गृहस्थकर्त्तव्यानिThe duties of the householder
Verse 23
ब्रह्मनिष्ठो गृहस्थः स्यात् ब्रह्मज्ञानपरायणः । यद्यत् कर्म प्रकुर्वीत तद्ब्रह्मणि समर्पयेत् ॥ २३ ॥
brahmaniṣṭhō gṛhasthaḥ syāt brahmajñānaparāyaṇaḥ | yadyat karma prakurvīta tadbrahmaṇi samarpayēt || 23 ||
Translation
The householder should be steadfast in Brahman, devoted to the knowledge of Brahman; whatever work he does, he should offer it to Brahman.
Word by word
- brahma
- in Brahman
- niṣṭhō
- (niṣṭhaḥ) steadfast
- gṛhasthaḥ
- the householder
- syāt
- should be
- jñāna
- to the knowledge
- parāyaṇaḥ
- devoted
- yadyat
- whatever
- karma
- work
- prakurvīta
- he does
- tad
- (tat) it
- brahmaṇi
- to Brahman
- samarpayēt
- he should offer
Meaning
The first and governing rule of the householder's life is not a ritual but an orientation: he should be "brahma-niṣṭha", one whose steadfastness, the commentary says, is in Brahman, and devoted to knowing it. Every act is then offered to Brahman. The echo of the Bhagavad Gītā is clear: action done as an offering does not bind. This is the theme of the second and third chapters of this Tantra, the worship of Brahman by householders, applied now to daily life.
Commentary
Hariharānanda Bhāratī’s Sanskrit commentary, translated
He states the householder's dharma itself, with "brahma-niṣṭhaḥ…" and the rest. Brahma-niṣṭha: he whose steadfastness (niṣṭhā) is in Brahman.