Fire is the deity that presides over a span of time; so too light is a deity that presides over a span of time. Or else fire and light are deities just as the scripture has them. The statement, however, is mostly by the greater part, 'in what time' (Gītā 8.23), 'that time' (Gītā 8.23), as a grove is named for its mango trees. Likewise the day is a deity, the one that presides over the day; the bright fortnight, the deity of the bright fortnight; the six months of the northern course, there too it is a deity that serves as the path; this principle is settled elsewhere. On that path, those who have departed, who have died, go and reach Brahman, those knowers of Brahman, the worshippers of Brahman. The words 'in due course' are to be supplied. For those who share in immediate liberation, established in right vision, there is no going or coming anywhere, by the scripture 'his breaths do not depart'; their breaths are merged in Brahman, they are made of Brahman, they have become Brahman itself.

This is a brief sub-gloss. For a fuller reading of this verse, see Madhusūdana, Śaṅkara, or Rāmānuja above.

Fire, light, day, the bright fortnight, the six months of the northern course, this is the showing of the year and the rest.

'Light' (jyotis) is the flame, for the scripture says, 'they come to the flame' (Brihadaranyaka Upanishad 6.2.15). So too the Naradiya says, 'reaching the fire, then the flame, then the day and the rest'. And the presiding deities are the fire and the rest; how else would 'the day, the waxing fortnight' (Chandogya Upanishad 5.10.1) be fitting? The Brahma text says, 'worshipped by the deities of day and the rest, he goes to Brahman'. The deity presiding over the half-year is distinct from those presiding over the months; so it is said in the Garuda, 'he is worshipped by the half-year, surrounded by the months'. The day with the Abhijit, the bright fortnight, the full-moon, and the half-year with the equinox: so it is said in the Brahma-vaivarta, 'with the day, with the noon, with the bright fortnight and the full-moon, and with the equinox and the half-year, he, being worshipped, goes to Keshava'.