Bhashya
साङ्गा वेदा अपरा विद्योक्ता 'ऋग्वेदो यजुर्वेद' इत्या-दिना ।'यत्तदद्रेश्यम्' इत्यादिना 'नामरूपमन्नं च जायते'इत्यन्तेन ग्रन्थेनोक्तलक्षणमक्षरं यया विद्ययाधिगम्यत इतिसा परा विद्या सविशेषणोक्ता ।अतः परमनयोर्विद्ययोर्विषयौविवक्तव्यौ संसारमोक्षावित्युत्तरो ग्रन्थ आरभ्यते ।तत्राप-रविद्याविषयः कर्मादिसाधनक्रियाफलभेदरूपः संसारोऽना-दिरनन्तो दुःखस्वरूपत्वाद्धातव्यः प्रत्येकं शरीरिभिः साम-स्त्येन नदीस्रोतोवद्विच्छेद रूपसम्बन्धस्तदुपशमलक्षणो मोक्षःपरविद्याविषयोऽनाद्यनन्तोऽजरोऽमरोऽमृतोऽभयः शुद्धः प्र-सन्नः स्वात्मप्रतिष्ठालक्षणः परमानन्दोऽद्वय इति ।पूर्वं ताव-दपरविद्याया विषयप्रदर्शनार्थमारम्भः ।तद्दर्शने हि तन्निर्वे-दोपपत्तिः ।तथा च वक्ष्यति—'परीक्ष्य लोकान्कर्मचितान्'इत्यादिना ।न ह्यप्रदर्शिते परीक्षोपपद्यत इति तत्प्रदर्शय-न्नाह— तदेतत् सत्यम् अवितथम् ।किं तत् ? मन्त्रेषुऋग्वेदाद्याख्येषु कर्माणि अग्निहोत्रादीनि मन्त्रैरेव प्रकाशि-तानि कवय मेधाविनो वसिष्ठादय यानि अपश्यन् दृष्टव-न्तः ।यत्तदेतत्सत्यमेकान्तपुरुषार्थसाधनत्वात् , तानि च वेद-विहितानि ऋषिदृष्टानि कर्माणि त्रेताया त्रयीसंयोगलक्षणायाहौत्राध्वर्य्वौद्गात्रप्रकारायामधिकरणभूताया बहुधा बहुप्रकारसन्ततानि सप्रवृत्तानि कर्मिभि क्रियमाणानि त्रेताया वा युगेप्रायश प्रवृत्तानि , अतो यूय तानि आचरथ निर्वर्तयत निय-त नित्य सत्यकामा यथाभूतकर्मफलकामा सन्त ।एष वयुष्माक पन्था मार्ग सुकृतस्य स्वय निर्वर्तितस्य कर्मण लोकेफलनिमित्त लोक्यते दृश्यते भुज्यत इति कर्मफल लोक उच्य-ते ।तदर्थं तत्प्राप्तये एष मार्ग इत्यर्थ ।यान्येतान्यग्निहोत्रादीनित्रय्या विहितानि कर्माणि, तान्येष पन्था अवश्यफलप्राप्ति-साधनमित्यर्थ ॥
In plain words
The auxiliary-laden Vedas constitute the lower knowledge, introduced by passages beginning with 'The Rigveda, the Yajurveda' and concluding with 'From that arises name, form, and food.' That Imperishable Reality defined therein is reached through supreme wisdom; thus higher knowledge is set forth with its specific marks. To distinguish the respective domains of these two forms of knowledge—namely bondage and liberation—the ensuing text begins. Among them, the domain of lower knowledge is saṃsāra: consisting of rites, means, and fruits, beginningless and unending, inherently painful, to be wholly abandoned by every embodied being like a rushing river current, where bondage is continuous and liberation is its cessation. The domain of higher knowledge is beginningless, unending, unborn, deathless, immortal, fearless, pure, serene, established in its own self, supreme bliss, and non-dual. First, the text sets out to display the realm of lower knowledge, because seeing its defects gives rise to true detachment, as scripture will later declare: 'Having examined the worlds built by karma.' For critical inquiry cannot happen unless the object is first revealed; revealing it, he says: 'That this truth'—meaning unerring. What is that? The sacrificial rites like Agnihotra within the mantras, illuminated solely by the sacred formulas, which the wise seers like Vasistha beheld. That this truth is the direct means to human fulfillment; and those scriptural, seer-seen rites, multiplied in the Tretā age through the combination of the three Vedas and the three priestly offices, practiced widely by ritualists—therefore perform them constantly, you who seek the true fruits of action. This is your path of righteous work in the world, where 'world' is so named because the fruit of action is witnessed, seen, and enjoyed there. To that end, to attain that, this is the path.
Close to the Sanskrit
The Veda with its auxiliary parts is declared as lower knowledge, starting with 'The Rigveda, the Yajurveda' and ending with 'From that is born name, form, and food,' by which text the imperishable described with those characteristics is attained; that higher knowledge is declared along with its qualifications. Therefore, to distinguish the respective objects of these two knowledges—namely transmigration and liberation—the subsequent text is commenced. Therein, the object of lower knowledge is transmigration, consisting of differences in action, means, and results, beginningless and endless, to be abandoned by all embodied beings in its entirety because of its painful nature, like a river current, its relation being unbroken continuity, and its cessation being the mark of liberation. The object of higher knowledge is beginningless, endless, unborn, deathless, immortal, fearless, pure, serene, characterized by establishment in one's own self, supreme bliss, and non-duality. First of all, the commencement is for the sake of showing the object of lower knowledge, for upon seeing that, detachment naturally arises, as the text will state later: 'Having examined the worlds won by karma,' etc. Since examination is not possible without showing it, showing that, he says: 'That this truth,' meaning unfailing. What is that? In the mantras, namely those called Rigveda and others, the actions such as Agnihotra, illuminated solely by the mantras, which the wise seers like Vasistha saw. That this truth, because it is the exclusive means to the human goal; and those Veda-prescribed actions seen by the rishis, spread in many ways in the Tretā age which is characterized by the combination of the three Vedas and serves as the locus for the Hotr, Adhvaryu, and Udgatr procedures, performed by ritualists or predominantly prevalent in the Tretā age, therefore do you perform them constantly, being seekers of truth, desiring the exact fruits of action. This is your path of good work in the world, where 'world' is called that wherein it is seen, perceived, and enjoyed as the fruit of action; for that purpose, for attaining that, this is the path. Which same actions, prescribed by the triple lore, are this path, meaning they are the means to inevitable attainment of the fruit.