Bhagavad Gita - Chapter 15 Verse 2

Interpretation by Parmahamsa Hariharananda

An excerpt [from] the Bhagavad Gita in the Light of Kriya Yoga: a Rare Metaphorical Explanation - Book 3 by Parmahamsa Hariharananda.

adhaS co 'rdhvam prasrtas tasya Sakha
gunapravrddha visayapravalah adha& ca mulany anusamtatani
karmanubandhlni manusyaloke

Translation
Its branches spread below and above, nourished by the qualities (of nature), with objects of the senses as the sprout/shoots and below, its roots stretch forth in all directions, binding the soul according to the actions performed in the human body.

Metaphorical Interpretation

A tree has branches extending down and branches stretching upward. Man has many dispositions, thoughts and activities reaching down due to rajasic and tamasic qualities. Activities overpowered by money, sex, food, self-arrogance and ego are the qualities associated with the lower four centers in the spine. In addition, people with tamasic qualities do not work and are always slothful by nature; poor and idle, they are not after God.

Some branches extend up. These branches represent the divine qualities which help and enable the person to search the Almighty Lord by practicing Kriya Yoga. Such a person's destiny will then be good. By the virtue of good company, i.e. the guidance of the realized Master, spiritual people search the Almighty Father with a short breath in the fontanel.

What are the roots? Some roots are very deep: inside the brain, there are numerous specialized nerves called neurons which spread like roots in the Soul. These nerves spread from the pituitary to the fontanel. There are also many shallow roots, bringing one down into worldliness.

In the human body, there are twelve pairs of cranial nerves; eleven pairs are inside the head and one pair (the vagus nerves) reaches down the chest and trunk, constantly giving delusion, illusion and error. This is maya. Because of maya, people cannot raise above worldly concerns.

The general tendency of all human beings is to make money, enjoy sexually, eat delicious rich foods, drink wine... in other words to remain in the lower four centers from the coccyx to the dorsal (heart) center. The cervical (fifth) center is the vacuum center. People with love for religion and philosophy remain there.

People who are really spiritual, search Him (the Almighty Father) through the breath, the formless air. The imperishable power of God abides in the fontanel. The body undergoes constant change, but the indwelling Soul does not. Beyond that stage is complete vacuum. This is the formless stage, the state before creation. Through deep meditation, every one must come to this formless stage to get complete realization. Those who are really seeking the indwelling Self come to the company of the realized Master and learn directly through personal contact.

These three types of work come from the three gunas, the qualities of nature. The gunas are elaborately discussed in the two previous chapters (13 and 14). The body-nature is kshetra—the land to be cultivated and maintained to reap the desired harvest. But the general tendency of man is to go downward. For this reason the Lord says: adhas ca mulany anusamtatani

Good company makes one good and bad company, bad. A man inherits the nature of his company. Spiritual people should always seek good company.
This chapter is entitled "Purushottam Yoga", which means the Yoga of the Supreme Self, the contact with the Supreme Almighty Father. How to go to the Supreme Almighty Father? This verse and the previous one clearly explained it.

Each human body is a tree, its root being inside the brain and spreading up to the fontanel. If one can go there, then he will get the formless stage, which brings unity with the Almighty Father. Please see the explanation of the Gita 11:34, where it is clearly explained:

How to get liberation, i.e. the taste of immortality? How to get real peace, bliss and joy?

Those who are searching the imperishable Soul will surely get the formless Almighty Father. There is an invisible formless counterpart for each body part, which will be explained in the following verses.

The Almighty Father is everywhere. His formless presence fills the whole universe. This formless quality pervades the entire human system, from the toes to the top.
A deep desire to know one's Self and sincere meditation are essential for the disciple to receive the teaching and direct touch of the Divine Master, who will help and lead him to perceive the formless God. But one must follow the Master faithfully and practice the technique with love. The technique is essential. Every work is based on a specific technique, and Kriya Yoga is the essence of all techniques.

As the formless God is hiding in the whole body, one must search Him in every body part—in the fingers, nails, everywhere. These are the parts of the body-tree. Those who practice Kriya Yoga can feel in two minutes' time the presence of the formless God in every body part.

In the Vedic Karma Kanda (a.k.a Puja Viddhf), this process is also known as anganyasa and karanyasa, which means to perceive God in the five body parts. Next is matrikanyasa, which means to get calmness and God-perception in the whole body.

Then there is pranayama. But those who busy themselves with formal worship only chant mantras. Only by practicing the Kriya Yoga technique can one feel the God-movement sensation in the 100 body parts immediately or within a short period of time. One can feel and realize the formless God in the whole body.

One will perceive the ceaseless vibration of God, the divine sensation, as long as one's breathing continues. God is not only in the body, He is everywhere. He was before creation. He is in creation. He will be after creation. He can also remain without creation. One cannot see God, touch or drench God, because He is everywhere and formless. But one can realize Him only through practice.

This human body is extremely temporary and may not exist in the next moment. That is why it is called an ashvattha tree. The root of the tree is the Almighty Father, whose presence is more readily perceived inside the brain, in the fontanel. One can feel Him by fixing his attention in the fontanel and searching Him with a short breath. One can hear the "Om" sound constantly and in a variety of ways.