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च बह्वृचब्राह्मणोपनिषत्—‘किमर्थं वयमध्येष्यामहे’ इति ।तथा च बृहदारण्यके विदुषः कर्मसंन्यासं दर्शयति—‘एतद्ध स्म वै तत्पूर्वे विद्वांसः प्रजां न कामयन्ते किं प्रजया करिष्यामो येषां नोऽयमात्मायं लोक इति ते ह स्म पुत्रैषणायाश्च वित्तैषणायाश्च लोकैषणायाश्च व्युत्थायाथ भिक्षाचर्यं चरन्ति’ इति ।तथा लैङ्गे—‘ज्ञानामृतेन तृप्तस्य कृतकृत्यस्य योगिनः ।नैवास्ति किञ्चित्कर्तव्यमस्ति चेन्न स तत्त्ववित्’ इति ।तथा च आथर्वणी श्रुतिः—‘नैतद्विद्वानृषिणा विधेये न रुन्ध्यते विधिना शब्दकारः’ इति ।केन तर्ह्यनुष्ठेयानि ? अज्ञानिना आरुरुक्षुणा सर्वकर्माणि सर्वदा अनुष्ठेयानि; न ज्ञानिना ।तथा चाह भगवान्—‘लोकेऽस्मिन्द्विविधा निष्ठा पुरा प्रोक्ता मयानघ ।ज्ञानयोगेन सांख्यानां कर्मयोगेन योगिनाम्’ इति, ‘आरुरुक्षोर्मुनेर्योगं कर्म कारणमुच्यते ।योगारूढस्य तस्यैव शमः कारणमुच्यते’ इति च ।तथा चाह भगवान्सत्यवतीसुतः—‘द्वाविमावथ पन्थानौ यत्र वेदाः प्रतिष्ठिताः ।प्रवृत्तिलक्षणो धर्मो निवृत्तौ च व्यवस्थितः’ इति ॥
In plain words
The Bahvṛca Brāhmaṇa Upaniṣad asks: 'Why should we study the Vedas?' And the Bṛhadāraṇyaka illustrates how the illumined soul drops ritual action: 'Realizing this very Self, the ancient sages felt no desire for children. What would we achieve through offspring, they thought, when this Self is our entire world? Rising above the hunger for sons, wealth, and worlds, they wander as mendicants.' The Liṅga Purāṇa adds: 'For the yogi who drinks the nectar of direct knowledge and whose work is done, no duty remains. If any does, he does not yet know the Truth.' The Atharvaveda declares: 'Knowing this, the seer is untouched by ritual injunctions.' Who then must perform actions? Only the ignorant seeker who wishes to ascend, never the one who already knows. As the Lord declared: 'In this world, O sinless Arjuna, a twofold path was taught by me of old—the path of knowledge for the contemplatives, and the path of action for the active. Action is the means for the seeker who wishes to climb to yoga; tranquility is the means for one who has attained it.' And the son of Satyvatī affirms: 'These are the two paths rooted in the Vedas—the path of active engagement and the path of silent renunciation.'
Close to the Sanskrit
And the Bahvrcabrahmana Upanisad: 'For what purpose shall we study?' Thus. And in the Brihadaranyaka it shows the renunciation of action by the knower: 'This indeed they knew, the ancient ones, do not desire progeny; what shall we do with progeny, for whom this Self is this world? They truly, having risen above the desire for sons, the desire for wealth, and the desire for worlds, lead a mendicant life.' And in the Linga: 'Of the yogi satisfied with the nectar of knowledge, who has accomplished all his duties, there is indeed nothing to be done; if there is, he is not a knower of reality.' And the Atharvanic Sruti: 'Knowing this, the seer is not bound by the injunction, nor restrained by the rule of the word-maker.' By whom then are duties to be performed? Actions are always to be performed by the ignorant one who desires to ascend, not by the knower. And so the Lord said: 'A twofold path was declared of old by me in this world, O sinless one: the yoga of knowledge for the jnanins, and the yoga of action for the yogins', 'Action is said to be the cause for the sage who desires to ascend; tranquility is said to be the cause for him when he has ascended.' And so the Lord, son of Satyavati, said: 'These two are the paths wherein the Vedas are established: dharma characterized by engagement and established in renunciation.'