उपदेशसाहस्री (आदि शङ्कराचार्य - गद्य व पद्य भाग)

76 A THOUSAND TEACHINGS
116. “Moreover, sound and the other external
objects transformed into the forms of the body,
the ear and the other senses through which they are
perceived, are transformed into the forms of the two
internal organs, (the intellect and the mind), and also
into those of their objects.¹ For they are connected and
combined with one another in all actions. When this
is so, I who am a man of knowledge have no one be-
longing to me as a friend or a foe nor have I anyone
indifferent belonging to me. Anybody, therefore, who
wishes to connect me with pleasure or pain, the results of
his action, through a false egoism, makes a vain effort.
For I am not within the reach of pain or pleasure as
the Sruti² says ‘It is unmanifested and inscrutable’.
Similarly, I am not changeable by the action of any of
the five elements as I am not of an objective nature.
Therefore the Sruti³ says ‘It cannot be cut or burnt’.
The merit or demerit arising out of good or evil done
to this combination of the body and the senses on the
part of those devotional or adverse to me will be
theirs, but will not touch me who am devoid of old
age, death and fear as the Sruti and Smritis say ‘It⁴ is
not pained by omission or commission’, ‘It⁵ is not
harmed or benefited by any action’, ‘Unborn,⁶ compris-
ing the interior and exterior’ and ‘It⁷ is beyond the
pain felt by the people, and unattached’. The supreme
reason (why I am unattached) is that nothing really exists
except the Self”.

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¹ Pleasure, pain, etc. ² Bh. Gîtâ, 2. 25. ³ Bh. Gîtâ, 2. 24.
⁴ Br. U., 4. 4. 22. ⁵ Br. U., 4. 4. 23. ⁶ Mu. U., 2. 1. 2.
⁷ Kath. U., 5. 11.