तदेतदृचाभ्युक्तम् ।
एष नित्यो महिमा ब्राह्मणस्य न वर्धते कर्मणा नो कनीयान् ।
तस्यैव स्यात्पदवित्, तं विदित्वा न लिप्यते कर्मणा पापकेन ॥ इति ।
तस्मादेवंविच्छान्तो दान्त उपरतस्तितिक्शुः समाहितो भूत्वात्मन्येवात्मानं पश्यति, सर्वमात्मानं पश्यति; नैनं पाप्मा तरति, सर्वं पाप्मानं तरति; नैनं पाप्मा तपति, सर्वं पाप्मानं तपति; विपापो विरजोऽविचिकित्सो ब्राह्मणो भवति; एष ब्रह्मलोकः सम्राड्, एनं प्रापितोऽसीति होवाच याज्ञवल्क्यः; सोऽहं भगवते विदेहान् ददामि, मां चापि सह दास्यायेति ॥ २३ ॥tadetadṛcābhyuktam ।
eṣa nityo mahimā brāhmaṇasya na vardhate karmaṇā no kanīyān ।
tasyaiva syātpadavit, taṃ viditvā na lipyate karmaṇā pāpakena ॥ iti ।
tasmādevaṃvicchānto dānta uparatastitikśuḥ samāhito bhūtvātmanyevātmānaṃ paśyati, sarvamātmānaṃ paśyati; nainaṃ pāpmā tarati, sarvaṃ pāpmānaṃ tarati; nainaṃ pāpmā tapati, sarvaṃ pāpmānaṃ tapati; vipāpo virajo’vicikitso brāhmaṇo bhavati; eṣa brahmalokaḥ samrāḍ, enaṃ prāpito’sīti hovāca yājñavalkyaḥ; so’haṃ bhagavate videhān dadāmi, māṃ cāpi saha dāsyāyeti ॥ 23 ॥23. This has been expressed by the following hymn: This is the eternal glory of a knower of Brahman: it neither increases nor decreases through work. (Therefore) one should know the nature of that alone. Knowing it one is not touched by evil action. Therefore he who knows it as such becomes self-controlled, calm, withdrawn into himself, enduring and concentrated, and sees the Self in his own self (body); he sees all as the Self. Evil does not overtake him, but he transcends all evil. Evil does not trouble him, (but) he consumes all evil. He becomes sinless, taintless, free from doubts, and Brāhmaṇa (knower of Brahman). This is the world of Brahman, O Emperor, and you have attained it—said Yājñavalkya. ‘I give you, sir, the empire of Videha, and myself too with it, to wait upon you.’
This, what has been stated by the Brāhmaṇa, has been expressed by the following hymn: This, what is described as ‘Not this, not this,’ etc., is the eternal glory of a knower of Brahman who has given up all desires. Other glories are due to work, hence they are not permanent; but this glory is distinct from them—it is eternal, for it is natural. Why is it eternal? The reason is being given: It neither increases nor decreases through work—it does not undergo the change called growth through good work done, nor does it undergo the change called decay through evil work. Since all changes are due to growth or decay, they are all negated by these two epithets. Hence this glory, being changeless, is eternal. Therefore one should know the nature of that glory alone. The word ‘Pada’ literally means that which is attained or known; hence it means only the nature of this glory; one should know that. What would come of knowing it? The answer is being given: Knowing it, this glory, one is not touched by evil action, comprising both good and evil, for both are evil to a knower of Brahman.
Since this glory of the knower of Brahman is thus unconnected with work, and is described as ‘Not this, not this,’ therefore he who knows it as such becomes self-controlled, desisting from the activities of the external organs; also calm, averse to the desires of the internal organ or mind; withdrawn into himself, free from all desires, a monk; enduring, indifferent to the pairs of opposites (pleasure and pain, etc.); concentrated, attaining one-pointedness by the dissociation from the movements of the organs and mind. This has been stated before in the words, ‘Having known all about the strength that comes of knowledge, as well as scholarship,’ etc. (III. v. 1). And sees the Self, the inner Intelligence, in his own self, the body and organs. Does he see only the Self limited to the body? No, he sees all as the Self, he sees that there is nothing different even by a hair’s breadth from the Self. By reason of his reflection he becomes a sage, giving up the three states of waking, dream and profound sleep. Evil, comprising merit and demerit, does not overtake him, the knower of Brahman who has this sort of realisation, but he, this knower of Brahman, transcends all evil, by realising it as his Self. Evil, consisting in what has been done or not done, does not trouble him, by producing the desired result or generating sin, but he, this knower of Brahman, consumes all evil, burns it to ashes with the ñre of the realisation of the Self of all. He, who knows It as such, becomes sinless, i.e. devoid of merit and demerit, taintless, i.e. free from desires, free from doubts, and a Brāhmaṇa (knower of Brahman), with the firm conviction that he is the Self of all, the Supreme Brahman.
Such a man becomes in this state a Brāhmaṇa (lit. a knower of Brahman) in the primary sense of the w’ord. Before living in this state of identity with Brahman, his Brāhmaṇahood was but figurative. This identity with the Self of all is the world of Brahman, the world that is Brahman, in a real, not figurative, sense, O Emperor, and you have attained it, this world of Brahman, which is fearless, and is described as ‘Not this, not this’—said Yājñavalkya.
Janaka, thus identified with Brahman—helped on to this state by Yājñavalkya—replied, ‘Since you have helped me to attain the state of Brahman, I give you, sir, the empire of Videha, the whole of my dominion, and myself too with it, i.e. Videha, to wait upon you as a servant.’ The conjunction ‘and’ shows that the word ‘myself’ is connected with the verb ‘give.’
The topic of the knowledge of Brahman is finished, together with its offshoots and procedure as well as renunciation. The highest end of man is also completely dealt with. This much is to be attained by a man, this is the culmination, this is the supreme goal, this is the highest good. Attaining this one achieves all that has to be achieved and becomes a knower of Brahman. This is the teaching of the entire Vedas.