तद्यथेषीकातूलमग्नौ प्रोतं प्रदूयेतैवंहास्य सर्वे पाप्मानः प्रदूयन्ते य एतदेवं विद्वानग्निहोत्रं जुहोति ॥ ५.२४.३ ॥
tadyatheṣīkātūlamagnau protaṃ pradūyetaivaṃhāsya sarve pāpmānaḥ pradūyante ya etadevaṃ vidvānagnihotraṃ juhoti || 5.24.3 ||
3. Just as the cotton fibres of the iṣīkā grass are totally consumed when thrown into the fire, similarly all sins are consumed of one who performs the Agnihotra sacrifice with the knowledge of the Vaiśvānara Self.
Word-for-word explanation:
Tat yathā, just as; iṣīkā-tūlam, the cotton-like fibre of the iṣīkā grass; agnau, into the fire; protam, on being thrown; pradūyeta, is totally consumed; evam, like this; asya ha, his; sarve pāpmānaḥ, all sins; pradūyante, are burnt up; yaḥ, he who; etat evam vidvān, having known this in this way; agnihotram juhoti, performs the Agnihotra sacrifice.
Commentary:
Iṣīkā is a kind of grass that grows very tall and has a cotton-like substance coming from it which is easily consumed when thrown into fire. Similarly, the knowledge that a person is one with all easily consumes the fruits of his sañcita (accumulated) karma and his āgāmī (future) karma. But a person may have to suffer from prārabdha karma, which is already in the process of bearing fruit. Prārabdha karma is like an arrow that has already been shot.