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GITĀ, TRANSLATION & COMMENTARY, CH. XIII 1113
६६ ज्ञेयं यत्तत्प्रवक्ष्यामि यज्ज्ञात्वामृतमश्नुते ।
अनादिमत्परं ब्रह्म न सत्तन्नासदुच्यते ॥१२॥ सर्वतः पाणिपादं तत्सर्वतोऽक्षिशिरोमुखम् ।
सर्वतः श्रुतिमल्लोके सर्वमावृत्य तिष्ठति ॥ १३ ॥ place and not liking a common meeting place", appearing in stanza 10, has been taken hold of by some commentators for proving that the Path of Renunciation is supported by the Gitā; but I have already stated before that such an interpretation is not correct, and that it is not even proper to put such an interpretation on these words (See note on Gi. 12. 19, and Gi. Ra. p. 391). The only thing which has been considered in this place is what Jñāna is; and there is no dispute about the fact that Jñāna means 'absence of Attachment for one's wife and children, for one's home, and for the common meeting-place of people! Whether after the acquisition of this Jñāna, a man should remain in the world or among his wife and children with this Desireless Mind, and perform worldly Action for the benefit of the world, is the next question; and it is not proper to decide that question by merely considering the definition of the Word ' Jñāna'. Because, the Blessed Lord has stated in many places in the Gitā itself that a Jñanin must continue to perform all Actions with an unattached frame of mind, without becoming engrossed in the Actions, and for universal welfare; and He has, in support of that proposition, mentioned the illustrations of the life of Janaka and of Himself (Gi. 3. 19-25; 4 14). The life of Sri Samartha Ramadāsa clearly shows how it is possible for a man to take part in the affairs in the world as a duty, without having a desire to live in the town (See Dāsa-bodha 19. 6. 29 and 19. 9. 11). So far a description has been given of the nature of Jñāna. The Blessed Lord now gives a description of the Knowable--1
(12) (Now) I will tell (you) That, by knowing which, one attains to amrta (that is, Release ). (It is) eternal,
It is) the Brahman, Which is beyond (everything); It is not called 'sat'; nor is it called asct'; (13) It has arms
