dings are always taken
up with the birth and death of all existent things. (Such people never
dream even of Emancipation).[787] Supporting their bodies by aid of
patience, withdrawing their hearts from all external objects by the aid
of their understanding, and withdrawing themselves from the world of
senses, some yogins adore the senses in consequence of their
subtility.[788] Some amongst them, with mind cleansed by yoga, proceeding
according to (the stages indicated in) the scriptures and reaching the
highest, succeed in knowing it by the aid of the understanding and dwell
in that which is the highest and which without resting on any other thing
rests on itself.[789] Some worship Brahma in images. Some worship Him as
existing with attributes. Some repeatedly realise the highest Divinity
which has been described to be like a flash of lightning and which is
again indestructible.[790] Others who have burnt their sins by penances,
attain to Brahma in the end. All those high-souled persons attain to the
highest end. With the eye of scripture one should observe the subtile
attributes of these several forms, as distinguished by attributes, of
Brahma that are (thus) worshipped by men. The yogin who has transcended
the necessity of depending on the body, who has cast off all attachments,
and whose mind is devoted to yoga abstraction, should be known as another
instance of Infinity, as the Supreme Divinity, or as that which is
Unmanifest.[791] They whose hearts are devoted to the acquisition of
knowledge succeed first in freeing themselves from the world of mortals.
Subsequently, by casting off attachments they partake of the nature of
Brahma and at last attain to the highest end.

"'"Thus have persons conversant with the Vedas spoken of the religion
that leads to the attainment of Brahma. They who follow that religion
according to the measure of their knowledge all succeed in obtaining the
highest end. Even those persons who succeed in acquiring knowledge that
is incapable of being shaken (by the assaults of scepticism) and that
makes its possessors free from attachments of every kind, attain to
various high regions after death and become emancipated according to the
measure of their knowledge. Those persons of pure hearts who have imbibed
contentment from knowledge, and who have cast off all desires and
attachments, gradually approach in respect of their nature, nearer and
nearer to Brahma which has the unmanifest for his attr