Aphorisms on Brahman 2.657.2

2.657.2

'ācāryakulādvedamadhītya yathāvidānaṃ guroḥ karmātiśeṣeṇābhisamāvṛttya kuṭumbe śucau deśe svādhyāyamadhīyānaḥ' (chā. 8.15.1) iti caivañjātīyakā śrutiḥ samastavedārthavijñānavataḥ karmādhikāraṃ darśayati tasmādapi na vijñānasya svātantryeṇa phalahetutvam /

'He who has learnt (lit. "read") the Veda from a family of teachers, according to the sacred injunction, in the leisure time left from the duties to be performed for the Guru; who after having received his discharge has settled in his own house, studying his sacred texts in some sacred spot' (Kh. Up. VIII, 15); such passages also show that those who know the purport of the whole Veda are qualified for sacrificial action, and that hence knowledge does not independently bring about a result.--But the expression 'who has read' directly states only that the Veda is read, not that its purport is understood!--Not so, we reply. The reading of the Veda extends up to the comprehension of its purport, as thus the reading has a visible purpose.