Chapter 13 - Verse 23

He who knows Puruṣa in the manner mentioned above,* i.e., he who directly perceives Him as his very Self, ‘This I am,’ he who knows Prakṛti or Avidyā described above † with all its modifications, i.e., he who knows the Prakṛti as resolved into nothing (abhava) by vidya or knowledge,—whatever life he may lead, (i.e., whether he is engaged in the prescribed duties or forbidden acts), he is not born again; that is, he will not have to put on another body on the death of this, i.e., at the end of the birth in which he has attained wisdom. How much more so the wise man who stands firm in the path of duty!

As the basic Reality underlying all manifestations such as Jiva, Isvara, and so on.—A.

As beginningless, as indefinable (anirvachya), as the source of all evil.—A.

(Objection) :—What acts are neutralised by knowledge?—Absence of rebirth subsequent to the attainment of knowledge has indeed been taught here. But, inasmuch as it is not right (to suppose) the annihilation, before producing their respective effects, of those acts which were done (in the present birth) before the attainment of knowledge or of those acts which may be done thereafter, or of those which had been done in the many past births, there should be at least three (more) births; for it is not right to suppose the annihilation of these acts any more than to suppose the annihilation of the deeds whose fruits are being reaped in the present birth. And we see no distinction between (those two groups of) acts*. Accordingly, the three classes of acts will give rise to a single birth. Otherwise, the possibility of annihilation of what has been done would lead to uncertainty everywhere, and the sastra (all scriptural injunctions) would become useless. Wherefore it is not right to say that ‘he is not born again.’

As all acts alike result from ajnana, they must all alike be neutralised by knowledge, so that there is no force in the possible argument that the acts which can be neutralised by knowledge are those which have not yet begun their effects, not those which have already begun their effects by way of generating the present body.— A.

(Answer) :—No, (it is right), as the following passages of the sruti show :

‘His deeds perish.’—(Mund. Up. 2-2-8.)

‘He who knows Brahman, becomes Brahman Itself.’—(Ibid., 3-2-9).

‘For him there is only delay so long as he is not delivered from the present body).—(Chhand. Up. 6-14-2).

‘As the soft fibres of the ishika reed are burnt in the fire, so all his actions are burnt.—(Ibid., 5-24-3).

Consumption of all acts has been taught here also in iv. 37 and will be taught also hereafter.* And this also stands to reason; for, only those acts which spring from avidya (nescience), from desire (kama) and such other affections, which are the seeds † of all evil, can cause future births; and it has also been stated by the Lord here and there in the Gita that those actions which are accompanied with egotism and desire—but not other action—are productive of results. It is also said elsewhere,

In xviii. 66. the Lord teaches Arjuna to abandon all-Dharmas, thus showing that knowledge consumes all actions—A.

These seeds of evil, termed klesas are avidya, asmita, raga, dvesha, and abhinivesa. Only those acts of dharma and adharma which are occasioned by these klesas can bring about incarnate existence. But as to the acts of a wise man, their seeds have been fried in knowledge : those acts are said to exist only in so far as they present themselves to his consciousness, pratitimatradehah. Being karmabhasas, mere semblances of karma, they are not effective causes and cannot bring about births; a burnt cloth, for instance, cannot serve the purposes of a cloth, —A.

“As the fire-burnt seeds do not sprout again, so the body cannot be formed again, by wisdom-burnt affections.”

(Objection):—Granted that knowledge consumes acts done subsequently to the attainment of knowledge, inasmuch as they are accompanied with knowledge; but it is not possible to explain how it can consume acts done in this life before the attainment of knowledge, and those done in the several past births.

(Answer):—Do not say so, because of the qualification ‘all acts’ (iv. 37)

(Objection):—It may mean all those acts only which are done subsequently to the attainment of knowledge.

(Answer):—No, for, there is no reason for the limitation.

Now as regards the contention that just as the actions which have begun their effects by way of bringing about the present birth do not perish in spite of knowledge, so also even those acts which have not yet begun to produce their effects cannot perish, (we say) it is wrong.—How?—For, the former have, like an arrow discharged, begun their effects. Just as an arrow once discharged from a bow at an aim does not, even after piercing through the aim, cease to act till it drops down on the exhaustion of the whole force with which it was propelled, * so also, though the purpose of the bodily existence has been gained, the effects of actions which have produced the body continue as before till the exhaustion of their inherent energy. (On the other hand), just as the same arrow when not yet propelled with the energy which is the cause of its activity, i.e., when not discharged, can be withdrawn, though already fixed in the bow, so also, the acts which have not yet begun their effects, which only abide in their own seat,† can be neutralised by the knowledge of truth. Thus it is but right to say that when the body of a wise man perishes ‘he is not born again’

i.e., provided its action is not checked by some overpowering obstacle in the way. And Self-knowledge is no such obstacle in the way of the karma which has brought about the present birth; for, even while that knowledge arises, it arises with its power checked by that karma, as the latter has already begun to operate. Accordingly, the effects of the prarabdha-karma should be worked out in full.—A.

Svasraya, sabhasa-antah-karana, i.e., the inner sense or Manas containing the reflection of Spiritual Intelligence.—A.

The four paths to Self-knowledge.

Now, there are several paths to Self-knowledge, and they are mentioned here as follows :