4.24
ब्रह्मार्पणं ब्रह्म हविर्ब्रह्माग्नौ ब्रह्मणा हुतम् ।
ब्रह्मैव तेन गन्तव्यं ब्रह्मकर्मसमाधिना ॥
brahmārpaṇaṃ brahma havir brahmāgnau brahmaṇā hutam
brahmaiva tena gantavyaṃ brahmakarmasamādhinā
Kṛṣṇa (कृष्ण) is still speaking, to Arjuna.
The verse
The offering is Brahman, the butter is Brahman, poured by Brahman into the fire that is Brahman; Brahman itself is to be reached by that absorption in the act that is Brahman.
नेपालीमा
अर्पण ब्रह्म हो, घिउ ब्रह्म हो, ब्रह्मले ब्रह्मरूप आगोमा त्यो खन्याएको हो। ब्रह्मरूप त्यो कर्ममा समाधिस्थ हुनेले पुग्नुपर्ने गन्तव्य पनि ब्रह्म नै हो।
Where it sits
4.23 sent the action toward sacrifice until it dissolved, and this verse says what is left: offering, butter, fire, and pourer are one thing. The verses after this list other sacrifices and end by ranking knowledge above the sacrifice made of goods.
Split: ब्रह्म-अर्पणम् + ब्रह्म + हविः + ब्रह्म-अग्नौ + ब्रह्मणा + हुतम् + ब्रह्म + एव + तेन + गन्तव्यम् + ब्रह्म-कर्म-समाधिना
brahma-arpaṇam + brahma + haviḥ + brahma-agnau + brahmaṇā + hutam + brahma + eva + tena + gantavyam + brahma-karma-samādhinā
Sanskrit, in depth
The words
| देवनागरी | Word | Grammar | Sense |
|---|---|---|---|
| ब्रह्म-अर्पणम् | brahma-arpaṇam | nominative neuter | the offering. arpaṇa (अर्पण) is the giving, the thing offered up. |
| ब्रह्म | brahma | nominative neuter | Brahman. |
| हविः | haviḥ | nominative neuter | the oblation, the butter poured into the fire. |
| ब्रह्म-अग्नौ | brahma-agnau | locative singular | in the fire that is Brahman. |
| ब्रह्मणा | brahmaṇā | instrumental singular | by Brahman. The pourer. |
| हुतम् | hutam | nominative neuter | poured, offered. Agrees with haviḥ (हविः). |
| ब्रह्म | brahma | nominative neuter | Brahman. |
| एव | eva | indeclinable | itself, alone. |
| तेन | tena | instrumental | by that. |
| गन्तव्यम् | gantavyam | gerundive, nominative neuter | to be reached, what one is to come to. From gam (गम्). |
| ब्रह्म-कर्म-समाधिना | brahma-karma-samādhinā | instrumental singular | by the absorption that is the act of Brahman. samādhi (समाधि) is the settling. Agrees with tena (तेन). |
The phrases
brahma arpaṇam brahma haviḥ (ब्रह्म अर्पणम् ब्रह्म हविः) renames the first two pieces of a sacrifice. The offering is Brahman. The butter is Brahman. हविः before the voiced b (ब्) of brahma (ब्रह्म) is havir (हविर्): havir brahma (हविर्ब्रह्म).
brahmāgnau brahmaṇā hutam (ब्रह्माग्नौ ब्रह्मणा हुतम्) renames the fire and the pourer. Poured by Brahman into the fire that is Brahman. The locative is where. The instrumental is by whom.
brahma eva tena gantavyaṃ brahmakarmasamādhinā (ब्रह्म एव तेन गन्तव्यं ब्रह्मकर्मसमाधिना) is where the sacrifice goes. Brahman itself is what is to be reached, by that absorption in the act that is Brahman. brahma eva (ब्रह्म एव) is brahmaiva (ब्रह्मैव).
Sanskrit in this line
brahma (ब्रह्म) does not change shape when it is nominative. The case shows up on the other words. brahmāgnau (ब्रह्माग्नौ) is locative, "in the fire." brahmaṇā (ब्रह्मणा) is instrumental, "by Brahman." gantavyam (गन्तव्यम्) is the gerundive, "to be reached," the same kind of --tavya (तव्य) word as boddhavyam (बोद्धव्यम्) in 4.17. One word, four jobs, and the endings do the work.
Say it back
Offering, butter, fire, pourer. If any one of them is not brahma (ब्रह्म), stay here.