Srimad Bhagawad Gita Chapter 15 - Plain English

Meaning
shree-bhagavaan uvaaca — the Supreme Personality of Godhead said; oordhva-moolam — with roots above; adhaH — downwards; shaakham — branches; ashvattham — a banyan tree; praahuH — is said; avyayam — eternal; chandaaṁsi — the Vedic hymns; yasya — of which; parNaani — the leaves; yaH — anyone who; tam — that; vEda — knows; saH — he; vEda-vit — the knower of the Vedas.

Translation
The Supreme Personality of Godhead said: It is said that there is an imperishable banyan tree that has its roots upward and its branches down and whose leaves are the Vedic hymns. One who knows this tree is the knower of the Vedas.

shlOkaH
adhashchOrdhvaM prasRRitaastasya shaakhaa
guNapravRRiddhaa vishhayapravaalaaH ।
adhashcha moolaanyanusantataani
karmaanubandheeni manushhyalOkE ॥ 2 ॥

Meaning
adhaH — downward; ca — and; oordhvam — upward; prasRRitaaH — extended; tasya — its; shaakhaaH — branches; guNa — by the modes of material nature; pravRRiddhaaH — developed; vishhaya — sense objects; pravaalaaH — twigs; adhaH — downward; ca — and; moolaani — roots; anusantataani — extended; karma — to work; anubandheeni — bound; manushhya-lOkE — in the world of human society.

Translation
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.

shlOkaH
na roopamasyEha tathOpalabhyatE
naantO na chaadirna cha sampratishhThaa ।
ashvatthamEnaM suvirooDhamoola-
masangashastrENa dRRiDhEna Chittvaa ॥ 3 ॥
tataH padaM tatparimaargitavyaM
yasmingataa na nivartanti bhooyaH ।
tamEva chaadyaM purushhaM prapadyE
yataH pravRRittiH prasRRitaa puraaNee ॥ 4 ॥

Meaning
na — not; roopam — the form; asya — of this tree; iha — in this world; tathaa — also; upalabhyatE — can be perceived; na — never; antaH — end; na — never; ca — also; aadiH — beginning; na — never; ca — also; sampratishhThaa — the foundation; ashvattham — banyan tree; Enam — this; su-virooDha — strongly; moolam — rooted; asanga-shastrENa — by the weapon of detachment; dRRiDhEna — strong; chittvaa — cutting; tataH — thereafter; padam — situation; tat — that; parimaargitavyam — has to be searched out; yasmin — where; gataaH — going; na — never; nivartanti — they come back; bhooyaH — again; tam — to Him; Eva — certainly; ca — also; aadyam — original; purushham — the Personality of Godhead; prapadyE — surrender; yataH — from whom; pravRRittiH — the beginning; prasRRitaa — extended; puraaNi — very old.

Translation
The real form of this tree cannot be perceived in this world. No one can understand where it ends, where it begins, or where its foundation is. But with determination one must cut down this strongly rooted tree with the weapon of detachment. Thereafter, one must seek that place from which, having gone, one never returns, and there surrender to that Supreme Personality of Godhead from whom everything began and from whom everything has extended since time immemorial.

shlOkaH
nirmaanamOhaa jitasangadOshhaa
adhyaatmanityaa vinivRRittakaamaaH ।
dvandvairvimuktaaH sukhaduHkhasaMjjhNai-
rgachChantyamooDhaaH padamavyayaM tat ॥ 5 ॥

Meaning
niH — without; maana — false prestige; mOhaaH — and illusion; jita — having conquered; sanga — of association; dOshhaaH — the faults; adhyaatma — in spiritual knowledge; nityaaH — in eternity; vinivRRitta — disassociated; kaamaaH — from lust; dvandvaiH — from the dualities; vimuktaaH — liberated; sukha-duHkha — happiness and distress; saṁjjhNaiH — named; gacchanti — attain; amooDhaaH — unbewildered; padam — situation; avyayam — eternal; tat — that.

Translation
Those who are free from false prestige, illusion and false association, who understand the eternal, who are done with material lust, who are freed from the dualities of happiness and distress, and who, unbewildered, know how to surrender unto the Supreme Person attain to that eternal kingdom.

shlOkaH
na tadbha‍aasayatE sooryO na shashaankO na paavakaH ।
yadga‍tvaa na nivartantE taddhaama paramaM mama ॥ 6 ॥

Meaning
na — not; tat — that; bhaasayatE — illuminates; sooryaH — the sun; na — nor; shashaankaH — the moon; na — nor; paavakaH — fire, electricity; yat — where; gatvaa — going; na — never; nivartantE — they come back; tat dhaama — that abode; paramam — supreme; mama — My.

Translation
That supreme abode of Mine is not illumined by the sun or moon, nor by fire or electricity. Those who reach it never return to this material world.

shlOkaH
mamaivaaMshO jeevalOkE jeevabhootaH sanaatanaH ।
manaHshhashhThaaneendriyaaNi prakRRitisthaani karshhati ॥ 7 ॥

Meaning
mama — My; Eva — certainly; aṁshaH — fragmental particle; jeeva-lOkE — in the world of conditional life; jeeva-bhootaH — the conditioned living entity; sanaatanaH — eternal; manaH — with the mind; shhashhThaani — the six; indriyaaNi — senses; prakRRiti — in material nature; sthaani — situated; karshhati — is struggling hard.

Translation
The living entities in this conditioned world are My eternal fragmental parts. Due to conditioned life, they are struggling very hard with the six senses, which include the mind.

shlOkaH
shareeraM yadavaap‍nOti yachcha‍aapyutkraamateeshvaraH ।
gRRiheetvaitaani saMyaati vaayurgandhaanivaashayaat ॥ 8 ॥

Meaning
shareeram — the body; yat — as; avaapnOti — gets; yat — as; ca api — also; utkraamati — gives up; eeshvaraH — the lord of the body; gRRiheetvaa — taking; Etaani — all these; saṁyaati — goes away; vaayuH — the air; gandhaan — smells; iva — like; aashayaat — from their source.

Translation
The living entity in the material world carries his different conceptions of life from one body to another, as the air carries aromas. Thus he takes one kind of body and again quits it to take another.

shlOkaH
shrOtraM chakshhuH sparshanaM cha rasanaM ghraaNamEva cha ।
adhishhThaaya manashchaayaM vishhayaanupasEvatE ॥ 9 ॥

Meaning
shrOtram — ears; cakshhuH — eyes; sparshanam — touch; ca — also; rasanam — tongue; ghraaNam — smelling power; Eva — also; ca — and; adhishhThaaya — being situated in; manaH — mind; ca — also; ayam — he; vishhayaan — sense objects; upasEvatE — enjoys.

Translation
The living entity, thus taking another gross body, obtains a certain type of ear, eye, tongue, nose and sense of touch, which are grouped about the mind. He thus enjoys a particular set of sense objects.

shlOkaH
utkraamantaM sthitaM vaa.api bhunjaanaM vaa guNaanvitam ।
vimooDhaa naanupashyanti pashyanti jjhNaanachakshhushhaH ॥ 10 ॥

Meaning
utkraamantam — quitting the body; sthitam — situated in the body; vaa api — either; bhunjaanam — enjoying; vaa — or; guNa-anvitam — under the spell of the modes of material nature; vimooDhaaH — foolish persons; na — never; anupashyanti — can see; pashyanti — can see; jjhNaana-cakshhushhaH — those who have the eyes of knowledge.

Translation
The foolish cannot understand how a living entity can quit his body, nor can they understand what sort of body he enjoys under the spell of the modes of nature. But one whose eyes are trained in knowledge can see all this.

shlOkaH
yatantO yOginashchainaM pashyantyaatmanyavasthitam ।
yatantO.apyakRRitaatmaanO nainaM pashyantyachEtasaH ॥ 11 ॥

Meaning
yatantaH — endeavoring; yOginaH — transcendentalists; ca — also; Enam — this; pashyanti — can see; aatmani — in the self; avasthitam — situated; yatantaH — endeavoring; api — although; akRRita-aatmaanaH — those without self-realization; na — do not; Enam — this; pashyanti — see; acEtasaH — having undeveloped minds.

Translation
The endeavoring transcendentalists who are situated in self-realization can see all this clearly. But those whose minds are not developed and who are not situated in self-realization cannot see what is taking place, though they may try.

shlOkaH
yadaadityagataM tEjO jagadbha‍aasayatE.akhilam ।
yachcha‍ndramasi yachcha‍aagna‍au tattEjO viddhi maamakam ॥ 12 ॥

Meaning
yat — that which; aaditya-gatam — in the sunshine; tEjaH — splendor; jagat — the whole world; bhaasayatE — illuminates; akhilam — entirely; yat — that which; candramasi — in the moon; yat — that which; ca — also; agnau — in fire; tat — that; tEjaH — splendor; viddhi — understand; maamakam — from Me.

Translation
The splendor of the sun, which dissipates the darkness of this whole world, comes from Me. And the splendor of the moon and the splendor of fire are also from Me.

shlOkaH
gaamaavishya cha bhootaani dhaarayaamyahamOjasaa ।
pushhNaami chaushhadheeH sarvaaH sOmO bhootvaa rasaatmakaH ॥ 13 ॥

Meaning
gaam — the planets; aavishya — entering; ca — also; bhootaani — the living entities; dhaarayaami — sustain; aham — I; Ojasaa — by My energy; pushhNaami — am nourishing; ca — and; aushhadheeH — vegetables; sarvaaH — all; sOmaH — the moon; bhootvaa — becoming; rasa-aatmakaH — supplying the juice.

Translation
I enter into each planet, and by My energy they stay in orbit. I become the moon and thereby supply the juice of life to all vegetables.

shlOkaH
ahaM vaishvaanarO bhootvaa praaNinaaM dEhamaashritaH ।
praaNaapaanasamaayuktaH pachaamyannaM chaturvidham ॥ 14 ॥

Meaning
aham — I; vaishvaanaraH — My plenary portion as the digesting fire; bhootvaa — becoming; praaNinaam — of all living entities; dEham — in the bodies; aashritaH — situated; praaNa — the outgoing air; apaana — the down-going air; samaayuktaH — keeping in balance; pacaami — I digest; annam — foodstuff; catuH-vidham — the four kinds.

Translation
I am the fire of digestion in the bodies of all living entities, and I join with the air of life, outgoing and incoming, to digest the four kinds of foodstuff.

shlOkaH
sarvasya chaahaM hRRidi sannivishhTO
mattaH smRRitirjjhNaanamapOhanaM cha ।
vEdaishcha sarvairahamEva vEdyO
vEdaantakRRidvEdavidEva chaaham ॥ 15 ॥

Meaning
sarvasya — of all living beings; ca — and; aham — I; hRRidi — in the heart; sannivishhTaH — situated; mattaH — from Me; smRRitiH — remembrance; jjhNaanam — knowledge; apOhanam — forgetfulness; ca — and; vEdaiH — by the Vedas; ca — also; sarvaiH — all; aham — I am; Eva — certainly; vEdyaH — knowable; vEdaanta-kRRit — the compiler of the Vedānta; vEda-vit — the knower of the Vedas; Eva — certainly; ca — and; aham — I.

Translation
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 Vedānta, and I am the knower of the Vedas.

shlOkaH
dvaavimau purushhau lOkE kshharashchaakshhara Eva cha ।
kshharaH sarvaaNi bhootaani kooTasthO.akshhara uchyatE ॥ 16 ॥

Meaning
dvau — two; imau — these; purushhau — living entities; lOkE — in the world; kshharaH — fallible; ca — and; akshharaH — infallible; Eva — certainly; ca — and; kshharaH — fallible; sarvaaNi — all; bhootaani — living entities; kooTa-sthaH — in oneness; akshharaH — infallible; ucyatE — is said.

Translation
There are two classes of beings, the fallible and the infallible. In the material world every living entity is fallible, and in the spiritual world every living entity is called infallible.

shlOkaH
uttamaH purushhastvanyaH paramaatmEtyudaahRRitaH ।
yO lOkatrayamaavishya bibhartyavyaya eeshvaraH ॥ 17 ॥

Meaning
uttamaH — the best; purushhaH — personality; tu — but; anyaH — another; parama-aatmaa — the Supreme Self; iti — thus; udaahRRitaH — is said; yaH — who; lOka — of the universe; trayam — the three divisions; aavishya — entering; bibharti — is maintaining; avyayaH — inexhaustible; eeshvaraH — the Lord.

Translation
Besides these two, there is the greatest living personality, the Supreme Soul, the imperishable Lord Himself, who has entered the three worlds and is maintaining them.

shlOkaH
yasmaatkshharamateetO.ahamakshharaadapi chOttamaH ।
atO.asmi lOkE vEdE cha prathitaH purushhOttamaH ॥ 18 ॥

Meaning
yasmaat — because; kshharam — to the fallible; ateetaH — transcendental; aham — I am; akshharaat — beyond the infallible; api — also; ca — and; uttamaH — the best; ataH — therefore; asmi — I am; lOkE — in the world; vEdE — in the Vedic literature; ca — and; prathitaH — celebrated; purushha-uttamaH — as the Supreme Personality.

Translation
Because I am transcendental, beyond both the fallible and the infallible, and because I am the greatest, I am celebrated both in the world and in the Vedas as that Supreme Person.

shlOkaH
yO maamEvamasammooDhO jaanaati purushhOttamam ।
sa sarvavidbha‍jati maaM sarvabhaavEna bhaarata ॥ 19 ॥

Meaning
yaH — anyone who; maam — Me; Evam — thus; asammooDhaH — without a doubt; jaanaati — knows; purushha-uttamam — the Supreme Personality of Godhead; saH — he; sarva-vit — the knower of everything; bhajati — renders devotional service; maam — unto Me; sarva-bhaavEna — in all respects; bhaarata — O son of Bharata.

Translation
Whoever knows Me as the Supreme Personality of Godhead, without doubting, is the knower of everything. He therefore engages himself in full devotional service to Me, O son of Bharata.

shlOkaH
iti guhyatamaM shaastramidamuktaM mayaanagha ।
Etad‍buddhvaa buddhimaansyaatkRRitakRRityashcha bhaarata ॥ 20 ॥

Meaning
iti — thus; guhya-tamam — the most confidential; shaastram — revealed scripture; idam — this; uktam — disclosed; mayaa — by Me; anagha — O sinless one; Etat — this; buddhvaa — understanding; buddhi-maan — intelligent; syaat — one becomes; kRRita-kRRityaH — the most perfect in his endeavors; ca — and; bhaarata — O son of Bharata.

Translation
This is the most confidential part of the Vedic scriptures, O sinless one, and it is disclosed now by Me. Whoever understands this will become wise, and his endeavors will know perfection.

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