Title: The Weapon of Non-Attachment15th Chapter: Verses 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 8

In the first verse, the whole world is compared to the Ashvattha tree – the tree of life. Its roots are above and the branches are below. Roots represent the origin or the source which is the Atman. From this Atman, the empirical world, which is represented by the branches and leaves, evolves and moves downward. Only the Atman is eternal – the empirical world is non-eternal.

The branches and leaves represent the continuous flow of samsara (empirical world) through human desires, actions and results. The Atman, as the source, is the root. Without it, the tree collapses. So, in the midst of our daily activities, we should remember the Atman, the source of everything.

The 3rd verse states that no one knows the true nature of this tree. It has no beginning and no end. One can get out of the entanglement of samsara with the strong weapon of non-attachment (asaṅga-śhastreṇa).

When we do our actions without being attached, then our life becomes enjoyable. We are no longer imprisoned by the results of our actions. Mahatma Gandhi practiced Anasakti-Yoga. He led a life of action, but he was not attached to results.

The 4th verse says that those who are spiritually evolved develop an inquiry into something higher – they go in the search for the transcendental. It gives them a higher purpose in life. The moment we develop this higher goal, we begin our journey to get out of the wheel of samsara. Upon reaching the goal, the transmigratory cycle comes to an end – we become one with the divine. This should be understood in the context of the law of karma and the law of incarnation.

The realization of the imperfections of worldly enjoyments brings about the pursuit of something higher and transcendental. This divine discontent is called Parinama Dukha, and it is the springboard of spiritual wisdom.

The ultimate purpose of human life is to transcend the empirical world and realize our true identity as the Atman. Kathopanishad explains the evolution of this quest for the transcendental with Nachiketa’s story. Nachiketa asks Yama for three boons: (1) Let my father not scold me when I return (2) Teach me rituals to get to heaven and (3) Teach me the reality beyond death. Yama then teaches Nachiketa how to transcend our physical identity and realize our true nature as the Atman.

The 5th verse explains the weapon of non-attachment. Essentially it says that we should do our duty with full focus but not be enslaved by desires. “Those who are detached, who are free from entanglement of worldly objects, who have a higher ideal in life, who are free from desires – they are liberated and dwell in the awareness that they are not the physical body.”

To understand the 5th, 6th and 7th verse, it is important to understand the 8th verse. It says: “When this body is destroyed, the soul within is not destroyed. It leaves the body behind and acquires a new body taking with it the senses and the mind, just like the wind carries the scent away with it.”

We are born with the baggage of past samskaras (tendencies) – we cannot disown them. We collect these tendencies in our Antahkarana through actions involving the senses and the mind. When the body is cremated, the physical senses are gone, but the Antahkarana is retained. It accompanies the soul when it takes a new body.

In spiritual life, we are all individual travelers. Just like someone traveling in a train meets other travelers – similarly, it is an accidental meeting with our near and dear ones in this life. Our journey comes to an end when we experience and realize our true identity as the Atman.

6th verse: “This Atman is neither understood nor perceived as we perceive empirical objects. It is not illuminated by the sun, the moon or the fire. It is to be realized as our own true self by turning our inquiry inward. Then we realize that we are not the physical body which comes and goes.”

7th verse: “A portion of the eternal reality lives in every living being, from the amoeba to the Buddha.” The spiritual oneness of existence is emphasized in this verse.

The degree of manifestation of this eternal reality depends on the purity of the person’s mind. Swami Vivekananda said that the difference between an amoeba and a Buddha is only of degrees, not of kind. Buddha is like the clean mirror, in whom the presence of the lord manifests in His full effulgence.