The Blessed Lord said: They speak of an eternal ashvattha tree with its roots above and branches below. Its leaves are the Vedas. One who knows this tree is the knower of the Vedas.

The branches of this tree extend downward and upward, nourished by the three modes of material nature. The twigs are the objects of the senses. This tree also has roots going down, and these are bound to the fruitive actions of human society.

In this world, there is neither the means to comprehend the beginning, nor the middle, nor the end of this tree (of material existence) that has its roots upward and branches downward, cut this with the strong weapon of detachment.

Beyond that supreme state, there is another, which is transcendental, and beyond that there is the unmanifested eternal form. That form does not perish even when all living beings perish.

Those who are free from pride and delusion, who have conquered the evils of attachment, who are constantly dwelling in the Self, and are free from desires, fear, and anger; such wise beings, being freed from the pairs of opposites known as pleasure and pain, attain that eternal, imperishable abode.

That supreme abode of Mine is not illumined by the sun or moon, nor by fire. One who reaches it never returns to this material world.

The eternal fragment of Myself in the living entities of this world becomes the living soul, and it draws the mind and senses, which are seated in nature.

When the lord acquires a body and when he leaves it, he takes these along, as the wind carries away scents from their seats.

The embodied soul, situated in this body, utilizes the ear for hearing, the eye for seeing, the tongue for tasting, the nose for smelling, and the mind for experiencing sense objects.

The foolish do not perceive Him as He departs, remains, or enjoys; but those with the eye of wisdom do perceive.

The striving yogis behold this soul as situated in the self; but those who are not disciplined or controlled in mind cannot see it—even though they strive to do so.

The light which resides in the sun and illuminates the whole world, the light which resides in the moon, and the light which resides in fire—know that light to be Mine.

Entering the earth, I support all beings with My energy; and nourishing all plants, I become the moon, and thereby, I support the juice in all plants.

Becoming the fire of digestion, I remain in the body of living beings, and associated with the vital airs, I digest the four kinds of food.

"I am seated in everyone’s heart, and from Me come remembrance, knowledge, and forgetfulness. By all the Vedas, I am to be known; indeed, I am the compiler of Vedanta, and I am the knower of the Vedas."

There are two classes of beings in this world: the perishable and the imperishable; the perishable are all creatures, and the imperishable is the Kutastha or the unchanging Self.

But distinct is the Supreme Person, who is called the transcendental Self (Paramatma), who, entering the three worlds, sustains them and is imperishable, O Arjuna!

Because I transcend the perishable and am even higher than the imperishable, I am known in the world and in the Vedas as the Supreme Person, O Arjuna!

He who, undeluded, thus knows Me, the Supreme Divine Personality, worships Me with all his being, O Arjuna.

Thus, this most secret science has been explained by Me, O sinless one, and whoever understands this will become wise, and his endeavors will know perfection, O Arjuna!