अग्निर्ज्योतिरह: शुक्ल: षण्मासा उत्तरायणम् |
तत्र प्रयाता गच्छन्ति ब्रह्म ब्रह्मविदो जना: || 24||
agnir jyotir ahaḥ śhuklaḥ ṣhaṇ-māsā uttarāyaṇam
tatra prayātā gachchhanti brahma brahma-vido janāḥ
agniḥ—fire; jyotiḥ—light; ahaḥ—day; śhuklaḥ—the bright fortnight of the moon; ṣhaṭ-māsāḥ—six months; uttara-ayanam—the sun’s northern course; tatra—there; prayātāḥ—departed; gachchhanti—go; brahma—Brahman; brahma-vidaḥ—those who know the Brahman; janāḥ—persons;
Translation:
Fire, light, day-time, the bright half of the moon, and the six months of the northward passage of the sun— taking this path, the knowers of Brahman go to Brahman.
Commentary:
Knowledge (Jnana) is light; ignorance (Ajnana) is darkness. He who possesses the effulgence of Brahmajnana goes to Brahman.
The bright state comes only to the knowers of Brahman and not to others. The word ‘Janah‘ shows that the realisation of Brahman is open to all without any distinction of caste, sex, religion or race.
Since Brahmajnana is light, five light-causing things are mentioned here. (1) Fire, (2) Light, (3) Day, (4) The bright fortnight, (5) The northern solstice (Uttarayana). The fifth points the way to the higher worlds of light and knowledge. The Jiva should find his abode in the light of Brahmajnana, the imperishable Self. So he moves upwards into light and not downwards into darkness. The upward look (urdhvadrishti) is absorption in the light of Atma, and the downward look (adhodrishti) is in the contemplation of the insentient material – world. Thus the light-producing things are an indication of knowledge and the ascent of man towards Self-realisation. From this state, there is no return.
Swami Turiyananda: “There is a mention of the Uttarâyana in the Mahabharata. Bhishma was waiting for the Uttarayana. By this no particular time is meant. It only shows that Bhishma had the power to die whenever he chose. The scriptures do not mean by the word Uttarayana any time at all – it only means the Deva or deity identifying himself with that time. We can well understand this. It is like people coming forward to receive a distinguished visitor. I am reminded of an incident in this connection.
“B. got news that his father was ill. Before he reached the place, the gentleman had expired. As soon as he stepped into the room, he saw a shining figure. He wrote to me that first he thought that perhaps it was his father waiting to meet him. But suddenly the idea flashed to his mind that it might be some angel come there to escort the departing soul. B. of course won’t tell an untruth; he is not the man to do so. Besides, I can very well understand such things as the following statement of the Gitâ :
“‘Fools do not perceive when the soul departs from the body, or lives in it, or enjoys things through the help of the Gunas. But wise men see it doing all this.’ (BG 15.10)
“Swamiji used to say, ‘He who has seen even a ghost is much greater than a mere book-learned Pundit’ because he has got an opportunity to form a conviction about the future life.” (Source: Spiritual Talks by the First Disciples of Sri Ramakrishna)
Question: What is the path taken by the knowers of Brahman?
Answer: Fire, light, day, the bright fortnight, the northern solstice, this is the path taken by the knowers of Brahman.
Question: Who attains Brahman?
Answer: The knowers of Brahman attain Brahman.