अत्र ज्ञानमनुष्ठानं न त्वन्यदुपयुज्यते । मृगतृष्णाजलभ्रान्तिशान्तौ चेदं निरूपितम् ॥ २ ॥
atra jñānamanuṣṭhānaṁ na tvanyadupayujyatē | mṛgatṛṣṇājalabhrāntiśāntau cēdaṁ nirūpitam || 2 ||
Translation
Here knowledge is the practice; nothing else is of use. And this has been shown in the ending of the illusion of water in a mirage.
Word by word
- atra
- here
- jñānam
- knowledge
- anuṣṭhānaṁ
- the practice
- na
- not
- tu
- indeed
- anyad
- (anyat) anything else
- upayujyatē
- is of use
- mṛgatṛṣṇā
- in a mirage
- jala
- of water
- bhrānti
- the illusion
- śāntau
- in the ending
- ca
- and
- idaṁ
- this
- nirūpitam
- has been shown
Meaning
Knowledge itself is the practice (anuṣṭhāna): there is something to do, and it is to know. The proof is the mirage. The commentary: in a desert, the false sight of water in the mirage does not go away though one performs crores of actions; one thing alone is seen to end it, knowing that there is no water. One can walk towards a mirage for ever. What ends it is seeing what it is.