Verse 6.83

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

अधियज्ञं ब्रह्म जपेदाधिदैविकमेव च ।
आध्यात्मिकं च सततं वेदान्ताभिहितं च यत् ॥ ८३ ॥

adhiyajñaṃ brahma japedādhidaivikameva ca |
ādhyātmikaṃ ca satataṃ vedāntābhihitaṃ ca yat || 83 ||

He shall constantly recite Vedic texts bearing upon sacrifices, those dealing with deities and those dealing with the Soul, which have been called ‘Vedānta.’—(83)

 

Medhātithi’s commentary (manubhāṣya):

What this verse permits (for the Renunciate) is the mere reciting of the texts, and not the repeating and getting up of them, as is prescribed for the householder.

‘Bearing upon sacrifices’—i.e., the Brāhmaṇa texts prescribing the sacrificial rites.

‘Dealing with deities’—those indicating the deities of sacrifices.

A particular kind of texts of this last class is ‘those dealing with the Soul;’—i. e., ‘aham manurabhavam &c,’ ‘aham rudrebhiḥ etc.’ and so forth.

Which have been called ‘Vedānta’—and which deal with Action and Knowledge both. This shows that it is the combination of these two that makes one reach Brahman.—(83)

 

Comparative notes by various authors

Baudhāyana (2.18.20-21).—‘He shall recite the Agnihotra-mantras in the evening and in the morning; after performing his evening-devotions by reciting the mantras called Vāruṇī and his morning-devotions by reciting the Maitrī verses.’

Āpastamba (2.21.4)—‘Not to abandon sacred learning is a duty common to all.’

Vaśiṣṭha (10.4).—‘He shall discontinue the performance of all religious ceremonies; hut he shall never discontinue the recitation of the Veda. By neglecting the Veda he becomes a Śūdra; therefore he shall not neglect it.’