Bhagavad-gītā 15.1
Read once with your eyes. Read again aloud.
श्री भगवानुवाचऊर्ध्वमूलमधःशाखमश्वत्थं प्राहुरव्ययम्।छन्दांसि यस्य पर्णानि यस्तं वेद स वेदवित्।।15.1।।
śhrī-bhagavān uvācha ūrdhva-mūlam adhaḥ-śhākham aśhvatthaṁ prāhur avyayam chhandānsi yasya parṇāni yas taṁ veda sa veda-vit
They speak of an eternal Ashvattha rooted above and branching below, whose leaves are the Vedas; he who knows it, is a Veda-knower.
English rendering by Swami Swarupananda. Public domain first edition, 1909.
Build the sentence from its parts
Read across once, then cover the meanings and recover them from the Sanskrit forms.
| Sanskrit form | Meaning here |
|---|---|
| śhrī-bhagavān uvācha | the Supreme Divine Personality said |
| ūrdhva-mūlam | with roots above |
| adhaḥ | downward |
| śhākham | branches |
| aśhvattham | the sacred fig tree |
| prāhuḥ | they speak |
| avyayam | eternal |
| chhandānsi | Vedic mantras |
| yasya | of which |
| parṇāni | leaves |
| yaḥ | who |
| tam | that |
| veda | knows |
| saḥ | he |
| veda-vit | the knower of the Vedas |
Begin with the verse itself, then trace its movement through śhrī-bhagavān uvācha (the Supreme Divine Personality said), chhandānsi (Vedic mantras), and veda-vit (the knower of the Vedas). Ask what changes between the first and last term, and how that movement contributes to the world tree and the person beyond it. State the connection in your own words, then check it against Bhagavad-gita 15.1.
Original school explanation. Written independently from the Sanskrit word map. It is not a quotation, translation, or summary of a named modern commentary. Chapter lens: Follow the inverted tree image, the distinction of persons, the embodied journey, divine support and Puruṣottama.
Five careful reading routes
The cards below are reading references, not claims about what an acharya says in this verse. Modern wording stays inside authorized editions. Classical commentary will appear only after an independent translation has passed scholarly and rights review.
Meaning map
Follow the thought
- 1
They speak of an eternal Ashvattha rooted above and branching below, whose leaves are the Vedas
- 2
he who knows it, is a Veda-knower
- 3
śhrī-bhagavān uvācha: the Supreme Divine Personality said
Look, link, cover, teach
Look
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Link
Use the line starts: śhrī-bhagavān uvācha / ūrdhva-mūlam adhaḥ-śhākham / chhandānsi yasya.
Cover
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Teach
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A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada
Bhagavad-gita As It IsFor Bhagavad-gita 15.1, consult the authorized BBT edition. No purport, translation, or author-attributed summary is reproduced here.
Find the authorized editionBhaktivinoda Thakura
Rasika-ranjanaA verified independent rendering for Bhagavad-gita 15.1 has not yet passed scholarly and rights review. Modern translations are not copied here.
Independent rendering pending reviewBaladeva Vidyabhushana
Gita-bhushana-bhashyaThe original work is classical. A newly commissioned or independently prepared translation for Bhagavad-gita 15.1 must be verified before publication.
Independent translation pending reviewVishvanatha Cakravarti Thakura
Sarartha-varshini-tikaThe original work is classical. A newly commissioned or independently prepared translation for Bhagavad-gita 15.1 must be verified before publication.
Independent translation pending reviewOther Gaudiya acharyas
Authorized Gaudiya editionsFor Bhagavad-gita 15.1, later teachers remain a further-reading route. Their wording and distinctive teaching structures require permission or a separate rights review.
Use an authorized edition