In the Gita, Lord Krishna compares samsara to a peepal tree. In a tree, old leaves fall, and new ones come up. An atma is born in the body of a human being, or animal, or bird or plant etc, and when that birth ends, the atma is born again as something else. Just as leaves fall, and new leaves appear, so does one birth end, but a new birth begins. This tree called samsara has branches that grow upward and downward. In this tree, devas and gandharvas are at a higher level; humans rank lower. Then come animals, and below them come lower forms of life like worms. This tree is nourished by the gunas. The sense objects are the newly appeared shoots of the tree. These shoots are attractive to look at. In the same way, sense objects also attract us, and keep us trapped in samsara, said Valayapet Ramachariar, in a discourse.
A tree depends on its roots for its existence. Karmas are the roots of the tree called samsara. The Vedas are the leaves of this tree. Leaves, through photosynthesis, make the food required by plants and trees. This is a scientific fact. But if the Vedas are leaves of the tree of samsara, what is their role in keeping samsara alive? The Vedas prescribe all the karmas we need to do in this life, and so in this sense they keep samsara alive. But the Vedas also show us how to get rid of samsara. Those who understand the nature of samsara, have taken the first step towards liberation. The main root of the samsara tree is Brahma, which is why the tree is described as an upside down tree, with its roots at the top. Karmas are the secondary roots. Those who have not comprehended the nature of samsara can only think in terms of “I am so and so,” or “I am so and so’s son.” Detachment from worldly desires cuts down this tree of samsara.
