked against the cited edition. Free to quote with credit.
अधश्चोर्ध्वं प्रसृतास्तस्य शाखाः गुणप्रवृद्धा विषयप्रवालाः ।अधश्च मूलान्यनुसन्ततानि कर्मानुबन्धीनि मनुष्यलोके ॥
Adhashchordhvam prasritastasya shakhah gunapravriddha vishayapravalahAdhashcha mulanyanusantatani karmanubandhini manushyaloke
Its branches spread below and above, Krishna says, fed by the guṇas, with the objects of the senses as their young shoots. Below, in the human world, its roots stretch out and bind people to action.
न रूपमस्येह तथोपलभ्यते नान्तो न चादिर्न च संप्रतिष्ठा ।अश्वत्थमेनं सुविरूढमूलमसङ्गशस्त्रेण दृढेन छित्त्वा ॥
Na rupamasyeha tathopalabhyate nanto na chadirna cha sampratishthaAshvatthamenam suvirudhamulamasangashastrena dridhena chhittva
Its real form is not seen here, Krishna says, nor its end, nor its beginning, nor what it rests on. This firmly rooted tree is to be cut down with the strong weapon of non-attachment (asaṅga). The sentence goes on in the next verse.
ततः पदं तत्परिमार्गितव्यम् यस्मिन्गता न निवर्तन्ति भूयः ।तमेव चाद्यं पुरुषं प्रपद्ये यतः प्रवृत्तिः प्रसृता पुराणी ॥
Tatah padam tatparimargitavyam yasmingata na nivartanti bhuyahTameva chadyam purusham prapadye yatah pravrittih prasrita purani
Then, Krishna says, one should seek that place from which those who reach it do not return, taking refuge in that first Person (puruṣa) from whom the ancient flow of the world came forth. In the verse the seeker says this of himself (prapadye, a first-person verb meaning "take refuge").
निर्मानमोहा जितसङ्गदोषाः अध्यात्मनित्या विनिवृत्तकामाः ।द्वन्द्वैर्विमुक्ताः सुखदुःखसंज्ञैर्गच्छन्त्यमूढाः पदमव्ययं तत् ॥
Nirmanamoha jitasangadoshah adhyatmanitya vinivrittakamahDvandvairvimuktah sukhaduhkhasanjnairgachchhantyamudhah padamavyayam tat
Those who are free from pride and delusion, Krishna says, who have overcome the fault of attachment, who stay always with the inner self (adhyātma), whose desires have fallen away, and who are free from the pairs called pleasure and pain, go undeluded to that imperishable place.
न तद्भासयते सूर्यो न शशाङ्को न पावकः ।यद्गत्वा न निवर्तन्ते तद्धाम परमं मम ॥
Na tadbhasayate suryo na shashanko na pavakahYadgatva na nivartante taddhama paramam mama
Neither the sun, nor the moon, nor fire lights that place, Krishna says. Those who go there do not return; it is his highest abode (dhāma). The schools read this verse differently (see the views).
ममैवांशो जीवलोके जीवभूतः सनातनः ।मनःषष्ठानीन्द्रियाणि प्रकृतिस्थानि कर्षति ॥
Mamaivansho jivaloke jivabhutah sanatanahManahshashthanindriyani prakritisthani karshati
Krishna says that an eternal portion (aṃśa) of himself becomes the living self (jīva) in the world of living beings. It draws to itself the mind and the five senses, which rest in nature (prakṛti). The schools differ on what 'portion' means here (see the views).
शरीरं यदवाप्नोति यच्चाप्युत्क्रामतीश्वरः ।गृहीत्वैतानि संयाति वायुर्गन्धानिवाशयात् ॥
Shariram yadavapnoti yachchapyutkramatishvarahGrihitvaitani sanyati vayurgandhanivashayat
When the lord of the body (īśvara) takes a body and when he leaves it, Krishna says, he takes these senses and the mind with him, as the wind carries scents from their place. Telang renders īśvara here as 'the ruler (of the bodily frame)', that is, the embodied self.
श्रोत्रं चक्षुः स्पर्शनं च रसनं घ्राणमेव च ।अधिष्ठाय मनश्चायं विषयानुपसेवते ॥
Shrotram chakshuh sparshanam cha rasanam ghranameva chaAdhishthaya manashchayam vishayanupasevate
Using the ear, the eye, touch, taste and smell, and the mind, Krishna says, this self enjoys the objects of the senses.
उत्क्रामन्तं स्थितं वापि भुञ्जानं वा गुणान्वितम् ।विमूढा नानुपश्यन्ति पश्यन्ति ज्ञानचक्षुषः ॥
Utkramantam sthitam vapi bhunjanam va gunanvitamVimudha nanupashyanti pashyanti jnanachakshushah
The deluded do not see this self, Krishna says, whether it is leaving the body, staying in it, or enjoying, joined with the guṇas. Those who have the eye of knowledge see it.
यतन्तो योगिनश्चैनं पश्यन्त्यात्मन्यवस्थितम् ।यतन्तोऽप्यकृतात्मानो नैनं पश्यन्त्यचेतसः ॥
Yatanto yoginashchainam pashyantyatmanyavasthitamYatantopyakritatmano nainam pashyantyachetasah
Yogis who strive see it, Krishna says, present within themselves. But those who are not inwardly prepared and lack understanding do not see it, even when they strive. Telang's note says Ramanuja and Shridhara read 'within themselves' (ātmani) as 'in their bodies', and Shankara as 'in their understanding'.
यदादित्यगतं तेजो जगद्भासयतेऽखिलम् ।यच्चन्द्रमसि यच्चाग्नौ तत्तेजो विद्धि मामकम् ॥
Yadadityagatam tejo jagadbhasayatekhilamYachchandramasi yachchagnau tattejo viddhi mamakam
The light in the sun that lights the whole world, Krishna says, and the light in the moon and in fire, know that light to be his. Telang's note links this verse back to verse 6.
गामाविश्य च भूतानि धारयाम्यहमोजसा ।पुष्णामि चौषधीः सर्वाः सोमो भूत्वा रसात्मकः ॥
Gamavishya cha bhutani dharayamyahamojasaPushnami chaushadhih sarvah somo bhutva rasatmakah
Entering the earth, Krishna says, he holds up all beings by his strength (ojas), and becoming Soma, full of sap (rasa), he nourishes all plants. Telang translates Soma as 'the juicy moon'; Besant keeps 'Soma' and notes that 'the watery Moon' is the accepted translation.
अहं वैश्वानरो भूत्वा प्राणिनां देहमाश्रितः ।प्राणापानसमायुक्तः पचाम्यन्नं चतुर्विधम् ॥
Aham vaishvanaro bhutva praninam dehamashritahPranapanasamayuktah pachamyannam chaturvidham
Becoming Vaiśvānara, the fire of life in the bodies of living beings, Krishna says, and joined with the in-breath and out-breath (prāṇa and apāna), he digests the four kinds of food. Telang's note names them: what is drunk, what is licked, what is chewed, and what is swallowed without chewing. Today some ashrams chant this chapter before meals. It is a custom, not an instruction in the text.
सर्वस्य चाहं हृदि सन्निविष्टो मत्तः स्मृतिर्ज्ञानमपोहनं च ।वेदैश्च सर्वैरहमेव वेद्यो वेदान्तकृद्वेदविदेव चाहम् ॥
Sarvasya chaham hridi sannivishto mattah smritirjnanamapohanam chaVedaishcha sarvairahameva vedyo vedantakridvedavideva chaham
Krishna says he is seated in the heart of all. From him come memory, knowledge and their loss (apohana). He is the one to be known through all the Vedas; he is the maker of the Vedānta and the knower of the Vedas. Telang translates apohana as 'their removal', Besant as 'faculty of reason'.
द्वाविमौ पुरुषौ लोके क्षरश्चाक्षर एव च ।क्षरः सर्वाणि भूतानि कूटस्थोऽक्षर उच्यते ॥
Dvavimau purushau loke ksharashchakshara eva chaKsharah sarvani bhutani kutasthokshara uchyate
There are two persons (puruṣa) in the world, Krishna says, the perishable (kṣara) and the imperishable (akṣara). All beings are the perishable; the unchanging one (kūṭastha) is called the imperishable. The schools read these two very differently (see the views).
उत्तमः पुरुषस्त्वन्यः परमात्मेत्युदाहृतः ।यो लोकत्रयमाविश्य बिभर्त्यव्यय ईश्वरः ॥
Uttamah purushastvanyah paramatmetyudahritahYo lokatrayamavishya bibhartyavyaya ishvarah
But the highest person (uttama puruṣa) is another, Krishna says, called the Supreme Self (paramātman): the imperishable Lord who enters the three worlds and upholds them.
यस्मात्क्षरमतीतोऽहमक्षरादपि चोत्तमः ।अतोऽस्मि लोके वेदे च प्रथितः पुरुषोत्तमः ॥
Yasmatksharamatitohamaksharadapi chottamahAtosmi loke vede cha prathitah purushottamah
Because he is beyond the perishable and higher even than the imperishable, Krishna says, he is known in the world and in the Veda as Purushottama, the Supreme Person. The chapter takes its name from this word. The schools explain 'in the world' (loka) differently (see the views).
यो मामेवमसंमूढो जानाति पुरुषोत्तमम् ।स सर्वविद्भजति मां सर्वभावेन भारत ॥
Yo mamevamasammudho janati purushottamamSa sarvavidbhajati mam sarvabhavena bharata
Whoever, free from delusion, knows him in this way as Purushottama, Krishna says, knows all and worships him with his whole being, Bharata.
इति गुह्यतमं शास्त्रमिदमुक्तं मयाऽनघ ।एतद्बुद्ध्वा बुद्धिमान् स्यात्कृतकृत्यश्च भारत ॥
Iti guhyatamam shastramidamuktam mayanaghaEtadbuddhva buddhiman syatkritakrityashcha bharata
Krishna closes the chapter. He calls this the most secret teaching (śāstra) and says he has now told it to Arjuna, whom he calls sinless. Knowing it, he says, a person becomes wise and has done all there is to do, Bharata.