Mundaka 6.09
स यो ह वै तत्परमं ब्रह्म वेद ब्रह्मैव भवति नास्याब्रह्मवित् कुले भवति। तरति शोकं तरति पाप्मानं गुहाग्रन्थिभ्यो विमुक्तोऽमृतो भवति ॥९॥
He who truly knows the supreme Brahman becomes situated in Brahman; in his lineage, there is no one ignorant of Brahman. He transcends sorrow and sin and is liberated from the knots of ignorance, attaining immortality.
Bhāshya 6.09
How can there be eternal independence for a dependent individual living being? Upon realizing the supreme Brahman, one becomes 'bṛṁhitaḥ' i.e. elevated according to their own capacity. The term 'brahmatvaṁ' i.e. the state of being in Brahman, is nothing but 'bṛṁhitatvaṁ' i.e. the state of being elevated; it is that of the individual beings, and not that of the Supreme Being.
"परं ब्रह्म विदित्वा तु बृंहितः स्यात् स्वयोग्यतः। नायोग्यं किञचिदाप्नोति कुत एव हरेर्गुणान्॥"
"Upon realizing the supreme Brahman, one becomes 'bṛṁhitaḥ' i.e. elevated according to their own capacity. One does not obtain anything unfit, how indeed the qualities of Hari."
इति च।
- stated thus as well.
"ब्रह्मत्वं बृंहितत्वं स्याज्जीवानां न परात्मता। अस्वतन्त्रस्य जीवस्य कुतो नित्यस्वतन्त्रता॥"
"The term 'brahmatvaṁ' i.e. the state of being in Brahman, is nothing but 'bṛṁhitatvaṁ' i.e. the state of being elevated; it is that of the individual beings, and not that of the Supreme Being. How can there be eternal independence for a dependent individual living being?"
इति स्कान्दे।
- stated thus in the Skanda Purana.
"यत्रामृतः स पुरुषो ह्यव्ययात्मा", "यत्र तत्सत्यस्य परमं निधानम्", "अमृतस्यैष सेतुः", "शरवत् तन्मयो भवेत्", "ब्रह्म तल्लक्ष्यमुच्यते", "निरञ्जनः परमं साम्यमुपैति"
"Where the immortal person, indeed the immutable self resides", "where the supreme abode of truth is", "this is the bridge to immortality", "like an arrow, one becomes absorbed in that", "Brahman is said to be the ultimate goal" and "The spotless attains supreme equanimity."
इत्यादिना मुक्तस्य सर्वत्र भगवत्सकाशात् भेदस्यैवोक्तत्वाच्च।
- from all these statements, it becomes clear that the liberated in all the contexts are said to be in the presence of the Lord. Thus, there is indeed a mention of a difference between the two.
"मुक्तोपसृप्य व्यपदेशात्", "जगद् व्यापारवर्जम्", "प्रकरणादसन्निहितत्वात्"
"Upon approaching the liberated, as per designation", "the world becomes devoid of activity", "due to its absence in the context"
इत्यादिना भगवता सर्वत्र भेदस्यैव सूचितत्वात्।
- such statements indicate the difference and distinction between the Lord and others everywhere.
"न ते महित्वमन्वश्नुवन्ति।"
"They do not achieve greatness."
"सोऽश्नुते सर्वान् कामान् सह ब्रह्मणा विपश्चिता।"
"He, along with the wise Brahman, enjoys all desires."
"ब्रह्मेशानादिभिर्देवैर्यत्प्राप्तुं नैव शक्यते। तद्यत्स्वभावः कैवल्यं स भवान् केवलो हरे॥"
"O Hari, you alone embody the nature of liberation, which even gods like Brahma and Ishana cannot attain."
इत्यादेश्च।
- such are the commands.
"मुक्तेभ्योऽपि मनुष्येभ्यो देवा एव गुणाधिकाः। तेभ्यो वायुस्ततो विष्णुः परिपूर्णगुणः सदा॥ ये त्वेतदन्यथा विद्युः ते हि यान्त्यधरं तमः। ये त्वेतदेवं जानन्ति ते यान्ति परमं हरिम्॥"
"Even among the liberated, gods are indeed superior to humans in qualities. Among them, Vayu is superior, and then most superior is Lord Vishnu, who is always complete in qualities. Those who know this otherwise indeed go to the lower darkness. But those who know this thus, go to the supreme Lord Hari."
इति च।
- stated thus as well.
"देवानां सन्ततौ जाताः प्रायशो ज्ञानिनः कृते। बलवद्धेतुतश्चान्ये यस्माद् ब्रह्मविदः सुराः॥ न सन्ततौ ब्रह्मविदो नराणां ज्ञानिनामपि। प्रायशः स्युः सुराणां च नियमोऽयं कृते युगे॥"
"In the lineage of the gods, mostly wise ones are born in the Krta age, who are knowers of Brahman. There are few exceptions due to strong reasons. In the lineage of men, even among the wise, mostly they are not knowers of Brahman. This is the rule of the gods in the Krta age."
इति च।
- stated thus as well.
