1264.  What is said here in effect is that at first there was only one course of duties, called sadachara or good conduct, for all men.  In progress of time men became unable to obey all its dictates in their entirety.  It then became necessary to distribute those duties into four subdivisions corresponding with the four modes of life.

1265.  Both K.P.  Singha and the Burdwan translator have completely misunderstood verse 23 and the first line of 24, which, as the commentator explains, should be construed together.  The construction is Tam (sadacharam) santah grihebhyah nishkramya eva (sannyasam kritwaiva) vidhivatprapya paramam gatim gachcchanti.  Anye santo vanamasritah tam vidhivat prapya, etc.  Similarly, Grihameva bhisamsritya anye santah, etc.’  Jato-anye, etc.  Thus, all the four modes, commencing with the last, are spoken of.

1266.  It is impossible for any one to read the Burdwan version of such verses without pitying the Pandit responsible for its accuracy.  Without understanding the commentary in the least, the words of the great commentator have been reproduced in the Burdwan version in a strange order, rejecting some of the connecting links without any excuse, and making the Collocation utterly unintelligible.  K.P.  Singha gives the substance very briefly without endeavouring to translate the words.  And yet the verse presents almost no difficulty.  The last line of 29 and the first line of 30 make one sentence.  Chaturthopanishaddharmah is explained by the commentator as implying paramatma-vishayini vidya, tadartham dharmah.  There are four states of consciousness:  1st, wakefulness; 2nd, dream; 3rd, dreamless slumber (sushupti); and 4th, Turiya, which is reached by Samadhi (abstraction of Yoga-meditation), and in which Brahma becomes realisable.  What is said in these two lines is simply this:  the duties (dharmah), relating to the Chaturthopanishat or, the Knowledge of Paramatman, are sadharanah or common to all the four orders of men and modes of life.  Those duties, of course, are sama, dama, uparama, titiksha, sraddha, samadhi.  What is said in the last line of 30 is that Brahmanas of pure hearts and restrained souls always succeed (by the help of those duties) in acquiring or attaining to that Turiya or consciousness of Brahma.

1267.  Apavargamiti is explained by the commentator as apavargaprada vidya or Brahmasakshatkararupa vrittiryasmin iti.  Nityin is avasyakah.  Yatidharmah is a life of Renunciation.  What is meant by sanatanah is sampradayagatah.

1268.  Sadharana is opposed to kevala.  Yathavalam implies yathavaira-gyam, Gachcchatam Gachcchatam means purushamatrasyavanigvya-dhadeh.  The Burdwan translator misses the sense altogether and K.P.  Singha quietly passes over the entire second line of this triplet.  Durvala means he who is wanting in vairagya.

1269.  The commentator explains that the object of this verse is to show that even if there be equality in respect of the end that is attained in next life, there is more of real felicity in a life of Renunciation than in a life of enjoyment.  The Burdwan translator misses the sense entirely.