4.24 brahmārpaṇaṁ brahma havir (Original)

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Chapter 4

<< Chapter 4 verse 23

Simple

brahmārpaṇaṁ brahma havir
brahmāgnau brahmaṇā hutam
brahmaiva tena gantavyaṁ
brahma-karma-samādhinā

‘By Brahma-apparatus, the Brahma-oblation is, by Brahma, offered in Brahma-fire. He who (so) contemplates karma (work) to be Brahma-full, goeth to Brahma Itself[1. This is the highest contemplation in Spiritual Philosophy. It is the ultimate view of all work. This is tantamount to seeing God everywhere, in all acts by oneself, and acts seen by him external to himself. This is a spiritual height, that only saints of the stamp of Prahlāda and Nammāḷvār scaled.].’

Brahmārpaṇa is adjectival to (Brahma)-haviḥ. That by which an oblation is offered is arpaṇa, viz., the yajña-apparatus, ladle etc., (The ladle etc., are accessories or instruments by which haviḥ, oblations —food etc.— are offered into the fire, in yajña-ceremonies). Being an effect (or created thing), it (the ladle etc) is Brahma. That Brahma which is the instrumental accessory (arpaṇa) to oblation (food etc), is Brahmārpaṇa. By this Brahmārpaṇa, the oblation (Brahma-haviḥ), which is again Brahma, is offered by the performer (or offerer) —who is Brahma again—, into Brahma-fire, or fire which is Brahma.

Whoso thus contemplates Brahm to be abidant in all acts, —(this realization of Brahm in every act is samādhi), — which is called Brahma-karma-samādhi—, he reaches Brahm itself. Reaching Brahm is the realizing of the Brahma-like ātmā-nature.

So that, the work that the moksha-aspirant does is by him contemplated as Brahma-ensouled work, or in other words, that the Soul of all work is Brahm. Work, in this view, becomes itself wisdom, and, precluding a distinct course of jñāna, is itself the means to achieve ātmā-vision.

Having now demonstrated how work (karma) may be viewed in the aspect of wisdom (jñāna), the varieties of Karma-yoga are now mentioned:—

>> Chapter 4 verse 24.5

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