None

[b9100530 at platinum.anu.edu.au]

Re the tree with the root at the top, the famous metaphor is repeated
in the Gita (15.1).  The commentators do not seem to make any
reference to the special air roots of the an "ashvattha". Rather they
seem to say that this is a special tree with its roots higher than
its branches.
	Shankara says that the root of this tree is the avyakta brahma
which is uurdhva because of its transcendance. The Madhava school
interprets uurdhva as Vi.s.nu. The root is thus "above everything" and the
branches are said to be below or "inferior" (nik.r.s.tam) [i.e. the bhuutaani].
      I don't find any of the traditional commentators referring to air-roots.
To the contrary they seem to be describing a special tree (vicitra-
racanatvena according to Vallabha).
Adrian Burton, ANU.