उपदेशसाहस्री (आदि शङ्कराचार्य - गद्य व पद्य भाग)

प्रतिषेधप्रकरणम् ॥ २ ॥
CHAPTER II
NEGATION
प्रतिषेद्धुमशक्यत्वान्नेतिनेतीति शेषितम् ।
इदं नाहमिदं नाहमित्यद्धा प्रतिपद्यते ॥ १ ॥

1. Impossible ¹ to be negated the Self is left over
   on the authority of the Sruti, ‘Not this, not this.’ So, the
   Self becomes clearly known on the reflection, ‘I am
   not this, I am not this.’ ²
   अहंधीरिदमात्मोत्था वाचारम्भणगोचरा ।
   निषिद्धात्मोद्भवत्वात्सा न पुनर्मानतां व्रजेत् ॥ २ ॥
2. The consciousness of egoism (i.e., the mistaken
   identity of the Self with the body etc.) has its origin in
   the intellect ³ and has for its object what ⁴ is based on
   words ⁵ only. As its very nature and origin are both
   negated (by the Sruti, ‘Not this, not this’), egoism ⁶ can
   never again ⁷ be regarded as founded on any evidence.
   ¹ For the Self is the witness of the process of negation itself.
   ² I.e., I am not the body, the senses, the mind, the intellect and
   the vital force. But I am the witness of all of them.
   ³ The object portion in the consciousness ‘I’. While using the word
   ‘I’ people mix up Pure Consciousness and the intellect. The
   intellect is the object portion of the consciousness ‘I’, Pure Consci-
   ousness is the non-object portion. ⁴ Name and form. ⁵ Chh. U.,
3. 1. 4-6. ⁶ Though as old as time itself and experienced by beings
      birth after birth. ⁷ After the nature of the Self has been known.