उपदेशसाहस्री (आदि शङ्कराचार्य - गद्य व पद्य भाग)

9-14] INTRODUCTION 83
विद्यायाः प्रतिकूलं हि कर्म स्यात्साभिमानतः ।
निर्विकारात्मबुद्धिश्च विद्येतीह प्रकीर्तिता ॥ १२ ॥
12. Accompanied by egoism$^1$ actions are in-
compatible with Knowledge. For it is well-known here
(in the Vedântas)$^2$ that Knowledge is the consciousness
that the Self is changeless.$^3$
अहं कर्ता ममेदं स्यादिति कर्म प्रवर्तते ।
वस्त्वधीना भवेद्विद्या कर्तृधीनो भवेद्विधिः ॥ १३ ॥
13. Actions have their origin in the consciousness
that one is a doer and has the desire of having the
results of what one does. Knowledge depends on a
thing, (its own object and also on evidence), while
actions depend entirely on the performer.
कारकाण्युपमृद्नाति विद्या बुद्धिमिवोषरे ।
इति तत्सत्यमादाय कर्म कर्तुं व्यवस्यति ॥ १४ ॥
14. The Knowledge (of one's own real nature)
destroys the ideas of doership etc.$^4$ (on the part of
oneself like the right Knowledge of the nature of the
desert which destroys) the conviction of there being
water in it. When this is so how can (a man
of Knowledge) accept$^5$ them as true and perform
actions ?
$^1$ E.g., ' I am a Brâhmaṇa ' etc. $^2$ Literally, the final portions of
the Vedas. $^3$ I.e., Brahman Itself. So, a man of Knowledge can
have nothing to do with agency of actions.
$^4$ All the grammatical cases are meant.
$^5$ For without accepting them as true actions are not possible.