२८ निवृत्तिः

Having paid off, according to law, the debts owing to the Great Sages, to the Pitṛs and to the Gods, he shall consign everything to his son and remain fixed in neutrality.—(257)

गृहस्थस्यैवेदं प्रकारान्तरम् उच्यते । महर्षीणाम् आनृण्यं स्वाध्यायेन पितॄणाम् अपत्योत्पादनेन देवानां यज्ञैर् यथोक्तम् “त्रिभिर् ऋणैर् ऋणवा” (त्स् ६.३.१०.५) इति गत्वा कृत्वैतत् त्रयं पुत्रे प्राप्तव्यवहारे सर्वगृहकुटुम्बव्यवहारं समासज्य संन्यस्य वसेद् गृह एव । माध्यस्थ्यम् आस्थितस् त्यक्ताहंकारः । इदं मे धनम् इदं मे पुत्रदारम् इदं मे दासीदासम् इति स्वबुद्धिं संत्यज्यासीत । नाहं कस्यचिन् न कश्चिन् ममेति त्यक्तस्वतृष्णता माध्यस्थ्यम् । अयं च संन्यासः कामानां च दृष्टानां च कर्मणाम्, न¹ सर्वेषाम् । उत्तरत्र दर्शयिष्यामः ॥ ४.२५७ ॥

This is another method prescribed for the Householder.

Debts to the Great Sages are paid by Vedic Study; those to the Pitṛs are paid by the begetting of children; and those to the Gods are paid by sacrifices. This is what has been described in the passage—‘The Brāhmaṇa is under three kinds of debts.’

‘Gatvā’—having brought, about the three forms of freedom from debt.

‘He shall consign’—make over—‘everything’—the entire business of the house and family—‘to his son’—who has attained the age of business.

He shall remain in the house ‘fixed in neutrality’—i.e., having resigned all egoism. That is, ‘he shall continue to dwell in the house, having relinquished all such notions as this is my wealth, these my son and wife, these my male and female slaves.‘Neutrality’ consists in the feeling, ‘I do not belong to any one, no one belongs to me,’ in which all desire is abandoned.

What is meant is the^(‘)renunciation’ of only ordinary voluntary acts done for some purpose, and not of all (even obligatory) acts; as we shall show later on.—(257)

257 When he has paid, according to the law, his debts to the great sages, to the manes, and to the gods, let him make over everything to his son and dwell (in his house), not caring for any worldly concerns.

Alone, in solitude, he shall meditate upon what is good for himself. By meditating in solitude, he attains the highest good.—(258)

कृते सर्वकर्मसंन्यास इदं तस्य विशेषतः कर्तव्यम् । एकाकी असहायः सन्न् अविद्यमानसंभाषणो ऽनाकुले विविक्ते निर्जने रहसि चिन्तयेद् ध्यायेद् धितम् आत्मन्य् उपनिषत्सु या ब्रह्मोपासना विहितास् ता अभ्यसेत् । तच्चिन्तया तदभ्यासे परं श्रेयो मोक्षाख्यम् अधिगच्छति प्राप्नोति ॥ ४.२५८ ॥

The renunciation of all acts having been accomplished, the following is his special duty:—

‘Alone,’— without a companion,—having no one to talk to—‘in solitude’— in a place where there is no one, and which is free from all disturbance,—‘he shall meditate upon what is good for himself’; i.e., should practise that ‘contemplation of the Brahman’ which has been enjoined in the Upaniṣads.

By means of this practice and meditation, he obtains the highest good—called ‘Liberation.’—(258)

258 Alone let him constantly meditate in solitude on that which is salutary for his soul; for he who meditates in solitude attains supreme bliss.