Bhagavad Gita 15.3

na rūpam asyeha tathopalabhyate

nānto na cādir na ca sampratiṣṭhā

aśvattham enaṁ su-virūḍha-mūlam

asaṅga-śastreṇa dṛḍhena chittvā

 

The form of this tree cannot be seen,

Not its start, end, base or what’s between;

Its roots are spread deep and vast,

Cut it with detachment’s axe, held fast.

 

My dear Lord, you describe the way to break free from the illusory tree of material existence with the axe of detachment. In cultivating this necessary mental attitude, lead me to become detached even from my preconceptions about detachment.

O all-inclusive Lord, help me recognize that detachment does not mean indifference—where I stop caring for anyone or anything, where I devalue everything because it is temporary, where I become emotionally cold and closed to avoid entanglement. That was not Arjuna’s disposition after hearing the Gita, when he raised his bow in readiness to do your will by fighting.

O Supreme Orchestrator, illumine me to understand that a spiritually healthy detachment centers on acceptance. Lead me toward a holistic appreciation of both the dimensions of acceptance: accepting the responsibilities that come as opportunities to do your will and accepting the reversals that come as opportunities to accept your will—just as Arjuna accepted the inevitable war as your will and accepted his duty to fight as your will for him. With such an acceptance, lead me to be a part of your plan for me and for the world through me.

O beloved Lord, may my detached acceptance guide me to engagement in your purpose and ultimately to elevation into a life of unending love with you.

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15.03 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.