Word meanings
- brahma
- Brahman
- arpaṇam
- the ladle and other offerings
- brahma
- Brahman
- haviḥ
- the oblation
- brahma
- Brahman
- agnau
- in the sacrificial fire
- brahmaṇā
- by that person
- hutam
- offered
- brahma
- Brahman
- eva
- certainly
- tena
- by that
- gantavyam
- to be attained
- brahma
- Brahman
- karma
- offering
- samādhinā
- those completely absorbed in God-consciousness
Translations
Brahman is the oblation; Brahman is the melted butter (ghee); by Brahman is the oblation poured into the fire of Brahman; Brahman indeed shall be attained by one who always sees Brahman in action.
For him, the sacrifice is the Spirit; the Spirit and the offering are one; it is the Spirit that is sacrificed in its own fire, and the man, even in action, is united with God, since his mind never ceases to be fixed on Him while performing the act.
The ladle is Brahman, the oblations are Brahman, and the offering is poured by Brahman into the fire of Brahman. He who has concentration on Brahman as the objective can only reach Brahman.
जिस यज्ञमें अर्पण भी ब्रह्म है, हवी भी ब्रह्म है और ब्रह्मरूप कर्ताके द्वारा ब्रह्मरूप अग्निमें आहुति देनारूप क्रिया भी ब्रह्म है, (ऐसे यज्ञको करनेवाले) जिस मनुष्यकी ब्रह्ममें ही कर्म-समाधि हो गयी है, उसके द्वारा प्राप्त करनेयोग्य फल भी ब्रह्म ही है।Commentary
This is Jnana-Yajna or wisdomsacrifice wherein the idea of Brahman is substituted for the ideas of the instrument and other accessories of action, the idea of action itself and of its results. By entertaining such an idea the whole action melts away, as stated in the previous verse (No.23). When one attains to the knowledge of the Self or Selfrealisation his whole life becomes a wisdomsacrifice in which the oblation, the melted butter or the offering, the performer of the sacrifice, the action and the goal are all Brahman.
He who meditates thus wholly upon Brahman shall verily attain to Brahman. The sage who has the knowledge of the Self knows that the oblation, the fire, the instrument by which the melted butter is poured into the fire and himself have no existence apart from that of Brahman. He who has realised through direct cognitio (Anubhava) that all is Brahman, does no action even if he performs actions. (Cf.III.15)