सा तैत्तिरीयश्रुतिराह सादरं न्यासं प्रशस्ताखिलकर्मणां स्फुटम् । एतावदित्याह च वाजिनां श्रुति- र्ज्ञानं विमोक्षाय न कर्म साधनम् ॥ २१॥
The famous Taittriya sruti declares clearly and emphatically that all sastra-prescribed karmas are to be given up entirely. The Vajasaneya scripture (the Brhadaranyaka Upanishad) also declares, by statements such as “This alone is immortality,” that the means to total liberation is knowledge (jnana) and not work (karma).
The example you had given to prove the similarity between karma (Yajna, and so on) and Jnana (Knowledge) is not proper, because each produces different results. Also, Karma (Yajna) can be performed with the help of many accessories, whereas knowledge is opposite of this.
“If I don’t perform Karma, I will incur sin.” This erroneous notion about oneself is true only in the case of ignorant ones and not for a seer of Truth. Therefore, wise men who have realized their nature to be the actionless, changeless Self should renounce all karmas prescribed by the Vedas.
A man of pure mind, endowed with faith, through contemplation of the great statement “That thou art,” with the grace of the teacher comes to realize the perfect identity between the Paramatman and Jiva, and then gains supreme happiness and becomes like the Meru Mountain, unperturbed under all circumstances.
In order to know the meaning of the ^". Mahavakya it is necessary at first to find out the meaning of each word: ‘Tat’ means the supreme Brahman, ‘Tvam’ means the individual Self, and ‘Asi’? means art. Thus both are united as one by the word Asi.