Aphorisms on Brahman 2.637.2

2.637.2

parastādapi 'ayaṃ vāva loka eṣo 'gniścittaḥ' ityasminnanantare brāhmaṇe tāvadvadhyaṃ kevalavidyāvidhitvaṃ śabdasya prayojanaṃ lakṣyate na śuddhakarmāṅgavidhitvam /
tatra hi -' vidyayā tadārohanti yatra kāmāḥ parāgatāḥ /
na tatra dakṣīṇā yanti nāvidvāṃsastapasvinaḥ' ityanena ślokena kevalaṃ karmanindanvidhyāṃ ca praśaṃsannidaṃ gamayati /
tathā purastādapi yadetanmaṇḍalaṃ tapati ityasminbrāhmaṇe vidyāpradhānatvameva lakṣyate so 'mṛto bhavati mṛtyurhyasyātmā bhavati iti vidyāphalenaivopasaṃhārānna karmapradhānatā tatsāmānyādihāpi tathātvam /
bhūyāṃsastvagnyavayavāḥ saṃpādayitavyā vidyāyāmityetasmātkāraṇādagninānubadhyate vidyā na karmāṅgatvāt /
tasmānmanaścidādīnāṃ kevalavidyātmakatvasiddhiḥ // 52 //

With regard to a subsequent Brâhmana also, viz. the one beginning, 'That piled agni is this world indeed,' we apprehend that what is the purpose of the text is 'being of that kind,' i.e. injunction of a mere vidyâ, not injunction of the member of a mere action. For we meet there with the following sloka,' By knowledge they ascend there where all wishes are attained. Those skilled in works do not go there, nor those who destitute of knowledge do penance.' This verse blames mere works and praises knowledge. A former Brâhmana also, viz. the one beginning, 'What that orb leads' (Sat. Brâ. X, 5, 2, 23), concludes with a statement of the fruit of knowledge ('Immortal becomes he whose Self is death'), and thereby indicates that works are not the chief thing.--The text connects the vidyâ (of the agnis built of mind) with the real agni built of bricks, not because those agnis are members of the act of building the real agni, but because many of the elements of the real agni are imaginatively combined with the vidyâ.

All this establishes the conclusion that the fire-altars built of mind and so on constitute a mere vidyâ.