even the slightest deviation from the path of righteousness would throw him out of the path of immortality..

कर्मणो दूराद्गन्धो वाति यथासिधारां कर्तेऽवहितमवक्रामे

यद्युवे युवे हवा विह्वयिष्यामि कर्तं

पतिष्यामीत्येवममृतादात्मानं

जुगुप्सेत् । 11

mahanarayanaopanishat Taittireeya Aranyakam (Yajniki Upanishad)

When a tree is bearing a lot of flowers, its fragrance would be wafted by the air and such fragrance would be carried to people who are placed at great distance from the tree. In the same way when one engages in meritorious actions, it fragrance or the meritorious effects arising out of such action would reach him even from long distances (or unexpected sources) ..

A person should be very careful in every action he engages himself into.. He should guard himself from hidden sins and actions represhensible to scripture.. It should be like this. If a sword with its cutting sharp edge is kept up across a pit or chasm across a deep pit on earth, and a person is walking across the sword with the feet directed at the sharp edge, the person would be afraid that he might fall down into the pit at every step. In the same way a man seeking immortality or emancipation should guard himself at each step he takes against hidden sinful activities.. He should be aware that even if he takes a single wrong step, he would fall into the pit, cut his feet. Similarly even the slightest deviation from the path of righteousness would throw him out of the path of immortality..

सुपुष्पितस्य which has given flowers in huge quantity

वृक्षस्य relating to a tree

गन्धः the fragrance

यथा in what way

दूरात् from great distance

वाति comes wafting

एवं in the same way

पुण्यस्य कर्मणः of meritorious deed

गन्धः fragrance दूरात् from great distance

वाति comes wafting

यथा वा even as

कर्ते(गर्ते) in a deep pit, deep chasm over the ground

अवहितां which laid across

असिधारां the sharp cutting edge of the sword

युवे I negotiate with my feet युवे I cross (carefully)with my feet इति thus thinking

यद् अवक्रामे ह कर्तं (गर्तं) that if do not take care during the walk across the pit

पतिष्यामि I would fall into the pit

इति thus

विह्वयिष्यामि I am afraid

एवं in the same way

अमृतात् in the path of immortality

आत्मानं self

जुगुप्सेत् one should guard himself from the path reprehensible to scriptures and from the path of hidden acts of sin.