Shloka
प्रारब्धं बलवत्तरं खलु विदां भोगेन तस्य क्षयः
सम्यग्ज्ञानहुताशनेन विलयः प्राक्सञ्चितागामिनाम् ।
ब्रह्मात्मैक्यमवेक्ष्य तन्मयतया ये सर्वदा संस्थिता -
स्तेषां तत्त्रितयं न हि क्वचिदपि ब्रह्मैव ते निर्गुणम् ॥ ४५४ ॥
prārabdhaṃ balavattaraṃ khalu vidāṃ bhogena tasya kṣayaḥ
samyagjñānahutāśanena vilayaḥ prāksañcitāgāminām ;
brahmātmaikyamavekṣya tanmayatayā ye sarvadā saṃsthitā -
steṣāṃ tattritayaṃ na hi kvacidapi brahmaiva te nirguṇam . 454 .
Anvaya
- बाणःbāṇaḥ
- An arrow
- विनिर्मुक्तःvinirmuktaḥ
- released
- व्याघ्र–बुध्याvyāghra–budhyā
- assuming the target to be a tiger
- न तिष्ठतिna tiṣṭhati
- does not halt
- पश्चात् तुpaścāt tu
- thereafter
- गोमतौgomatau
- when it is realised to be a cow
- छिनत्ति एवchinatti eva
- (it) surely pierces
- लक्ष्यंlakṣyaṃ
- the target
- वेगेनvegena
- speedily
- निर्भरम्nirbharam
- surely
Translation
The karma causative for the present birth is indeed quite strong even for the realised persons. It ceases only after experiencing its fruit. Karma–s previously accumulated and those yet to come are destroyed by the fire of right knowledge. The triad (of karma–s) never exists for those who are absorbed and always established in the right knowledge of the oneness of Brahman and self. They are the attribute–less Brahman themselves.
Annotation
Though the knowledge of Brahman is homogenous in nature, there is a general practice of grading the realised persons based on the intensity of samādhi. They are graded as brahmavit, brahmavid–vara, brahmavid–varīya, brahmavid–variṣṭha in the increasing order of eminence. The last one is the attribute–less Brahman Itself. He is not affected by the triad of karma–s whereas the other three are comparatively aware or affected by the triad. The present verse is talking about the person in the highest stage of realisation (Jagadguru).