ऊर्ध्वमूलमधःशाखमश्वत्थं प्राहुरव्ययम् । छन्दांसि यस्य पर्णानि यस्तं वेद स वेदवित् ॥
Translation
They speak of an eternal fig tree with its roots above and branches below, whose leaves are the sacred hymns. One who knows this tree knows the essence of scripture.
Explanation
An upside-down tree, roots in the sky, is a deliberately disorienting image — it asks you to reconsider what you assume is the foundation and what's merely a branch. Sometimes what feels like your bedrock, most stable assumption is actually just a leaf near the top, and the real root lies somewhere you haven't examined yet.
Reflect
What do you currently treat as a foundational assumption that might actually just be a branch?
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