इदं ज्ञानमुपाश्रित्य मम साधर्म्यमागता: |
सर्गेऽपि नोपजायन्ते प्रलये न व्यथन्ति च || 2||
idaṁ jñānam upāśhritya mama sādharmyam āgatāḥ
sarge ’pi nopajāyante pralaye na vyathanti cha
idam—this; jñānam—wisdom; upāśhritya—take refuge in; mama—mine; sādharmyam—of similar nature; āgatāḥ—having attained; sarge—at the time of creation; api—even; na—not; upajāyante—are born; pralaye—at the time of dissolution; na-vyathanti—they will not experience misery; cha—and
Translation:
They who, having devoted themselves to this Knowledge, have partaken of My nature, are not born at the time of creation, nor are they troubled at the time of dissolution.
Commentary:
Mama sadharmyam agatah: The unparalleled excellence of jnana is declared most wonderfully here. The sages, possessing this knowledge, became one with God Himself. They assume the state of God. What else can man aspire for? “Jnani tu atmaiva me matam” (7.18). The man of knowledge is God Himself. The devotee becomes the Deity. Such union with the Lord is the effect of this wisdom. The wise man of supreme knowledge is God in essence. There cannot be two Infinites, two Gods. If man cuts off his limiting adjuncts, he becomes the Infinite, the Immortal. It is needless to assert that the man who is seeking such union with the Lord is discharging the highest and noblest of his duties as a human being!
The union with the Lord liberates the sage from birth and death. He becomes ‘ajah’, ‘nityah’. There is no ‘return’ for him. Even at the time of creation, he is not born, nor does he perish at the time of dissolution. The cycle of birth and death (‘punarapi jananam punarapi maranam’) stops for ever. He becomes one with the Absolute Sachidhananda. Therefore the only way to free oneself from the ills of samsara is to attain Brahma-Jnana.
Question: What is the effect of possessing this wisdom?
Answer: (1) Man attains union with God, (2) He is not born at the time of creation, (3) He does not die at the time of dissolution (He is birthless and deathless).
Question: What then is the way to union with God?
Answer: The attainment of supreme knowledge.