Bhagavad Gita, Chapter 4, Verse 24

ब्रह्मार्पणं ब्रह्म हविर्ब्रह्माग्नौ ब्रह्मणा हुतम् । ब्रह्मैव तेन गन्तव्यं ब्रह्मकर्मसमाधिना

brahmārpaṇaṃ brahma havirbrahmāgnau brahmaṇā hutam | brahmaiva tena gantavyaṃ brahmakarmasamādhinā

Translation

Brahman is the offering, Brahman the oblation; by Brahman is the oblation poured into the fire of Brahman; Brahman verily shall be reached by him who always sees Brahman in action.

— Alladi Mahadeva Sastri

Word meanings

brahma

Brahman

arpaṇam

(the act) of offering

brahma

Brahman

haviḥ

the offering (the thing offered)

brahmāgnau

of Brahman, in the fire

brahmaṇā

by Brahman

hutam

(is) offered

brahma

Brahman

eva

only

tena

by him

gantavyam

(is) to be attained

brahmakarmasamādhinā

Brahman, only, action, in that, meditation, whose, by him

Śaṅkarācārya's commentary

The man who has realized Brahman sees that the instrument by which the oblation is poured in the fire is nothing but Brahman; that it has no existence apart from that of the Self. Brahman is the oblation: what is regarded as oblation is to him nothing but Brahman. So the fire wherein the oblation is offered is nothing but Brahman; and it is by Brahman that the offering is made, i.e., the agent is none other than Brahman. The act of offering is nothing but Brahman; and the result, the goal to be reached by him who always sees Brahman in action, is nothing but Brahman. Thus, the action performed by him who wishes to set an example to the world is in reality no action, as it has been destroyed by the realisation of Brahman in action. Wherefore, to one who realises that all is Brahman, there is no action.