विवेचन सारांश

Bhagavān tells us about the Magical Tree of Life

Bhagavān has used the Tree as a symbol to represent Sansara or the world. He called it the Tree of Life. To understand the world and its ways, we will need to imagine an inverted tree. The tree Bhagavān has chosen for this representation is the Ashvattha tree or the Peepul tree. The name Ashvattha has another interesting meaning which is ever changing and never still.

There is another thing that is constantly changing as the Ashvatta tree. That is our Mind.

Our mind is very fickle and flighty. Like we think of a foreign country and our mind is immediately able to go there through its imagination. The mind has the capability to imagine whatever we think of.

The reason why the Ashvatta Tree has been used as a symbol for the life in this World is because, it too is constantly changing like the Ashvatta tree.

If I ask your age today, maybe you will say that you are 10 years, 9 months and 8 days old. If I ask you the same question tomorrow, what would you say? You would say 10 years, 9 months and 9 days old. So, you age has actually changed. It is one day more.

This shows that in this world, nothing is permanent, and Everything is constantly changing.

The next word in this Shloka we need to understand is avyayam or that which is eternal and cannot be destroyed. Sansara or this world is avyayam and cannot be destroyed.

For example, we take a sheet of paper and say that we will destroy that sheet completely. Some of you may say it is possible by, burning it. However, burning the paper will only change its form from paper to ashes; it will not be destroyed.

Bhagavān Sri Krishna further describes this inverted tree to Arjuna. He says that the trunk of the tree represents Param Brahmā and the leaves of the tree symbolizes the Vedas, the source of all our knowledge.  Many of you may know the names of the four Vedas as Rigveda, Samaveda, Yajurveda, and Atharvaveda. Just like leaves on a tree are countless, the knowledge in the Vedas is also considered to be infinite. Knowing one subject well like being as expert in Maths doesn’t really make us knowledgeable since there are so many other subjects to learn about.

One who understands this Tree of Life is considered to be a Gyani or a Master of Knowledge.

There is a very interesting story. There were once five blind men and their Master or Guru. One day Masterji comes and says that he has seen a very large animal called an elephant. The five blind men say that they too would like to see an elephant. They were taken near an elephant and asked to touch the animal to understand how it looks since they were unable to see it. The person who touched the tail said the elephant seems to look like a rope. The one who touched the trunk immediately contradicted and said it looked like a snake. The one who touched its leg was sure that the elephant looked like a pillar. The short blind man who was standing under the elephant thought the elephant looked like the roof of a house and the tall blind man, who was able to touch the big ears of the elephant was sure it looked like a fan. So, every blind man described the elephant as per the part of the elephant that they had touched.

When the blind men returned, their Masterji asked them to describe the elephant as per what they had felt. The blind men start to fight amongst themselves as what each was describing was completely different from that of the other.

Masterji asked them to calm down and explained to them that they were both correct and incorrect in their description. While they had indeed seen the elephant with their own perception from the part which each of them had touched, they had not seen the whole elephant.

Likewise, Bhagavān has said that some of us manage to see the branches, while others see the leaves and some other may see the root of the Tree of Life. To understand the Sansara, one needs to understand the complete tree and not just its parts.

Let us now try to understand this imaginary inverted Tree of Life. Bhagavān says that the root at the top represents HIM since HE is the Creator of this universe and all that is within it.

The trunk of this tree represents Brahmā Ji who has actually constructed the universe, our world, the water, the air and even us. In addition, Brahmā Ji also created the three Gunas. Just like every tree grows when we care for it by watering it, or putting fertilizers, the Gunas are the qualities that influence the growth of our Tree of Life.

The three Gunas, each with its own unique attributes are,

• Sattva meaning awareness,
• Rajas meaning activity, and
• Tamas meaning inactivity.

Sattvik are those who think good, do good, speak the truth and are essentially good people.

Rajasik are those people who are always active and always doing something or other.

Tamasik are those who are lazy and always wanting to eat and sleep.

The Tree of Life will not survive without these three Gunas. All of us have a some amount of all the three Gunas within us.  It is, however, important to see how much of each one has. One should not have excess of Tamasik Guna.

Gunas are also important as all the Yoni or species in this world are made through a combination of the three Gunas. It is said that there are 84 Lakh species in this world and we human beings are right at the top of it!!  The reason why we are at the top is because, we have the ability to act per our own wishes. We study when we want, and we play when we want and we dance when we want. Animals don’t have this freedom.

The 84 Lakh Yonis or species are categorized as

• Deva Yoni to which Devatas like Indradev, Agnodev belong.
• Manusya Yoni to which we human being belong.
• Tiryaka Yoni  to which insects, birds etc. belong.

These species are the Branches of the Tree of Life coming down from above as depicted in the picture.

The next set of branches of this Tree represent,

• Ahamta meaning me or “I”

• Mamata meaning Mine and

• Vasana meaning Desire.

These are the root cause of all our Karma or actions and ultimately the fights and conflict in this world. When this happens within our family and friends, it becomes the cause of much pain and sorrow to us.

The last set of branches represent the causes of our desire or attachment. They are Shabd or sound/word, Ras or taste, Roop or beauty, Sparsh or touch and Gandh or fragrance/smell.

Deer are one of the fastest animals in the world, capable of outrunning leopards too. They also love listening to music or Shabd. That is why we see them around Bhagavān Śrī Krishna, as he plays the flute.

In the forest, it becomes attracted and absorbed in musical sounds vibrated by the hunter. This results in it getting killed by the hunter while it is engrossed in listening to the music.

Similarly, a fish whose weakness is in gratifying its tongue or Ras, eats the bait offered by the fisherman thus getting caught in the hook and losing its life.

Insects get attracted o the beauty or Roop of light and rush towards the light bulb thus getting killed.

Bees have very strong stingers and can perforate even the bark of the tree. Its weakness if the Gandh or fragrance of the Lotus flower. When the Lotus flower blooms, it goes and sits on it and becomes so absorbed that it doesn’t notice when the petals of the flower closes. Even after that, it can use its stinger to get out but, it continues to remain engrossed in its enjoyment of the fragrance and ultimately faces its death.


Through these examples, we come to know that animals are unable to control the desire of their sense organs which sometimes leads to their demise. While most animals have weakness towards one sense, we human beings have attachment towards all five senses. However, we human beings are blessed with the power of control and should always endeavor to control our desires and attachments perceived through the five senses.

In summary, Bhagavān has explained the Sansara though the imagery of an inverted Ashwattha tree where,

• the Root symbolizes Bhagavān, the Creator HIMSELF, followed by
• Brahmā Ji the Builder represented by the trunk of the tree.
• The Leaves signify the Vedas, the source of all our Knowledge.
• Branches symbolize,
  • the 84 Lakh Yonis or species
  • the three Gunas
  • the three causes for our desire leading to attachment and ultimately to sorrow
  • the five senses that control us.

The Tree of Life is an just imagery used by Bhagavān to describe the Sansara and we should not start hunting for one such tree as in really it doesn’t exist.  Now does anyone know when and how was the Sansara made? Or when and how will it be destroyed? Bhagavān gives us a glimpse of this in the Bhagavadgītā.

All of us are very attached to what we have like, My House, My Dog, My Bag and so forth. But we should not be so attached to everything and be stuck with them. 

Sometimes we become so attached to the TV program or Youtube we are watching that we forget its time to go and do our studies. Sometimes our attachments are so strong that, we forget to pay our obeisance to Bhagavān also.

So, how can we gain control over this attachment? It is through Vairāgya or giving up our bad habits. We can easily do so through Dridh-nischaya or firm resolution to give up the bad habits.

Let us all take a resolution to give up one of our bad habits like waking up late and pick up one good habit like doing Pranam to our parents every day in the upcoming Anandotsava.

Most of us know and play Hide-and-Seek or ‘I-Spy’ in which one of us is a thief and the other one is a policeman. The policeman is supposed to catch the thief before the thief reaches the homebase. If the thief manages to do that then they are marked as ‘safe’ and they will not have be a thief in the next round.

Similarly, if pray to Bhagavān and meditate upon HIM in this life, we will become free from all the pains and we will not have to be reborn again on this earth. We are always listening to popular songs or watching cartoon on the TV.

We should also inculcate the habit of sometimes listening to Bhajans and Kirtans, doing HIS naam-jap and doing daily prayer. That will make us feel very blissful and Bhagavān too would love that.

We sometimes become very involved in all the ‘My-My’ like My-Pen, My-Bag, My-School etc. We should, try not form any kind of attachments with things but consider them as God’s Gift bestowed on us for a specific period of time.

We should neither be overjoyed when happy and very depressed when something wrong happens to us. We should all try to stay calm and composed, when we are happy and even when we are not so happy.

We should always leave the decisions in the safe hands of Bhagavān knowing that whatever HE does, HE does for the best and we should remain happy & blissful, whatever be the situation.  Such devotees are loved by Bhagavān.

A poll was launched asking the children to identify the various sources of light like, torch, candle, bulb, lamp and so forth. But are they the real source of the light or there is something else?

Most children did correctly point out that while these are possible sources of light but the real source of all the light on this earth is the Sun, the moon and the Fire.

But who provides the Sun, Moon and the Fire its source of light? In this Shloka Bhagavān explains that HE is responsible for providing light to the world through the Sun, Moon and Fire.

The whole world moves due to the power of Bhagavān. Those of us who realize this and get united with HIM don’t have to come back to this world of sorrow and pain again.

In this part we have imagined the inverted Tree of Life and have tried to understand the various parts of the tree. In the next session, we will know how we are born on this earth.

The Vivechan discourse was followed by chanting of Hari Nama Sankirtana.

The name of the topper performer in last week’s Kaun Banega Gyanpati quiz was not declared since an extension of one more day was  announced to enable more Sadhaks to participate.

The wonderful session concluded with the Question-and-Answer session and chanting of Hanuman Chalisa.

Questions and Answers:

Shreeraksha Ji

Q: You mentioned that Bhagavān gives all of us a chance to do good deeds. If all of us do good things, will this world be rid of bad?

A: Bhagavān has given all of us two pots, one with nectar and the other with poison. It is upto us to decide to drink the nectar or the poison. It is our Karma which makes us either good or bad.

Anvi Sharma Ji

Q: How to participate in the Kaun Banega Gyanpati quiz?

A: You need to login with your PRN and Surname with the link given. You will then see the questions and will need to one-by-one answer them all.

Q: We were told in class that there will be a session where we will be told, how we can give Sewa. When is that session?

A: That session is in the evening on 6th October 2024.

Aarya Ji, Janhavi Aringale Ji

Q: I am unable to login to participate in the quiz?

A: You can let your Group Coordinator (GC) know and he/she will help you resolve the issue.

Utkarsh Chaudhari Ji

Q: What is the meaning of Deva Yoni?

A: Yoni means they type of body or species. Deva Yoni means the body of Devatas. Our bodies may have some filthiness, but they have pure bodies with very long lives. Their capacity to experience pleasure and joy is unlimited whereas we are bound by limitations.

Parthvi Joshi Ji

Q: Should we believe what Numerologists tell us ?

A: It depends on the guidance being provided to you by your parents. Mostly they are fake and plays upon our blind faith. We should have faith in Bhagavān alone to deliver us from our problems.

Swadha Ji

Q: How can I join the English Vivechan session?

A:  Yes, you can do that by following the link for the same.

Sindhuja Ji

Q: What is Rajo Guna?

A: Rajo Guna is when you are too attached to something or want something too much.

Mahima Ji

Q: Why do we learn Bhagavadgītā and why is it so difficult to memorize the Shlokas?

A: We learn Bhagavadgītā as it helps us to become good people. We will then be known as Heroes.

You will need to read and recite the Shlokas repeatedly with complete dedication in order to memorize them.

Rakshita Ji

Q: If Bhagavān is in every being, why do some of us dislike people of other religion?

A: We should never dislike any being who is good. We should not be guided by religion but by the good or bad nature of the person.