उपदेशसाहस्री (आदि शङ्कराचार्य - गद्य व पद्य भाग)

172 A THOUSAND TEACHINGS [CHAP. XVI
Self exists before ¹ the intellect comes ² into (apparent)
existence.
अविकल्पं तदस्त्येव यत्पूर्वं स्याद्विकल्पतः ।
विकल्पोत्पत्तिहेतुत्वाद्यस्यैव तु कारणम् ॥ १६ ॥
16. (Whatever ³ is pervaded by anything ⁴ is an effect
of that thing, the cause.) Itself uncaused the cause ⁵
producing effects (such as, the intellect ⁶ etc.) must,
therefore have an existence invariably anterior to that
of the effect.
अज्ञानं कल्पनामूलं संसारस्य नियामकम् ।
हित्वात्मानं परं ब्रह्म विद्यान्मुक्तं सदाभयम् ॥ १७ ॥
17. Discarding Ignorance,⁷ the root of all superim-
position and the controller of transmigratory existence,
one should know the Self to be the Supreme Brahman
which is always free and devoid of fear.
जाग्रत्स्वप्नौ तयोर्बीजं सुषुप्ताख्यं तमोमयम् ।
अन्योन्यस्मिन्नसत्त्वाच्च नास्तीत्येतत्त्रयं त्यजेत् ॥ १८ ॥
18. (Transmigratory existence consists of) waking
and dream. Their root is deep sleep consisting of Ignor-
ance. No one of these three states has a real existence
because each goes out of existence when another
¹ E.g., in deep sleep. ² In waking and dream.
³ E.g., an earthen jar. ⁴ E.g., earth. ⁵ The Self.
⁶ Pervaded by (the reflection of) Existence, the Self. The Self
must, therefore, have an existence anterior to that of everything.
Hence nihilism cannot be accepted.
⁷ Superimposed and therefore unreal.