Karmanirnaya 11_66

11_66

Nor is it proper to claim that a purpose lies only in an action and not in an established fact; for a great purpose is seen in mere knowledge, in sentences such as 'the father lives.' And the Blessed Lord himself says:
'There are two persons in the world: the perishable and the imperishable. / The perishable is all beings; the unchanging is called the imperishable. / But highest person is another, declared to be the Supreme Self, / who, pervading the three worlds, sustains them, the imperishable Īśvara. / Because I transcend the perishable and am higher even than the imperishable, / therefore I am celebrated in the world and in the Veda as the Supreme Person. / He who, unconfused, thus knows me as the Supreme Person / knows all and worships me with his whole being, O descendant of Bharata. / Thus this most secret teaching has been spoken by me, O sinless one; / understanding this, a man would become wise and accomplished in his purpose, O descendant of Bharata.' / And: 'Knowledge-sacrifice is superior to material sacrifice, O burner of the foe.' / And in the Pravṛtta: / 'Meditation is superior to all actions, and knowledge is superior to meditation; / there is nothing equal to knowledge for accomplishing the human end.' / And: 'Action is far inferior to the yoga of understanding, O Dhanañjaya.' / And in the Karmaviveka: / 'Even the entire host of actions does not possess a fraction of meditation on Viṣṇu; / and that meditation does not fill a ten-millionth part of knowledge of Hari.' / And the scripture says: 'Knowing him alone, one becomes immortal here; there is no other path for going.'