lar words, may lead to Brahma.

623. Both declare, as the commentator explains, that as long as one does
not succeed in beholding one's Soul, one may silently recite the Pranava
or the original word Om. When, however, one succeeds in beholding one's
Soul, then may one give up such recitation.

624. There are two paths which one in this world may follow. One is
called Pravritti dharma and the other Nrivritti dharma. The first is a
course of actions; the second of abstention from actions. The attributes
indicated in 10 and 11 belong to the first course or path. They are,
therefore, called Pravartaka yajna or Sacrifice having its origin in
Pravritti or action.

625. i.e., he should first cleanse his heart by observing the virtues
above enumerated.

626. Samadhi is that meditation in which the senses having been all
withdrawn into the mind, the mind, as explained previously, is made to
dwell on Brahma alone.

627. The end declared by Bhishma in the previous section is the success
of yoga, or freedom from decrepitude and death, or death at will, or
absorption into Brahma, or independent existence in a beatific condition.

628. It should be noted that 'hell,' as here used, means the opposite of
Emancipation. Reciter may attain to the joys of heaven, but compared to
Emancipation, they are hell, there being the obligation of rebirth
attached to them.

629. Even this is a kind of hell, for there is re-birth attached to it.

630. Aiswvarya or the attributes of godhead are certain extraordinary
powers attained by yogins and Reciters. They are the power to become
minute or huge in shape, or go whither soever one will, etc. These are
likened to hell, because of the obligation of re-birth that attaches to
them. Nothing less than Emancipation or the absorption into the Supreme
Soul is the end that should be striven for.

631. In the Bengal texts there is a vicious line beginning with Prajna,
etc. The Bombay text omits it, making both 10 and 11 couplets, instead of
taking 11 as a triplet.

632. Na samyuktah is explained by the commentator as aviraktopi hathena
tyaktabhogah.

633. For there no forms exist to become the objects of such functions.
All is pure knowledge there, independent of those ordinary operations
that help created beings to acquire knowledge.

634. The six Angas are Siksha, Kalpa, Vyakarana, Nirukta, Chhandas,
Jyotish.

635. i.e., an insight not obtained in the ordinary way but by intuition.

636. K.P