उपदेशसाहस्री (आदि शङ्कराचार्य - गद्य व पद्य भाग)

16-20] A CONVERSATION BETWEEN THE SELF AND MIND 295
18. According to the Śruti¹ It is of a nature contrary
to that of superimposition. This One is without a
second as It is also known to have an eternal existence
even prior to all superimposition. Unlike everything
superimposed on It, which is negated on the evidence
of the Śruti,² ‘Not this, not this’, It is not negated
and, therefore, left over.
अकल्पितेऽप्येवमजेऽद्वयेऽक्षरे विकल्पयन्तः सदसच्च
जन्मभिः । स्वचित्तमायाप्रभवं च ते भवं जरां च
मृत्युं च नियान्ति संततम् ॥ १९ ॥
19. Those who, owing to false notions in their own
minds, superimpose the ideas of existence, non-existence,
etc.³ on the Self which is not Itself superimposed and
is birthless, imperishable and without a second always
meet with birth, old age and death as different kinds
of beings.
भवाभवत्वं तु न चेदवस्थितिर्न चास्य चान्यस्थिति जन्म
नान्यथा । सतो ह्यसत्त्वादसतश्च सत्त्वतो न च क्रिया
कारकमित्यतोऽप्यजम् ॥ २० ॥
20. (Duality) can have no reality if both its birth
and absence of birth are denied (owing to the possi-
bility of contradictions). Again it cannot owe its origin⁴
to another thing either real or unreal. For in that
case, (being the origin of duality) reality would become
¹ Sw. U., 6. 19. ² Br. U., 2. 3. 6.
³ Qualified, non-qualified, agent, non-agent and so on.
⁴ See G. K. 4. 22 and 4. 40.