Verse 12.92

Sanskrit text, Unicode transliteration and English translation by Ganganath Jha:

यथोक्तान्यपि कर्माणि परिहाय द्विजोत्तमः ।
आत्मज्ञाने शमे च स्याद् वेदाभ्यासे च यत्नवान् ॥ ९२ ॥

yathoktānyapi karmāṇi parihāya dvijottamaḥ |
ātmajñāne śame ca syād vedābhyāse ca yatnavān || 92 ||

Having renounced even the said acts, the Brāhmaṇa shall concentrate his effort on the knowledge of Self, on calmness and on the study of the Veda.—(92)

Medhātithi’s commentary (manubhāṣya):

‘Even the said acts.’—This does not sanction the abandoning of such acts as the Agnihotra and the like; all that is meant to be enjoined is that ‘one should concentrate his effort on the knowledge of Self’—which prescribes the acquiring of the knowledge of Self.

‘Having renounced the acts.’—What the meaning of this phrase is that one should concentrate his efforts upon the acquiring of the knowledge of Self, even though this might involve the abandoning of such acts as the worshipping at certain temples or attending upon elders and so forth. This does not however sanction the voluntary renunciation of the compulsory rites; but all other rites have to be renounced, without which the knowledge of Self cannot be acquired.—(92)

Explanatory notes by Ganganath Jha

This verse is quoted in Mitākṣarā (3.58) which explains ‘Vedābhyāsa’ as ‘repeating the Praṇava, Om’—and in Yatidharmasāṅgraha (p. 26).