उपदेशसाहस्री (आदि शङ्कराचार्य - गद्य व पद्य भाग)

1-6] NATURE OF THE WITNESS 117
मनोवृत्तं मनश्चैव स्वप्नवज्जाग्रतीक्षितुः ।
संप्रसादे द्वयासत्त्वाच्चिन्मात्रः सर्वगोऽव्ययः ॥ ४ ॥
3, 4. How can there be any special¹ property in Me
who am changeless by nature and witness the modifi-
cations of the minds of all without any exception ?
(How can again there be any change in Me) who
witness the mind and its functions in the waking state
as in dream ? But as there is the absence² of both the
mind and its functions in deep sleep I am Pure Consci-
ousness, all-pervading and changeless.
स्वप्नः सत्यो यथाऽबोधाद्देहात्मत्वं तथैव च ।
प्रत्यक्षादेः प्रमाणत्वं जाग्रत्स्याद्यात्मवेदनात् ॥ ५ ॥
5. Just as dreams appear to be true as long as one
does not wake up, so, the identification of oneself with
the body etc. and the authenticity of sense-perception
and the like in the waking state continue as long as
there is no Self-knowledge.
व्योमवत्सर्वभूतस्थो भूतदोषैर्विवर्जितः ।
साक्षी चेताऽगुणः शुद्धो ब्रह्मैवास्मीति केवलः ॥ ६ ॥
6. I am Brahman of the nature of pure Conscious-
ness, without qualities, free from Ignorance, and free
from the three states of waking, dream and deep sleep.
Living in all beings like the ether I am the witness free
from all their defects.
¹ E.g., agency, egoism, etc.
² Therefore witnessing the mind and its functions is not in the
nature of the Self.