Aphorisms on Brahman 2.665.2

2.665.2

'kurvanneveha karmāṇi' (īśā. 2) ityatrāparo viśeṣa ākhyāyate yadyapyatra prakaraṇasāmarthyādvidvāneva kurvanniti saṃbadhyate tathāpi vidyāstutaye karmānujñānametaddraṣṭavyam /
'na karma lipyate nare' (īśā. 2) iti hi vakṣyati /
etaduktaṃ bhavati /
yāvajjīvaṃ karma kurvatyapi viduṣi puruṣe hi vakṣyati /
etaduktaṃ bhavati /
yāvajjīvaṃ karma kurvatyapi viduṣupuruṣe na karma lepāya bhavati vidyāsāmarthyāditi tadevaṃ vidyā stūyate // 14 //

The passage 'Performing works here' may be treated in another way also. Even if, owing to the influence of the general subject-matter, only he who knows is to be viewed as he who performs works, yet the permission to perform works must be viewed as aiming at the glorification of knowledge; as appears from the subsequent clause, 'no work clings to the man.' The meaning of the entire passage thus is: To a man who knows no work will cling, should he perform works during his whole life even, owing to the power of knowledge. And this clearly glorifies knowledge.