Bhagavad Gita
Purushottama-yoga (The Yoga of the Supreme Person)15.1
520 / 655
Bhagavad Gita · 15.1
Devanāgarī

श्रीभगवानुवाच ।
ऊर्ध्वमूलमधःशाखमश्वत्थं प्राहुरव्ययम् ।
छन्दांसि यस्य पर्णानि यस्तं वेद स वेदवित् ॥

Transliteration (IAST)

śrī-bhagavān uvāca |
ūrdhva-mūlam adhaḥ-śākham aśvatthaṁ prāhur avyayam |
chandāṁsi yasya parṇāni yas taṁ veda sa veda-vit ||

Word-by-word
SanskritIASTMeaning
श्रीभगवान् उवाचśrī-bhagavān uvācathe Blessed Lord said.
ऊर्ध्वमूलम्ūrdhva-mūlamthat whose roots (mūla) are above (ūrdhva).
अधःशाखम्adhaḥ-śākhamthat whose branches (śākhā) are below (adhaḥ).
अश्वत्थम्aśvatthamthe aśvattha tree (banyan).
प्राहुःprāhuḥthey [the sages] call.
अव्ययम्avyayameternal, imperishable.
छन्दांसिchandāṁsithe Vedic hymns.
यस्य पर्णानिyasya parṇāniits leaves.
यः तम् वेदyaḥ tam vedaone who knows (veda) it (tam).
सः वेदवित्saḥ veda-vithe is a knower (vit) of the Vedas (veda).
Translation

The Blessed Lord said: “It is said that there exists an eternal banyan tree whose roots grow upward and whose branches grow downward, and whose leaves are the Vedic hymns. One who knows this tree is a true knower of the Vedas.”

Version

78ce75c0b840 · published Jul 2, 2026, 12:00:00 PM UTC

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