उपदेशसाहस्री (आदि शङ्कराचार्य - गद्य व पद्य भाग)

6-13] 'THOU ART THAT' 221
10. Even acquainted with the (literal) meaning of
the sentence ¹ one, once told, cannot know its true im-
port but requires other things which, as we have said,
are two.²
नियोगोऽप्रतिपन्नत्वात्कर्मणां स यथा भवेत् ।
अविरुद्धो भवेत्तावद्यावत्संवेद्यताऽदृढा ॥ ११ ॥
11. Just as an injunction regarding Vedic actions is
necessary,³ so, it is not incompatible (in the case of one)
so long as one has not directly known the Self and
Self-Knowledge has not been firmly grasped by one.
चेष्टितं च तथा मिथ्या स्वच्छन्दः प्रतिपद्यते ।
प्रसंख्यानमतः कार्यं यावदात्मानुभूतये ॥ १२ ॥
12. All one's efforts (viz., self-control etc.) become
useless if one can know Brahman without being enjoin-
ed. One should, therefore, go on with the repetition so
long as the Self is not known.
सदस्मीति च विज्ञानमक्षजो बाधते ध्रुवम् ।
शब्दोत्थं दृढसंस्कारो दोषैश्चाकृष्यते बहिः ॥ १३ ॥
13. Firm impressions originating from sense-percep-
tion do surely negate the Knowledge, 'I am Brahman'
arising from the Sruti.⁵ Moreover an aspirant is attracted
¹ I.e., 'Thou art That'.
² (1) Mental repetition of the sentence and (2) looking for reason-
ing in support of it.
³ Even when actions are known from Vedic statements an injunc-
tion regarding them is necessary so that one may get the result
arising from the observance of the injunction.
⁴ From the Vedic statement, 'Thou art that'.
⁵ Br. U., 1. 4. 10.