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.
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.