Bhagavad Gita · Chapter 15: The Supreme Person
Bhagavad Gita 15.3
न रूपमस्येह तथोपलभ्यते
नान्तो न चादिर्न च संप्रतिष्ठा ।
अश्वत्थमेनं सुविरूढमूल-
मसङ्गशस्त्रेण दृढेन छित्त्वा ॥
na rūpamasyeha tathopalabhyate nānto na cādirna ca saṃpratiṣṭhā | aśvatthamenaṃ suvirūḍhamūla- masaṅgaśastreṇa dṛḍhena chittvā ||
Its true form is not perceived here, nor its end, nor its beginning, nor its foundation. Having cut down this firmly rooted fig tree with the strong axe of non-attachment,
Modern context
We cannot see where the tree begins or ends while we live inside it. And the way out is to cut it down with 'the strong axe of non-attachment'. This is a vivid image of what it takes to be free. Not gentle trimming, but a decisive cut at the roots of clinging. The axe must be strong because the roots are deep.