उपदेशसाहस्री (आदि शङ्कराचार्य - गद्य व पद्य भाग)

ईक्षितृत्वप्रकरणम् ॥ ११ ॥
CHAPTER XI
NATURE OF THE WITNESS
ईक्षितृत्वं स्वतःसिद्धं जन्तूनां च ततोऽन्यता ।
अज्ञान। दित्यतोऽन्यत्वं सदसीति निवर्त्यते ॥ १ ॥

1. All beings are by nature pure Consciousness
   Itself. It is due to Ignorance that they apppear to be
   different from It. Their (apparent) difference from It is
   removed by the teaching ‘Thou art Existence’.¹
   एतावद्धमृतत्वं न किंचिदन्यत्सहायकम् ।
   ज्ञानस्येति ब्रुवच्छास्त्रं सलिङ्गं कर्म बाधते ॥ २ ॥
2. The scriptures negate Vedic actions with their
   accessories ² by saying ‘Knowledge alone is the cause
   of immortality,³ and that there is nothing else to co-
   operate with it (in producing liberation).’
   सर्वेषां मनसो वृत्तमविशेषेण पश्यतः ।
   तस्य मे निर्विकारस्य विशेषः स्यात्कथंचन ॥ ३ ॥
   ¹ Brahman. ² The sacred tuft of hair on the head, the sacred
   thread, etc. ³ Br. U., 4. 5. 15.

1-6] NATURE OF THE WITNESS 117
मनोवृत्तं मनश्चैव स्वप्नवज्जाग्रतीक्षितुः ।
संप्रसादे द्वयासत्त्वाच्चिन्मात्रः सर्वगोऽव्ययः ॥ ४ ॥
3, 4. How can there be any special¹ property in Me
who am changeless by nature and witness the modifi-
cations of the minds of all without any exception ?
(How can again there be any change in Me) who
witness the mind and its functions in the waking state
as in dream ? But as there is the absence² of both the
mind and its functions in deep sleep I am Pure Consci-
ousness, all-pervading and changeless.
स्वप्नः सत्यो यथाऽबोधाद्देहात्मत्वं तथैव च ।
प्रत्यक्षादेः प्रमाणत्वं जाग्रत्स्याद्यात्मवेदनात् ॥ ५ ॥
5. Just as dreams appear to be true as long as one
does not wake up, so, the identification of oneself with
the body etc. and the authenticity of sense-perception
and the like in the waking state continue as long as
there is no Self-knowledge.
व्योमवत्सर्वभूतस्थो भूतदोषैर्विवर्जितः ।
साक्षी चेताऽगुणः शुद्धो ब्रह्मैवास्मीति केवलः ॥ ६ ॥
6. I am Brahman of the nature of pure Conscious-
ness, without qualities, free from Ignorance, and free
from the three states of waking, dream and deep sleep.
Living in all beings like the ether I am the witness free
from all their defects.
¹ E.g., agency, egoism, etc.
² Therefore witnessing the mind and its functions is not in the
nature of the Self.

118 A THOUSAND TEACHINGS [CHAP. XI
नामरूपक्रियाभ्योऽन्यो नित्यमुक्तस्वरूपवान् ।
अहमात्मा परं ब्रह्म चिन्मात्रोऽहं सदाद्वयः ॥ ७ ॥
7. Ever free and different from names, forms and
actions I am the supreme Brahman, the Self, consisting
of pure Consciousness and always without a second.
अहं ब्रह्मास्मि कर्ता च भोक्ता चास्मीति ये विदुः ।
ते नष्टा ज्ञानकर्मभ्यां नास्तिकाः स्युर्न संशयः ॥ ८ ॥
8. Those who think themselves to be one with
Brahman and at the same time to be doers and experi-
encers should be regarded as fallen from both Know-
ledge and duties. They are, no doubt, unbelievers (in
the Vedas).
धर्माधर्मफलैर्योग इष्टोऽदृष्टो यथात्मनः ।
शास्त्राद्ब्रह्मत्वमप्यस्य मोक्षो ज्ञानात्तथेष्यताम् ॥ ९ ॥
9. It must be accepted on the strength of the
scriptures that the Self is Brahman, and that liberation
accrues from Right Knowledge only, like the connection
with the Self$^1$ of the results of sin and virtue, which,
though unseen is admitted (on the same authority).
या माहारजनाद्यास्ता वासनाः स्वप्नदर्शिभिः ।
अनुभूयन्त एवेह ततोऽन्यः केवलो दृशिः ॥ १० ॥
10. What are called (in the Sruti$^2$) clothes coloured
with turmeric etc. are nothing but mental impressions
$^1$ The individual Self. $^2$ Br. U., 2. 3. 6.

7-13] NATURE OF THE WITNESS 119
perceived by people in dream. (The Self, their ¹ illumi-
nator, must, therefore, be different from them and from
the subtle body in which they lie.) So the Self, pure
Consciousness, (the perceiver of doership etc.,) must be
different from them ² (in the waking state also).
कोशादिव विनिष्कृष्टः कार्यकारणवर्जितः ।
यथासिर्दृश्यते स्वप्ने तद्वद्बोद्धा स्वयंप्रभः ॥ ११ ॥
11. Just as a sword taken out of its sheath is seen
as it is, so, the Knower, the Self, is seen ³ in dream in
Its real and self-effulgent nature free from cause ⁴ and
effect.⁴
आपेषात्प्रतिबुद्धस्य ज्ञस्य स्वाभाविकं पदम् ।
उक्तं नेत्यादिवाक्येन कल्पितस्यापनेतृणा ॥ १२ ॥
12. The real nature ⁵ of the individual (Self) who
was pushed and awakened ⁶ has been described by the
saying, “Not this,⁷ not this” which negates all super-
imposition.
महाराजादयो लोका मयि यद्वत्प्रकल्पिताः ।
स्वप्ने तद्वद्द्वयं विद्याद्रूपं वासनया सह ॥ १३ ॥
13. Just as objects of enjoyment like a great King-
ship ⁸ etc. are superimposed on Me in dream (and are
¹ The Knower, Knowing and the Known in dream.
² I.e., from the subtle body and the impressions in it.
³ Not as an object. ⁴ I.e., the mind which assumes the forms
of causes and effects in dream. ⁵ Brahman Itself.
⁶ Br. U., 2. 1. 15. ⁷ Br. U., 2. 3. 6. ⁸ Br. U., 2. 1. 18.

120 A THOUSAND TEACHINGS [CHAP. XI
unreal ¹), so, the two forms,² (the visible and the in-
visible) with the mental impressions,³ are also super-
imposed on Me (and are similarly unreal ⁴).
देहलिङ्गात्मना कार्या वासनासरूपिणा क्रियाः ।
नेतिनेत्यात्मरूपत्वान्न मे कार्या क्रिया क्वचित् ॥ १४ ॥
14. All actions are performed by the Self ⁵ which
has identified Itself with the gross and the subtle bodies
and which has the nature of accumulating ⁶ impressions.
As I am of the nature ⁷ indicated by the Sruti, ‘Not this,
not this,’ actions are nowhere ⁸ to be done by Me.
न ततोऽमृतताशास्ति कर्मणोऽज्ञानहेतुतः ।
मोक्षस्य ज्ञानहेतुत्वान्न तदन्यदपेक्षते ॥ १५ ॥
15. As actions have Ignorance for their cause there
is no hope from them of immortality. As liberation is
caused by right Knowledge (alone) it does not depend
on anything else.⁹
अमृतं चाभयं नार्तं नेतीत्यात्मा प्रियो मम ।
विपरीतमतोऽन्यद्यत्त्यजेत्तत्सक्रियं ततः ॥ १६ ॥
16. But Immortality ¹⁰ is free ¹¹ from fear and des-
truction. The individual Self (signified by the words)
¹ Br. U., 4. 3. 10. ² Br. U., 2. 3. 1. ³ Br. U., 2. 3. 6
⁴ For they are objects of Knowledge. ⁵ The individualized Self.
⁶ Owing to continual performance of actions. As a matter of
fact the subtle body is the seat of mental impressions.
⁷ I.e., Pure Consciousness. ⁸ Neither in waking nor in dream ;
and also neither by nature nor by Vedic injunctions.
⁹ Actions etc. ¹⁰ Brahman. ¹¹ If it were not so it would
be capable of being produced by actions.

14-16] NATURE OF THE WITNESS 121
'dear¹ to one' is Brahman² (devoid of all attributes)
according to the Sruti, 'Not this, not this'. Whatever³
is thought to be different from It⁴ should, therefore, be
renounced together with all actions.
¹ Br. U., 1. 4. 8 and 2. 4. 5.
² Therefore Brahman, not different from the Self, is not capable
of being realized by actions.
³ I.e., the ideas of 'me' and 'mine' with respect to it.
⁴ Brahman.