उपदेशसाहस्री (आदि शङ्कराचार्य - गद्य व पद्य भाग)

294 A THOUSAND TEACHINGS [CHAP. XIX
असत्समं चैव सदित्यपीति चेदनर्थवत्त्वान्नृशृङ्गतुल्य-
तः । अनर्थवत्त्वं त्वसति ह्यकारणं न चैव तस्मान्न
विपर्ययेऽन्यथा ॥ १६ ॥
16. (Objection). What is called real ¹ is, as a matter
of fact, unreal like a human horn as it does not serve ²
any purpose. (Reply). That a thing serves no purpose
is no reason why it should be unreal and that a thing
serves some purpose is no reason, on the other hand,
why it should be real.
असिद्धतश्चापि विचारकारणाद्द्वयं च तस्मात्प्रसृतिं च
मायया । श्रुतेः स्मृतेश्चापि तथा हि युक्तितः प्रसिद्धय-
तीत्थं न तु युज्यतेऽन्यथा ॥ १७ ॥
17. Your inference is wrong (because reality serves
some purpose) as It is the subject-matter of deliberation
and also the source of all duality proceeding from It
under the influence of Mâyâ, according to the Srutis,³
the Smritis⁴ and reason⁵. Thus it is reasonable (that
the Self, though changeless, serves some purpose).
Otherwise (i.e., as a matter of reality) it is not reason-
able (that a thing, either permanent or momentary,
serves any purpose).
विकल्पनाचापि विधर्मकं श्रुतेः पुरा प्रसिद्धेश्च विकल्प-
तोऽद्वयः । न चेति नेतीति यथा विकल्पितं निषिध्य-
तेऽत्राप्यवशेषसिद्धये ॥ १८ ॥
¹ In the Vedas. ² In the opposite case it becomes momentary
according to the objector. ³ Sw. U., 4. 10.
⁴ Bh. Gîtâ., 9. 10. ⁵ Chh. U. 6. 1. 4—6.