उपदेशसाहस्री (आदि शङ्कराचार्य - गद्य व पद्य भाग)

नान्यदन्यत्प्रकरणम् ॥ १५ ॥
CHAPTER XV
IMPOSSIBILITY OF ONE BEING ANOTHER
नान्यदन्यद्भवद्यस्मान्नान्यत्किंचिद्विचिन्तयेत् ।
अन्यस्यान्यत्वभावे हि नाशस्तस्य ध्रुवो भवेत् ॥ १ ॥

1. As one cannot become another one should not
   consider Brahman to be different from oneself. For if
   one becomes another one is sure to be destroyed.
   [The idea is this : The individual Self, if considered
   to be really different from Brahman, cannot become
   Brahman as long as it exists ; and if it were destroyed
   who would then become Brahman ? Therefore one
   should know that one is not different from It and It is
   not different from one.]
   स्मरतो दृश्यते दृष्टं पटे चित्रमिवार्पितम् ।
   यत्र येन च तौ ज्ञेयौ सत्त्वक्षेत्रज्ञसंज्ञकौ ॥ २ ॥
2. Things seen (in the waking state) are seen like
   a picture painted on a canvas when one remembers
   them. Those by and in which they are so seen are
   (respectively) known to be the individual Self and the
   intellect.