तज्ज्ञातं ब्रह्मणो रूपं भवेन्नाऽन्येन कर्मणा । दृश्यात्यन्ताभावतस्तु ऋते नाऽन्या शुभा गतिः ॥ २८ ॥
tajjñātaṁ brahmaṇō rūpaṁ bhavēnnā’nyēna karmaṇā | dṛśyātyantābhāvatastu ṛtē nā’nyā śubhā gatiḥ || 28 ||
Translation
then the form of Brahman is known, and by no other act. Apart from the absolute non-existence of the seen there is no other good path.
Word by word
- taj
- (tat) then
- jñātaṁ
- known
- brahmaṇō
- (brahmaṇaḥ) of Brahman
- rūpaṁ
- the form
- bhavēn
- (bhavet) is
- na
- not
- anyēna
- by other
- karmaṇā
- act
- dṛśya
- of the seen
- atyantābhāvatas
- (atyantābhāvataḥ) the absolute non-existence
- tu
- but
- ṛtē
- apart from
- anyā
- other
- śubhā
- good
- gatiḥ
- path
Meaning
Not by any act: Brahman is not produced or reached by doing. When the knowledge of the world's non-existence is firm, the commentary says, then and only then is the form of Brahman known. Every other path still leaves the seen standing.