Text 17]
Brahmā's Prayers for Creative Energy
355
We have already discussed this point in the Introduction, and it is confirmed here in this verse. The tree of the material manifestation is described in the Fifteenth Chapter of  Bhagavad-gītā  as an  aśvattha  tree whose root is upward. We have actual experience of such a tree when we see the shadow of a tree on the bank of a reservoir of water. The reflection of the tree on the water appears to hang down from its upward roots. The tree of creation which is described here is only a shadow of the reality which is Parabrahman, Viṣṇu. In the internal potential manifestation of the Vaikuṇṭhalokas, the actual tree exists, and the tree reflected in the material nature is only the shadow of this actual tree. The impersonalists' theory that Brahman is void of all variegatedness is false because the shadow tree described in  Bhagavad-gītā  cannot exist without being the reflection of a real tree. The real tree is situated in the eternal existence of spiritual nature, full of transcendental varieties, and Lord Viṣṇu is the root of that tree also. The root is the same—the Lord—both for the real tree and the false, but the false tree is only the perverted reflection of the real tree. The Lord, being the real tree, is here offered obeisances by Brahmā on his own behalf and also on behalf of Lord Śiva.
TEXT 17
लोकां विकर्मनिरतः कुशले प्रमत्तः
कर्मण्ययं त्वदुदिते भवदर्चने स्वे ।
यस्तावदस्य बलवानिह जीविताशां
सद्यश्छिन्त्यनिमिषाय नमोऽस्तु तस्मै ॥१७॥
loko vikarma-nirataḥ kuśale pramattaḥ
karmaṇy ayam tvad udite bhavad-arcane sve
yas tāvad asya balavān iha jīvitāśām
sadyaś chinatty animiṣāya namo' stu tasmai
lokaḥ —people in general;  vikarma —work without sense;  nirataḥ —engaged in;  kuśale —in beneficial activity;  pramattaḥ —negligent;  karmaṇi —in activity;  ayam —this;  tvat —by You;  udite —enunciated;  bhavat —of You;  arcane —in worship;  sve —their own;  yaḥ —who;  tāvat —as long as;  asya —of the people in general;  balavān —very strong;  iha —this;  jīvitāśām —struggle for existence;  sadyaḥ —directly;  chinatti —is cut to pieces;  animiṣāya —by the eternal time;  namaḥ —my obeisances;  astu —let there be;  tasmai —unto Him.