Manava Dharmashastra 2.28.2

2.28.2

"tatrāpi hi 'śakalānyabhyādadhāti' ityutpattiriti" ced dvayaṅge kā gatiḥ | grahebhya ekaikasyai samidho juhuyādārkādīnām | ato yatra juhuyāditi devatāsambandhaśca kāṣṭhāderapi śruta utpattivākye so'pi homa eva | ijyayā devarṣitarpaṇena | eṣa tāvadupanītasya brahmacarye kriyākalāpaḥ | idānīṃ gṛhasthadharmāḥ | sutairutpattyāpattividhinā | mahāyajñaiḥ pañcabhirbrahmayajñādibhiḥ | yajñaiḥ śrautairjyotiṣṭomādibhiḥ | "nanu yadyeṣāṃ karmaṇāṃ kiñcitprayojanaṃ syāttadā tadadhikārayogyatotpattyarthā brāhmā saṃskārā arthavantaḥ syuḥ" | ata āha | brāhmīyaṃ kriyate tanuḥ | 'brahma' paramātmā kāraṇapuruṣaḥ, tasyeyaṃ sambandhinī 'tanuḥ' śarīram, etaiḥ śrautasmārtaiḥ sarvaiḥ karmabhiḥ kriyate | brahmasambandhitā ca tadbhāvāpattilakṣaṇā | sa hi paraḥ puruṣārthaḥ | sambandhāntarāṇi sarvasya kasyacitkāraṇatvena siddhatvānnābhilaṣitavyāni | tato mokṣaprāptiruktā bhavati | brāhmītyanena tanuśabdena ca tadadhiṣṭhātā puruṣo lakṣyate | tasya hyete śarīradvārakāḥ saṃskārāḥ | tasyaiva ca mokṣaprāptiḥ | śarīrasya pañcatāpatteḥ | anye tvāhurbrahmatvaprāptau yogyā kriyate | na hi karmabhireva kevalairbrahmatvaprāptiḥ, prajñānakarmasamuccayātkila mokṣaḥ | etaistu saṃskṛta ātmopāsanāsvadhikriyate | tathā ca śrutiḥ | 'ya etadakṣaraṃ gārgyaviditvā yajate juhoti tapastapyate adhīte dadātyantavadevāsya tadbhavati' iti |

“In that case also it has to be done in that way, because of the direct injunction—‘one should offer the pebbles’.”

What explanation can there be of the case of the ‘Grahayāga,’ where fuels of the arka and other plants are offered to each of the Grahas?

From all this it is clear that wherever we have the term ‘juhuyāt’ (‘should offer libation’) and the connection of a Deity also is mentioned, in the original Injunction, the act is to be regarded as ‘Homa,’ ‘Libation.’

‘By offerings’—i.e., by offerings to the Gods and Ṛṣis.

Up to this point we had the duties of the Religious Student.

Next follow the duties of the Householder.

‘By children,’—i.e., by the act of begetting children.

‘By the great sacrifices’—i.e., by the five ‘sacrifices,’ consisting of Brahtnayajña and the rest.

‘By sacrifices,’—i.e., by the Jyotiṣṭoma and other Vedic Sacrifices.

The question being raised that—“if there were any useful purpose served by these acts, then alone could there be any use for the sacraments which fit a man for these acts,”—the Author says—‘this body is made godly,’ ‘tanuḥ.’—‘Brahma’ here stands for the Supreme God, the Creator; and this ‘tanu,’ body, is made ‘related to God,’ ‘godly,’—by all these acts, which are laid down in the Veda and in the Smṛtis. ‘Godliness’ meant here is that which consists in being transformed into the very essence of God; as this is the highest end of man; as for other forms of ‘relation to God,’ this is already an accomplished fact for all beings,—for the simple reason that God is the Creator of all things; and hence these other relations cannot be anything to be longed for. For this reason it is the attainment of ‘Final Release’ that must be meant here.

The term ‘brāhmī,’ ‘godly’—as also the term ‘tanu,’ ‘body’—refers to the personality ensouling the body; as it is the personality that is consecrated by the sacraments; and it is the personality that attains Final Release; as for the physical body, it entirely perishes.

Others have explained the phrase ‘it made godly’ to mean that ‘it is made capable of reaching Brahma as (they argue) the actual ‘becoming Brahman’ is not possible by means of acts alone; Final Release (which is what is meant by(becoming Brahman’) is'attainable only by means of Knowledge and Action conjointly. Hence what the text means is that the man, by the said acts, becomes entitled to meditate upon Ātman (Brahman). To this end we have the Vedic text—‘O Gārgi, when anyone, without knowing the Imperishable One, sacrifices, pours oblations, performs penances, studies the Veda or gives charities, all this becomes perishable’ (Bṛha dāraṇyaka Upaniṣad, 3. 8. 10).