उपदेशसाहस्री (आदि शङ्कराचार्य - गद्य व पद्य भाग)

13-19] LIGHT 127
16. The doership of the Self is false as it depends on
the misconception of the body being the Self. That I
do not do anything is the true knowledge which arises
from the right evidence, (the Vedas).
कर्तृत्वं कारकापेक्षमकर्तृत्वं स्वभावतः ।
कर्ता भोक्तेति विज्ञानं मृषैवेति सुनिश्चितम् ॥ १७ ॥
17. Agency depends on doership, instruments¹ etc.
but non-agency is natural. It has, therefore, been very
well ascertained that the knowledge that one is a doer
and experiencer is certainly false.
एवं शास्त्रानुमानाभ्यां स्वरूपेऽवगते सति ।
नियोज्योऽहमिति ह्येषा सत्या बुद्धिः कथं भवेत् ॥ १८ ॥
18. How can the idea that I am a person to be
enjoined (by the Vedas to perform actions) be true
when the real nature of the Self is thus² known from
the scriptures³ and inference?⁴
यथा सर्वान्तरं व्योम व्योम्नोऽप्यभ्यन्तरो ह्यहम् ।
निर्विकारोऽचलः शुद्धोऽजरो मुक्तः सदाद्वयः ॥ १९ ॥
19. Just as the ether is in the interior⁵ of all,⁶ so,
I am in the interior⁷ even of the ether. Therefore I am
without change, without motion, pure, devoid of old
age, ever free and without a second.
¹ Of action and of knowledge.
² As described in this chapter. ³ See verse 8. ⁴ See verse
10 above.
⁵ Being the material cause. ⁶ The other four elements. ⁷ I.e., I
am the substratum of everything.