(10) How to cut the huge fig tree of ignorance?

CHAPTER V

Arjuna was ready now for that knowledge; for that gem; which was treasured within the mysterious hymns of the Upanishads! Arjuna was now ready for the ‘Riddle’!

And- Krishna presented him – the entire philosophy contained within the ‘sanctum sanctorum of the Vedas’ in the form of a riddle; the riddle of a tree; the riddle of an ‘upside down tree’; the riddle of the ghost which haunts the upside down tree; the riddle of the Great Goddess Tripuraa!

ऊर्ध्व​मूलमधःशाखमश्वत्थं प्राहुरव्ययम्

छन्दाम्सि यस्य पर्णानि यस्तं वेद स वेदवित् ॥

The Ashvattha (Holy Fig) tree with roots above and branches below

 is said to be never decaying.

  Vedas are its leaves.

He who understands it is a true knower.

Once upon a timeless time there existed a beautiful tree. It was known as ‘Ashvattha’; that which never is stable the next moment; that which is always undergoing changes without a break! It was an ever-growing tree! Nobody knew from where the tree originated or the place where it ended; for there was no ‘space’ where it existed! The strangest fact about the tree was – it was upside down! The roots were above; the branches were below! Its leaves were the ‘Knowledge’; these shining leaves rustled in the ever-blowing winds and sang the song of UDGEETHA [OM]! The branches grew unashamedly breaking all the rules of Nature; they were above, below, here, there, this side, that side, all around; wherever there was space; rather they created space! These creeping crawling branches intertwined with each other and formed a huge net to catch the unwary souls. These vicious branches were covered all over with sprouts of sense objects – attracting myriad forms of insects in the forms of desires – only to  gobble them up when close by! The flowers of this magnificent tree bloomed wondrously in the three colors of green red and white; three delusions of MAAYAA, BHRAMA, and MOHA;  three delusions of Illusion, Misapprehension and Attraction – forever attracting the ignorant bees towards them, only to imprison them inside the dark chambers within the maze of the entwining branches! From these network of branches rose up more roots- extending the dominion of the greedy tree – binding the souls forever with the chains of action! There was not one soul who had escaped the greedy grasp of this vicious tree expanding eternally; swallowing the endless mental spaces of all that exists anywhere, anytime!

How does one escape the carnivorous blood sucking tree and free oneself?

This tree can be cut off at one stroke with a magical sword only; and that magical sword is called ‘ASAMGA’ –‘Detachment’! The mere touch of this magical weapon of detachment will blast the tree into pieces!

What happens when one cuts off this tree?

Well, the world does not vanish off into nothing; but it will lose its hold on you. You will see it as it is – non-existing! One reaches the Supreme state of PARABRAHMAN!

The clouds move away to reveal the splendorous Sun in its full glory! This ‘luster’ which lights up the entire creation is not supported by the light of the Sun, Moon or Fire; the witnessing seer, the fluctuating mind or the experiencing ego!

Transcending all the delusory states of the mental faculty one exists in the ‘Supreme state of Awareness’. One experiences the blissful existence as ‘Seeing’ devoid of the seen and the seer; ‘Experiencing’ devoid of the experienced and the experiencer; ‘Cognizing’ devoid of the cognized and the Cognizer!

One ‘knows’ in that ‘Supreme State’; he never was ‘This’; he was always ‘That’; he was never bound; he was always ever-liberated!

The bondage that never was- is broken! The liberation that never is – is attained!

The tree that never exists is cut! What is leftover is – Freedom! Bliss!

And only just the ‘I’!

***

Arjuna?

Hundreds of doubts and questions sprang up in his mind at the same moment. So much had to be known; and yet so little time! Yes; after the battle he can again have some time with his friend; but only if he was alive! Arjuna was not a person to ignore opportunities,  that life presented him with; so he shot questions after questions - connected and unconnected to his quest - at the ‘Fountain of Knowledge’ and when the pure waters of the Upanishads overflowed from that ‘dark hued fountain’ he swam with abandon  forgetting everything. He could hear the impatient murmurings of the army waiting for his return; he was aware of the anxieties he had caused in the minds of his affectionate brothers by his unexpected departure from the battle-field in that crucial hour. The time was up; he had to return to the battlefield quickly! He had to wield the mighty bow and shatter those who were against the Supreme order of the world. Failure or success did not matter any more! Death or life had lost their meaning! He had understood at last the purpose of his life! But, some more doubts had to be cleared before he returned to the battle-ground; so he questioned the ever-patient teacher: