याज्ञवल्क्येति होवाच, यदिदमन्तरिक्शमनारम्बणमिव, केनाक्रमेन यजमानः स्वर्गं लोकमाक्रमत इति; ब्रह्मणर्त्विजा मनसा चन्द्रेण; मनो वै यज्ञस्य ब्रह्मा; तद्यदिदं मनः सोऽसौ चन्द्रः, स ब्रह्मा, सा मुक्तिः सातिमुक्तिः—इत्यतिमोक्शाः; अथ संपदः ॥ ६ ॥
yājñavalkyeti hovāca, yadidamantarikśamanārambaṇamiva, kenākramena yajamānaḥ svargaṃ lokamākramata iti; brahmaṇartvijā manasā candreṇa; mano vai yajñasya brahmā; tadyadidaṃ manaḥ so’sau candraḥ, sa brahmā, sā muktiḥ sātimuktiḥ—ityatimokśāḥ; atha saṃpadaḥ || 6 ||
6. ‘Yājñavalkya,’ said he, ‘since the sky is, as it were, without a support, through what support does the sacrificer go to heaven?’ ‘Through the mind—through the moon, which is the (real) priest called Brahman. The mind of the. sacrificer is the Brahman. This mind is the moon; the moon is the Brahman; this (moon) is liberation; this (liberation) is emancipation.’ So far about the ways of emancipation; now about the meditation based on resemblance.
The way the sacrificer transcends the form of death known as time has been explained. Now what is that support by means of which he attains a result transcending death, which is a limitation—in other words, is emancipated? This paragraph answers the point: Since ihe sky, so familiar to us, is, as it were, without a support, etc. The words ‘as it were’ indicate that there is a support to it, but it is not known. An inquiry is being made about this unknown support by the use of the pronominal adjective ‘Kena’ (through what); otherwise the attainment of result would be impossible. What is that support by means of which the sacrificer attains the result of his rites and is released?—is the question. Through what support does the sacrificer go to heaven as the result (of his rites)—in other words, is released? Through the mind —through the moon, which is the (real) priest called Brahman; this is to be explained as before. Now what is familiar to us as the mind of the sacrificer with reference to the body, is the moon with reference to the gods; for it is a well-known fact that the mind in the body is the same as the moon among the gods. The moon again is the priest called Brahman. Hence the sacrificer beholds the limited form of the Brahman among the elements, and that of his own mind in the body, as the unlimited moon. That is to say, through the support of the mind viewed as the moon he attains heaven as the result of his rites—in other words, is released. The word ‘iti’ indicates the conclusion of the topic; that is, such are the various ways of emancipation from death. The topic is concluded, because all kinds of meditation regarding the accessories of a sacrifice have been dealt with in this connection. So far about the ways of emancipation, i.e. such are the various ways of emancipation.
Now the meditation based on resemblance is being spoken of. By this is meant a meditation, by virtue of some point of resemblance, on rites with inferior results like the Agnihotra, as rites with superior results, in order to obtain these results; or it is a meditation on some part of the lesser rite as those very results. Even when people try with all their ardour to undertake measures to bring about certain ends, they may fail of their object through some defect. So a man who regularly tends the sacrificial fire takes up any rite such as the Agnihotra that suits him, and if he happens to know the results of particular rites, meditates that the rite before him will produce the results he seeks. Otherwise it would be impossible for people of even the upper three castes, who are qualified for them, to perform the Rājasūya,[10] Aśvamedha, Naramedha and Sarvamedha sacrifices. And even the reciting of scriptures relating to them would merely be devotional study, unless there be some means of attaining the results of those rites. Those people can attain these results only by means of the meditation based on resemblance; hence such meditation is fruitful, and is therefore being described.