My blog 'Tree of Life - An Introduction' deals with the various symbols of the Tree of Life in various cultures and religions, in general. In Chapter - 15 of Bhagvad Gita Sri Krishna explains to Arjuna about the Inverted Tree of Life, which represents human existence.
The Inverted Tree of Life is pictured as an eternal Banyan Tree with its roots above in the air, hitched to the all-pervading Almighty and branches growing downwards. The leaves of the tree are the Vedic Hymns. One who knows this tree knows the Vedas.
The branches of this Banyan tree grow upwards and down wards as a result of the three *gunas (Rajas, tamas and sattva ). The ones who do good karmas are spiritually elevated to celestial abodes , which is represented by the upward growing branches, the downward growing branches represent those who commit sins. They are incarnated as lower species or are send to the nether worlds. The sprouting buds of the tree symbolises desires and the aerial roots feed those desires. Banyan trees has this quality of producing aerial roots and increasing the size of its trunk. Metaphorically speaking the aerial roots that feed the desires and grow in size entangle the soul in material consciousness.
No one can perceive the form of this tree, nor understand the beginning, the end or the foundation of this tree. But if one wants to release oneself from this material world and attain Supreme Bliss one must, with great determination, cut down this tree with the weapon of Detachment. Thus elevating oneself spiritually and surrendering to the Supreme Godhead, who is the eternal source of everything.
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