Verse 12.89

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

इह चामुत्र वा काम्यं प्रवृत्तं कर्म कीर्त्यते ।
निष्कामं ज्ञातपूर्वं तु निवृत्तमुपदिश्यते ॥ ८९ ॥

iha cāmutra vā kāmyaṃ pravṛttaṃ karma kīrtyate |
niṣkāmaṃ jñātapūrvaṃ tu nivṛttamupadiśyate || 89 ||

That which is done with knowledge and brings about the fulfilment of desires either in this world, or in the next, is described as ‘active’; while that which is done with knowledge and without desires, is declared to be ‘passive.’—(89)

 

Medhātithi’s commentary (manubhāṣya):

‘In this world’—such as the Kārīrī (which brings on rain), the Vaiśvānarī (which secures a son), and so forth.

‘In the next’—such as the Jyotiṣṭoma and the like.

All these are acts that bring about the fulfilment of some desired end. What is ‘Kāmya’ (lit. ‘desirable’) is really the reward; but the term is made applicable here to the action which brings about that reward; since as an instrument, that also is ‘desirable.’

‘Niṣkāma,’ which is done without desire for any reward, is the compulsory act.

‘With knowledge’—is to be construed with both, as a man devoid of knowledge is not entitled to the performance of any Vedic Act If however ‘knowledge’ be taken as that of the esoteric section only, then it cannot qualify both. [It can go with the latter only.

The term ‘pūrva’ in the compound ‘Jñānapūrvam’ denotes precedence; hence the compound means ‘that of which knowledge forms the important factor.’ And the purport then comes to be that ‘knowledge is to be pursued as the most important end in view; and Vedic Study and other acts are to be pursued only to the extent that they have been enjoined by the scriptures.’—(89)

 

Explanatory notes by Ganganath Jha

This verse is quoted in Aparārka (p. 1033);—and in Mitākṣarā (3.58).