परम् अयनं प्राप्तव्यं स्थानं परायणम् ।यदाज्ञया प्रवर्तन्तेसर्वे; यस्मिन्नधिगते हृदयग्रन्थिर्भिद्यते, 'भिद्यते हृदयग्रन्थि-श्छिद्यन्ते सर्वसंशयाः ।क्षीयन्ते चास्य कर्माणि तस्मिन्दृष्टेपरावरे' इति श्रुतेः; यस्य विज्ञानमात्रेण आनन्दलक्षणो मोक्षः प्राप्यते; यद्विद्वान्न बिभेति कुतश्चन; यत्प्रविष्टस्य न विद्यते पुनर्भवः; यस्य च वेदनात्तदेव भवति, 'ब्रह्म वेद ब्रह्मैव भवति' इति श्रुतेः; यद्विहायापरः पन्थाः नृणां नास्ति,'नान्यः पन्था विद्यतेऽयनाय' इति श्रुतेः; तदुक्तम् एकंपरायणम् ।लोके तत्किम् इति द्वितीयः प्रश्नः ।कं कतमं देवंस्तुवन्तः गुणकीर्तनं कुर्वन्तः, कं कतमं देवम् अर्चन्तः बाह्यमा-भ्यन्तरं वा अर्चनं बहुविधं कुर्वन्तः मानवाः मनुसुताः शुभंकल्याणं स्वर्गापवर्गादिफलं प्राप्नुयुः लभेरन् इति पुनः प्रश्न-द्वयम् ॥
In plain words
The ultimate goal is that supreme destination which must be reached. All beings act by His command. When He is realized, the knot of the heart is untied, all doubts are severed, and karmas perish upon seeing the higher and the lower, as the Shruti declares. By the mere awareness of Him, liberation characterized by bliss is attained. Knowing Him, the wise one fears nothing. For one who has entered into Him, there is no return to birth. By knowing Him, one becomes Him, as the Shruti says: 'He who knows Brahman becomes Brahman itself.' Leaving Him, there is no other path for human beings: 'There is no other path known for attaining the goal,' declares the Shruti. Thus is described the one refuge. What is that in the world? This is the second question. By praising which deity through the chanting of His qualities, and by worshiping which deity through manifold external and internal rituals, do mortals attain supreme well-being, the ultimate fruit of liberation? Such is the paired question.
Close to the Sanskrit
The supreme path means the destination to be attained called parāyana. By whose command all act; upon whose attainment the knot of the heart is riven, 'the knot of the heart is split, all doubts are severed, and his actions perish when that higher and lower is seen,' from shruti; by whose mere realization bliss-characterized liberation is attained; knowing whom the wise one fears not from anywhere; of whom having entered there is no return; and from whose knowledge this very thing happens, 'he who knows Brahman becomes Brahman itself,' from shruti; leaving whom there is no other path for men, 'there is no other path known for the path,' from shruti; that is stated as the one refuge. What is that in the world? is the second question. Praising which particular deity, performing quality-singing; worshiping which particular deity, performing outer or inner worship in manifold ways; human beings, sons of Manu, obtain auspiciousness, well-being, the fruit starting with heaven and liberation, can they attain — thus is the double question.