Shankaracharya's commentary, trans. Alladi Mahadeva Sastry (1897)
[1]Below and above are its branches spread, nourished by the gunas, sense-objects its buds; and below in the world of man stretch forth the roots ending in action.
BG 15.2
अधश् चोर्ध्वं प्रसृतास् तस्य शाखा गुणप्रवृद्धा विषयप्रवालाः । अधश् च मूलान्य् अनुसन्ततानि कर्मानुबन्धीनि मनुष्यलोके ॥
adhaś cordhvaṃ prasṛtās tasya śākhā guṇa-pravṛddhā viṣaya-pravālāḥ | adhaś ca mūlāny anusantatāni karmānubandhīni manuṣya-loke ||
"Guṇa-fed branches spread everywhere; in the human world, karma-roots grow downward entangling further."
All public-domain translations
4 translations · all pre-1928 or released to public domain · sources
Swami Swarupananda, Srimad Bhagavad Gita (1909)
[4]Below and above spread its branches, nourished by the Gunas; sense-objects are its buds; and below in the world of man stretch forth the roots, originating action.
K.T. Telang, Sacred Books of the East Vol. 8 (1882)
[9]Upwards and downwards extend its branches, which are enlarged by the qualities, and the sprouts of which are sensuous objects. And downwards to this human world are continued its roots which lead on to action.
K.M. Ganguli, The Mahabharata, Bhishma Parva (1883–96)
[13]Downwards and upwards are stretched its branches which are enlarged by the qualities; its sprouts are the objects of senses. Downwards its roots, leading to action, are extended to this world of men.