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इत्युक्ते समुच्चयाशङ्का मा भूदिति ‘तपसा कल्मषं हन्ति विद्ययामृतमश्नुते’ इति तपसो नित्यनैमित्तिकलक्षणस्य कर्मणः अन्तःकरणशुद्धावेव विनियोगं दर्शितवान् ।तथा ‘ईशावास्यमिदं सर्वम्’ इति सर्वस्य तावन्मात्रत्वमुक्त्वा तदात्मभूतस्य सर्वस्य तावन्मात्रत्वं पश्यतस्तद्दर्शनेनैव कृतार्थस्य साध्यान्तरमपश्यतः ‘तेन त्यक्तेन भुञ्जीथाः’ इति त्यागेनैवात्मपरिपालनमुक्त्वा अतदात्मवेदिनः केन तर्हि आत्मपरिपालनमित्याशङ्क्याह—‘कुर्वन्नेवेह कर्माणि जिजीविषेच्छतं समाः ।एवं त्वयि नान्यथेतोऽस्ति न कर्म लिप्यते नरे’ इति ।एवम्भूते त्वयि नरमात्राभिमानिन्यज्ञे अविद्यानिमित्तोत्तरपूर्वाघयोरश्लेषविनाशाभावात् कुर्वन्नेव सदा यावज्जीवं कर्म जिजीविषेदित्यज्ञस्य नरमात्राभिमानिनः शुद्ध्यर्थं यावज्जीवं कर्माणि दर्शयति ।अत एभिरपि वाक्यैः शुद्धिसाधनत्वमेवावगम्यते, न मोक्षसाधनत्वम् ।यदप्युक्तम्—‘तेनैति ब्रह्मवित्पुण्यकृत्तैजसश्च’ इति च-शब्दात्समुच्चयोऽवगम्यते इति—तदपि प्रसिद्धश्रुतिविनियोगानुसारेणैव योजयितव्यम् ।तथा च अनुगीतासु स्पष्टमाह भगवान् कर्मणां शुद्धिद्वारेणैव मोक्षसाधनत्वम्—‘नित्यनैमित्तिकैः शुद्धैः फलसङ्गविवर्जितैः ।सत्त्वशुद्धिमवाप्याथ योगारूढो भविष्यति ॥योगारूढस्ततो
In plain words
To prevent any suspicion that action and knowledge combine to produce liberation, Manu demonstrated the specific function of obligatory actions—characterized as daily and occasional duties—solely for purifying the inner mind, citing: 'He destroys sin through austerity and attains immortality through knowledge.' Similarly, the Īśāvāsya Upaniṣad first declares that everything in the universe is pervaded by the Lord, establishing that all existence is nothing other than the Supreme. For the sage who sees everything as his own Self and seeks no further goal, the text declares: 'Protect yourself through this renunciation.' But how is the self to be protected in the case of one who does not know this truth and identifies with the body? Anticipating this doubt, scripture states: 'Performing actions here indeed, one should desire to live a hundred years. Thus, and in no other way, does action not cling to man.' For the ignorant person who identifies merely with the human body, sins caused by ignorance are neither avoided nor destroyed. Therefore, scripture prescribes lifelong action exclusively for the purification of such an ignorant person. Thus, even these texts reveal that actions serve only to purify the mind, never to directly cause liberation. As for the argument that combination is indicated by the word 'ca' in the text 'The knower of Brahman and performer of merit attains through that,' this too must be understood in harmony with settled scriptural usage. The Anugītā explicitly explains how action leads to liberation through purification: 'Having attained purity of mind through pure, daily and occasional actions devoid of attachment to results, one becomes established in yoga.'
Close to the Sanskrit
When this is said, lest the doubt of combination arise: 'He destroys sin by austerity, attains immortality by knowledge,' showing the employment of austerity, which is action characterized as daily and occasional, exclusively for the purification of the inner organ, Manu demonstrated. Likewise, having stated 'All this, whatever is moving in this world, is pervaded by the Lord'—declaring the universe to be nothing other than the Lord—and for one who sees everything as his own Self, having no further goal to be attained, stating 'By that renounced, protect yourself,' declaring the preservation of the self through renunciation alone, doubting how the protection of the self is for one who does not know that as the Self, scripture says: 'Performing actions here indeed, one should desire to live a hundred years. Thus in you, not otherwise than this, there is no way; action does not cling to man.' In such a person, who is ignorant and identifies merely with the human body, due to the absence of non-attachment and destruction of past and future sins caused by ignorance, scripture shows that the ignorant person who identifies with the body should perform action throughout life always, performing action indeed. Therefore, even by these statements, their nature as a means of purification alone is understood, not as a means of liberation. And what was stated—'By that the knower of Brahman, the maker of merit, and the luminous one attains'—that combination is understood from the particle 'ca'—that also should be interpreted in accordance with established scriptural application. And similarly the Lord states clearly in the Anugita that actions are a means to liberation solely through the doorway of purification: 'Having attained purity of mind through daily and occasional, pure actions devoid of attachment to fruits, then he will become ascended to yoga.'