वैशारद्यं तु वै नास्ति भेदे विचरतां सदा ।
भेदनिम्नाः पृथग्वादास्तस्मात्ते कृपणाः स्मृताः ॥ ९४ ॥vaiśāradyaṃ tu vai nāsti bhede vicaratāṃ sadā |
bhedanimnāḥ pṛthagvādāstasmātte kṛpaṇāḥ smṛtāḥ || 94 ||94. Those who always rely on (attach themselves to) separateness can never realise the innate purity of the Self Therefore those who are drowned in the idea of separateness and who assert the separateness of (entities) are called narrow-minded.
Śaṅkará’s Commentary
Those who have realised the truth regarding the Ultimate Reality as described above, are alone free from narrowness. Others are verily narrow-minded. This is thus described in this verse. “Drowned in the idea of separation” means those who stick to the idea of separation, that is to say, those who confine themselves to the multiplicity of phenomenal experiences. Who are they? They are those who assert that the multiplicity of objects exists, i.e., the dualists. They are called “narrowminded” as they never realise the natural purity of Ātman on account of their ever-dwelling on the thought of multiplicity, i.e., on account of their taking as real the duality of experiences imagined through ignorance. Therefore it has been truly said that these people are narrow-minded.
Anandagiri Tika (glossary)
Compare “Who ever, O Gārgi, without knowing that Akṣara ( the Imperishable), offers oblations in this world, sacrifices, and performs penance for a thousand years, his work will have an end. Whosoever, O Gārgi, without knowing this Akṣara, departs this world, he is narrow-minded. But he, O Gārgi, who departs this World, knowing this Akṣara, is a Brāhmaṇa (Bṛhadāraṇyaka Upaniṣad, 3.8.10.)