उपदेशसाहस्री (आदि शङ्कराचार्य - गद्य व पद्य भाग)
Upadesha Sahasri of Adi Shankaracharya
आदि शङ्कराचार्य द्वारा
स्रोत: रामकृष्ण मठ · रामकृष्ण मठ (उद्गम)
15-21] INTRODUCTION 85
18. How¹ can Ignorance, once negated (by Vedic
evidence), arise again? For it is neither in the inner-
most Self which is only one² without a second and
without attributes nor in the non-Self.³
न चेद्भूयः प्रसूयेत कर्ता भोक्तेति धीः कथम् ।
सदस्मीति च विज्ञाने तस्माद्विद्याऽसहायिका ॥ १९ ॥
19. How can there again be the idea⁴ that one is a
doer of actions and experiencer of their results if Ignor-
ance does not arise after there has grown the Know-
ledge, ‘ I am Brahman ’ ? Knowledge, therefore, is inde-
pendent of actions (in producing liberation).
अत्यरेचयदित्युक्तो न्यासः श्रुत्यात एव हि ।
कर्मभ्यो मानसान्तेभ्य एतावदिति वाजिनाम् ॥ २० ॥
अमृतत्वं श्रुतं यस्मात्त्याज्यं कर्म मुमुक्षुभिः ।
अग्निष्टोमवदित्युक्तं तत्रेदमभिधीयते ॥ २१ ॥
20, 21 (first line). Therefore, it is said by the Sruti
that the renunciation of actions including mental ones
(catalogued in the Nârâyanopanishat)⁵ is superior to their
performance. Again immortality is heard of in the
Brihadâranyakopanishat⁶ which says “ This⁷ alone.”
Hence they should be renounced by those who aspire
after liberation.
¹ This verse is an answer to the objection that Ignorance, though
negated, may prevail again. ² So, the Self cannot cause Ignor-
ance. ³ No category in the domain of the non-Self can cause
Ignorance as all such categories are caused by it. ⁴ So, actions,
naturally depending on this idea, become impossible then.
⁵ Nâ. U. 78. ⁶ 4. 5. 15. ⁷ I. e., knowledge alone, independent
of actions, is the cause of immortality (liberation).
86 A THOUSAND TEACHINGS [CHAP. I
21 (last line). We give the following reply¹ to the
objector who quoted the example of Agnishtoma.²
नैककारकसाध्यत्वात्फलान्यत्वाच्च कर्मणः ।
विद्या तद्विपरीतातो दृष्टान्तो विषमो भवेत् ॥ २२ ॥
22. Knowledge is quite opposite in nature to that of
actions like Agnishtoma etc. for they are accomplished
with the help of many³ materials and differ in the
quality⁴ of the result of each individual performance.
The example, therefore, is not parallel.
कृष्यादिवत्फलार्थत्वादन्यकर्मोपबृंहणम् ।
अग्निष्टोमस्त्वपेक्षेत विद्यान्यत्किमपेक्षते ॥ २३ ॥
23. As it produces a result (variable in quality) the
Agnishtoma sacrifice, like agriculture etc., requires
subsidiary⁵ actions⁶ other than itself. But what else
will Knowledge depend⁷ on ?
प्रत्यवायस्तु तस्यैव यस्याहंकार इष्यते ।
अहंकारफलार्थित्वे विद्येते नात्मवेदिनः ॥ २४ ॥
24. It is only one having egoism⁸ that may incur
sin (by the omission⁹ of duties). A man who has got
Self-knowledge has neither egoism nor a desire for the
results of actions.
¹ Verses 22 and 23. ² See verse 10 above. ³ The perfor-
mance of such an action becomes efficacious only when prescribed
articles, 'mantras' (Vedic formulae) etc., are used. ⁴ Chh. U., 1.
- 10. ⁵ See footnote 3, sloka 22. ⁶ So that the quality of the
result might be better. ⁷ Because liberation, the result of Know-
ledge, does not vary in quality. ⁸ I. e., the idea that one is an
agent and experiencer. ⁹ See verse 9 above.
22-26] INTRODUCTION 87
तस्मादज्ञानहानाय संसारविनिवृत्तये ।
ब्रह्मविद्याविधानाय प्रारब्धोपनिषत्त्वियम् ॥ २५ ॥
25. The Upanishats ¹ are, therefore, ² commenced in
order to teach the Knowledge of Brahman so that
Ignorance might be removed and transmigratory ex-
istence might for ever come to an end.³
सदेरुपनिपूर्वस्य क्विपि चोपनिषद्भवेत् ।
मन्दीकरणभावाच्च गर्भादेः शातनात्तथा ॥ २६ ॥
26. The word ‘Upanishat’ is derived from the root
‘sad’⁴ prefixed by two particles, ‘Upa’⁵ and ‘ni’⁶ and
followed by the suffix ‘Kvip’. So, that⁷ which loosens
the bondage of birth, (old age), etc., (enables a man to
approach Brahman) and destroys birth, (death), etc., is
called Upanishat.⁸
¹ Upanishadic texts are meant. ² As independent of actions
right knowledge produces liberation. ³ This verse states the main
conclusion of the Chapter.
⁴ This root has three meanings, (a) to slacken, (b) to move and
(c) to destroy. ⁵ Near. ⁶ Certainly. ⁷ The Knowledge of
Brahman. ⁸ In the primary sense, the books are so called in a
secondary sense only.
पद्यभाग २: प्रतिषेधप्रकरणम् (Negation)
प्रतिषेधप्रकरणम् ॥ २ ॥
CHAPTER II
NEGATION
प्रतिषेद्धुमशक्यत्वान्नेतिनेतीति शेषितम् ।
इदं नाहमिदं नाहमित्यद्धा प्रतिपद्यते ॥ १ ॥
- Impossible ¹ to be negated the Self is left over
on the authority of the Sruti, ‘Not this, not this.’ So, the
Self becomes clearly known on the reflection, ‘I am
not this, I am not this.’ ²
अहंधीरिदमात्मोत्था वाचारम्भणगोचरा ।
निषिद्धात्मोद्भवत्वात्सा न पुनर्मानतां व्रजेत् ॥ २ ॥ - The consciousness of egoism (i.e., the mistaken
identity of the Self with the body etc.) has its origin in
the intellect ³ and has for its object what ⁴ is based on
words ⁵ only. As its very nature and origin are both
negated (by the Sruti, ‘Not this, not this’), egoism ⁶ can
never again ⁷ be regarded as founded on any evidence.
¹ For the Self is the witness of the process of negation itself.
² I.e., I am not the body, the senses, the mind, the intellect and
the vital force. But I am the witness of all of them.
³ The object portion in the consciousness ‘I’. While using the word
‘I’ people mix up Pure Consciousness and the intellect. The
intellect is the object portion of the consciousness ‘I’, Pure Consci-
ousness is the non-object portion. ⁴ Name and form. ⁵ Chh. U., -
- 4-6. ⁶ Though as old as time itself and experienced by beings
birth after birth. ⁷ After the nature of the Self has been known.
- 4-6. ⁶ Though as old as time itself and experienced by beings
1-4] NEGATION 89
पूर्वबुद्धिमबाधित्वा नोत्तरा जायते मतिः ।
दृशिरेकः स्वयं सिद्धः फलत्वात्स न बाध्यते ॥ ३ ॥
3. A following ¹ knowledge does not arise without
negating ² the previous ³ one (e.g., the knowledge of the
rope does not come without destroying that of the
snake in a rope-snake). Pure Consciousness, the Self,
only has an independent existence and is never negated
as It is the result ⁴ of evidences.
इदं वनमतिक्रम्य शोकमोहादिदूषितम् ।
वनाद्गान्धारको यद्वत्स्वात्मानं प्रतिपद्यते ॥ ४ ॥
4. One attains one's own innermost ⁵ Self by
crossing ⁶ the forest of this body infested with ferocious
beasts of grief, delusion, etc., like the man ⁷ of the
country of Gândhâra who crossed the forest and
reached his own country.
¹ The right Knowledge of the substratum. ² So, the Knowledge
of the Self does not arise without destroying the previous Know-
ledge of egoism etc. ³ The superimposed Knowledge. ⁴ See paras
103 and 108 (Part I).
⁵ It is the innermost because It is the substratum of the intellect,
the mind, the vital force, the body, etc., each of which is supposed
by the ignorant to be the Self. ⁶ By discriminating the body and
the mind from the Self. ⁷ The story runs thus : This man, with
his eyes covered and thrown in a deep forest far away from his
own country, was very miserable and was crying loudly in order
that the covering of his eyes might be removed, when a kind
man did it and indicated the path to his country. The man then
did reach his own country by remembering the instruction of the
kind man. (Such is the case with the disciple and the teacher.)
See Chh. U., 6. 14.
पद्यभाग ३: ईश्वर-आत्मप्रकरणम् (Self-Brahman)
ईश्वरात्मप्रकरणम् ॥ ३ ॥
CHAPTER III
SELF-BRAHMAN
ईश्वरश्चेदनात्मा स्यान्नासावस्मीति धारयेत् ।
आत्मा चेदीश्वरोऽस्मीति विद्या साऽन्यनिवर्तिका ॥ १ ॥
- The aspirant cannot know that he is Brahman
if It be different from the Self. (It then contradicts the
Sruti.) But if he has the conviction that he, the Self, is
Brahman (there is no contradiction to the Sruti). This
is (right) Knowledge which destroys Ignorance.¹
आत्मनोऽन्यस्य चेद्धर्मा अस्थूलत्वादयो मताः ।
अज्ञेयत्वेऽस्य किं तैः स्यादात्मत्वे ह्यन्यधीह्नुतिः ॥ २ ॥ - What would be the use (of the description by the
Sruti) of the qualities, ‘not² large’ etc. if they were the
qualities of one³ other than the Self, it being not⁴ an
object of search? But if Brahman (with these qualities)
is the Self the ideas⁵ such as, largeness, smallness, etc.
are negated⁶ from the latter.
¹ Which falsely shows that there are things other than the Self.
² Br. U., 3. 8. 8. ³ Personal God. ⁴ For it is other than the Self.
See Br. U., 1. 4. 7. ⁵ Superimposed on the Self. ⁶ And thus libera-
tion is achieved.
1-4] SELF-BRAHMAN 91
मिथ्याध्यासनिषेधार्थं ततोऽस्थूलादि गृह्यताम् ।
परत्र चेन्निषेधार्थं शून्यतावर्णनं हि तत् ॥ ३ ॥
3. Know, therefore, that the Sruti, ‘not large’ etc. is
meant to negate the false superimposition (of largeness,
smallness, etc. on the Self) as it would be a description
of a void if it were meant to negate those qualities from
one other than the Self.
बुभुत्सोर्यदि चान्यत्र प्रत्यगात्मन इष्यते ।
अप्राणो ह्यमनाः शुभ्र इति चानर्थकं वचः ॥ ४ ॥
4. Moreover, the saying,¹ ‘devoid of the vital force,
devoid of the mind and pure’ would be unmeaning if
these qualities were meant to be negated from one
other² than the individual Self, the aspirant.
¹ Mu. U., 2. 1. 2. ² For the vital force and the mind are possessed
by none other than the individual Self. It possesses them owing
to Ignorance which is removed by this negation.
पद्यभाग ४: तत्त्वमसिप्रकरणम् (The nature of right knowledge)
तत्त्वज्ञानस्वभावप्रकरणम् ॥ ४ ॥
CHAPTER IV
THE NATURE OF RIGHT KNOWLEDGE
अहंप्रत्ययबीजं यदहंप्रत्ययवत्स्थितम् ।
नाहंप्रत्ययवह्न्युष्टं कथं कर्म प्ररोहति ॥ १ ॥
- How can those actions of which the root is
egoism¹ and which are accumulated in the mind pro-
duce results when they are burnt² by the fire of non-
egoism, (the right Knowledge that one is neither the
doer of actions nor the experiencer of their results) ?
दृष्टवच्चेत्प्ररोहः स्यान्नान्यकर्मा स इष्यते ।
तन्निरोधे कथं तत्स्यात्पृच्छामो वस्तदुच्यताम् ॥ २ ॥ - (The objector). Actions burnt by the fire of
Knowledge may produce results like the seen ones (of
the actions of a man of Knowledge). (Reply). No.
They are due to another cause.³ (The objector). I ask
¹ Identification of oneself with the gross and subtle bodies.
² Hence, actions accumulated in previous births are not obstacles
to liberation when the Knowledge of Brahman arises.
³ I.e., those actions of past lives which have given birth to the
present body and have begun to produce results.
1-5] THE NATURE OF RIGHT KNOWLEDGE 93
you how there can be actions ¹ when egoism ² is de-
stroyed. Please answer.
देहाद्यारम्भसामर्थ्याज्ज्ञानं सद्विषयं त्वयि ।
अभिभूय फलं कुर्यात्कर्मान्ते ज्ञानमुद्भवेत् ॥ ३ ॥
3. (Reply). Such actions ³ produce their results by
overpowering the Knowledge of Brahman in you, be-
cause they have the power of producing the body etc.
Knowledge, however, becomes manifest⁴ when ⁴ the
results of these actions come to an end.
आरब्धस्य फले ह्येते भोगो ज्ञानं च कर्मणः ।
अविरोधस्तयोर्युक्तो वैधर्म्यं चेतरस्य तु ॥ ४ ॥
4. As knowledge and the experiencing (of pain and
pleasure) are both results of actions that have given rise
to the present body and have begun to produce results
it is reasonable that they are not incompatible with each
other. But other kinds of actions⁵ are different⁶ in nature.
देहात्मज्ञानवज्ज्ञानं देहात्मज्ञानबाधकम् ।
आत्मन्येव भवेद्यस्य स नेच्छन्नपि मुच्यते ।
ततः सर्वमिदं सिद्धं प्रयोगोऽस्माभिरीरितः ॥ ५ ॥
¹ Even those actions that have begun to produce results.
² For egoism is the root of all actions. (See the previous verse.)
³ See Footnote 3. Verse 2.
⁴ They come to an end only when they are exhausted by being
experienced and one gets absolutely disembodied freedom.
⁵ (1) Actions accumulated in previous states of existence and (2)
those that are done in this life after the realization of Knowledge.
⁶ For Knowledge destroys accumulated actions and makes im-
potent those that are done in the present life after the attainment
of Knowledge.
94 A THOUSAND TEACHINGS [CHAP. IV
5. The Knowledge of one's identity with the pure
Self that negates the (wrong) notion of the identity of
the body and the Self sets a man free even against his
will when it becomes as firm as the belief of the man
that he is a human ¹ being.
All ² this, therefore, is established. And reasons
have been already given by us.
¹ Identifying himself with the body.
² The compatibility of Knowledge with the actions that have
begun to produce results and its incompatibility with other kinds
of actions.
पद्यभाग ५: अविद्याप्रकरणम् (Error in understanding)
बुद्धयपराधप्रकरणम् ॥ ५ ॥
CHAPTER V
ERROR IN UNDERSTANDING
मूत्राशङ्को यथोदङ्को नाग्रहीदमृतं यथा ।
कर्मनाशभयाज्जन्तोरात्मज्ञानाग्रहस्तथा ॥ १ ॥
- People do not receive Self-knowledge on ac-
count of the fear that their duties (according to their
castes and orders of life) would be destroyed like
Udanka ¹ who did not accept (genuine) nectar which, he
thought, was urine.
[That people do not like to receive Self-knowledge
is due to their ignorance of the real nature of the Self
and a wrong and false conception about It.]
बुद्धिस्थश्चलतीवात्मा ध्यायतीव च दृश्यते ।
नौगतस्य यथा वृक्षास्तद्वत्संसारविभ्रमः ॥ २ ॥
¹ This man practised much austerity in order to please Vishnu
so that he might get nectar from him. Vishnu was pleased and
sent Indra with a pot full of nectar to give it to Udanka. Indra
wanted to deceive him and in the guise of a Chandâla he hung the
pot containing nectar from his waist. The pot was hanging in
such a way that urine would fall into it if Indra were to make
water. When he appeared before Udanka in that fashion and
offered him the nectar the latter thought the pot contained urine
and refused to accept the nectar.
96 A THOUSAND TEACHINGS [CHAP. V
2. The Self seems to be moving when the intellect
moves and It seems to be at rest when it is at rest on
account of Its identification ¹ with the intellect like trees
appearing to move in the eyes of those who are in a
moving boat. Similar is the misconception ² about
transmigratory existence.
नौस्थस्य प्रातिलोम्येन नगानां गमनं यथा ।
आत्मनः संसृतिस्तद्वद्ध्यायतीवेति हि श्रुतिः ॥ ३ ॥
3. Just as trees are thought to be moving in a
direction opposite to that of a moving boat by a man
in it, so, transmigratory existence is (wrongly) thought
to belong to the Self (by a man who has identified
himself with the intellect). For there is the passage in
the Sruti, ‘ as ³ if at rest.’
चैतन्यप्रतिबिम्बेन व्याप्तो बोधो हि जायते ।
बुद्धेः शब्दादिभिर्भासस्तेन मोमुह्यते जगत् ॥ ४ ॥
4. The modifications of the intellect are pervaded
by the reflection of Consciousness when they come to
exist. So the Self appears to be identified with sound ⁴
etc. This is the reason why people are deluded.⁵
चैतन्यभास्यताहमस्तादर्थ्यं च तदस्य यत् ।
इदमंशप्रहाणेन परः सोऽनुभवो भवेत् ॥ ५ ॥
¹ Due to ignorance. ² For people make the mistake of believ-
ing that transmigratory existence belongs to the Self instead of to
the intellect. ³ Br. U., 4. 3. 7. ⁴ The objects of the modifica-
tions of the intellect i.e., the body etc. ⁵ For unable to distin-
guish between the Self and its reflection people attribute the pro-
perties of the intellect to the Self.
2-5] ERROR IN UNDERSTANDING 97
5. As it is the object of pure Consciousness and
exists¹ for It (the ego² is not the Self). Pure Conscious-
ness is the universal Self³ when the object portion⁴ is
rejected.⁵
¹ For the agency and experience of the Self is due to the
superimposition of the ego on It.
² See footnote 3, verse 2, Chapter 2.
³ What appears to be the individual Self owing to the proxi-
mity of the ego before the attaiment of right knowledge is known
to be no other than the universal Self when the discrimination of the
Self from the ego has been accomplished.
⁴ The object portion of the consciousness 'I', i.e., the ego.
⁵ I.e., when the identification of the Self with the ego is known
to be due to a wrong conception.
7
पद्यभाग ६: विशुद्धात्मप्रकरणम् (Negation of attributes)
विशेषापोहप्रकरणम् ॥ ६ ॥
CHAPTER VI
NEGATION OF ATTRIBUTES
छित्त्वा त्यक्तेन हस्तेन स्वयं नात्मा विशिष्यते ।
तथा शिष्टेन सर्वेण येन येन विशेष्यते ॥ १ ॥
- The Self Itself is not qualified by an arm which
has been cut off and thrown away. Similarly, It is not
qualified by any of the remaining things¹ by which It
is (thought to be) qualified.²
तस्मात्त्यक्तेन हस्तेन तुल्यं सर्वं विशेषणम् ।
ऽनात्मत्वेन तस्माज्ज्ञो मुक्तः सर्वैर्विशेषणैः ॥ २ ॥ - Therefore all the qualifications are similar to the
arm (cut off and) thrown away as they are all non-Self.³
So the Self is free from all qualifications.
विशेषणमिदं सर्वं साध्वलंकराणं यथा ।
अविद्याध्यासतः सर्वं ज्ञात आत्मन्यसद्भवेत् ॥ ३ ॥
¹ The gross and subtle bodies and their attributes.
² See verses 91-94, Ch. 18.
³ For they are all superimposed on the Self.
1-6] NEGATION OF ATTRIBUTES 99
3. It is reasonable that, like ornaments,¹ all these ²
are qualifications (of the Self) owing to superimposition
through Ignorance. When the Self is known they prove
to be unreal.
ज्ञातैवात्मा सदा ग्राह्यो ज्ञेयमुत्सृज्य केवलः ।
अहमित्यपि यद्ग्राह्यं व्यपेताङ्गसमं हि तत् ॥ ४ ॥
4. After rejecting the object portion ³ one should
accept the Self as the knower ⁴ free from all qualifica-
tions. The ego,⁵ the object portion, is also like the
part of the body cut off.⁶
यावान्स्यादिदमंशो यः स स्वतोऽन्यो विशेषणम् ।
विशेषप्रक्षयो यत्र सिद्धो ज्ञश्चित्रगुर्यथा ॥ ५ ॥
5. The Self of which the whole of the object portion ⁷
is the qualification is different from it. Bereft of all
qualifications It has an independent existence like that
of a man ⁸ possessing a variegated cow.
इदमंशोऽहमित्यत्र त्याज्यो नात्मेति पण्डितैः ।
अहं ब्रह्मेति शिष्टांशो भूतपूर्वगतेर्भवेत् ॥ ६ ॥
6. As it is not the Self the object portion in the
consciousness ‘I’ should be renounced ⁹ by the wise.
¹ Falsely appearing to be the qualifications of the wearer.
² See footnote 1, verse 1 above. ³ See foot note 7, verse 5.
⁴ Pure Consciousness, the witness. ⁵ Though to the ignorant
it appears to be Self. ⁶ See verse 1 of this Chapter.
⁷ In the consciousness ‘I’. ⁸ The man has an existence in-
dependent of the cow, so has the Self an existence independent of
the ego etc., Its qualifications, It having no connection with them.
⁹ See footnote 13, verse 2, Chapter 2.
100 A THOUSAND TEACHINGS [CHAP. VI
As It was mixed with egoism¹ previously² the remain-
ing³ (non-object) portion is implied by the word 'I'
in the sentence 'I am Brahman.'
¹ It is mixed with the Self, just as a snake may be said to be
mixed with a rope in a rope-snake i.e., a rope mistaken for a snake.
² Just as a Military Captain is called a Captain even after he has
retired, so, we call Pure Consciousness 'I', even after It has been
discriminated from the ego. ³ Pure Consciousness.
पद्यभाग ७: बुद्ध्यारोपितप्रकरणम् (Knowledge through the intellect)
बुद्ध्यारूढप्रकरणम् ॥ ७ ॥
CHAPTER VII
KNOWLEDGE THROUGH THE INTELLECT
बुद्ध्यारूढं सदा सर्वं दृश्यते यत्र तत्र वा ।
मया तस्मात्परं ब्रह्म सर्वज्ञश्चास्मि सर्वगः ॥ १ ॥
- I am the supreme Brahman all-knowing and
all-pervading, as pervaded¹ by the intellect all things²
in all conditions are always illumined by me.³
यथात्मबुद्धिचाराणां साक्षी तद्वत्परेष्वपि ।
नैवापोढुं न वादातुं शक्यस्तस्मात्परो ह्यहम् ॥ २ ॥ - Just as I am the witness of all the objects of
my intellect, so, I am that⁴ of the objects of other
¹ For the word आरूढ in the Text see verse 156, Chap. 18.
² In waking or dream ; either in this world or in the next ; known
either through the senses or inference or from the scriptures
etc.
³ Just as a lamp is different from the objects it illumines, so, I am
different from all objects illumined by me, Pure Consciousness.
⁴ Being witnessed difference cannot pertain to the witness. So
there cannot be more than one witness.
102 A THOUSAND TEACHINGS [CHAP. VIII
intellects. I am not capable of being rejected ¹ or ac-
cepted.² Therefore I am the supreme Brahman.
विकारित्वमशुद्धत्वं भौतिकत्वं न चात्मनः ।
अशेषबुद्धिसाक्षित्वाद् बुद्धिवच्चाल्पवेदना ॥ ३ ॥
3. As It is the witness of all intellects (and their
modifications) the Self is not of limited knowledge
like the intellects and has no change, impurity or
material nature in It.
मणौ प्रकाश्यते यद्वद्रक्ताद्याकारतातपे ।
मयि संदृश्यते सर्वमातपेनेव तन्मया ॥ ४ ॥
4. Just as in the presence of sunlight colours such
as red etc., (of flowers and other things) are manifested
in a jewel,³ so, all objects are seen (in the intellect ⁴) in
My Presence.⁵ All things are, therefore, illumined by
Me like sun-light.
बुद्धौ दृश्यं भवेद् बुद्धौ सत्यां नास्ति विपर्यये ।
द्रष्टा यस्मात्सदा द्रष्टा तस्माद् द्वैतं न विद्यते ॥ ५ ॥
5. Objects of knowledge exist in the intellect as
long as it is there (in waking and dream) ; but they do
not exist in the opposite case (i.e., when the intellect is
¹ None can say that the Self is not the witness or not at any
place as It is All-knowing and All pervading.
² No one can make the Self an object of one's knowledge or
bring It into existence by any action as It always exists.
³ Crystal etc. ⁴ The intellect is not the illuminator.
⁵ Changeless like sunlight.
⁶ For there is no evidence that non-conscious things exist when
unknown.
3-6] KNOWLEDGE THROUGH THE INTELLECT 103
merged during deep sleep). The Knower is always ¹
the knower. Duality has, therefore, no existence.
अविवेकात्पराभावं यथा बुद्धिरवैत्तथा ।
विवेकात्तु परादन्यः स्वयं चापि न विद्यते ॥ ६ ॥
6. The intellect ² knew the non-existence of the
supreme Brahman before the discrimination (between
the Self and the non-Self). But after the discrimination
there is no individual Self different from Brahman nor
is there the intellect itself.
¹ For the Self never ceases to exist like the intellect, its modifi-
cations or the objects of knowledge. Therefore they must be
unreal. But the Self which always exists must be real and pure.
² Here the intellect is spoken of as having delusion. For it is
on account of the mutual superimposition of the Self and the
intellect that all delusion arises. Otherwise the intellect itself
could not be spoken of as deluded or otherwise as it is non-
conscious.
पद्यभाग ८: मतिविलापनप्रकरणम् (Merging of the mind)
मतिविलापनप्रकरणम् ॥ ८ ॥
CHAPTER VIII¹
MERGING OF THE MIND
चितिस्वरूपे स्वत एव मे मते रसादियोगस्तव मोहकारितः ।
अतो न किंचित्तव चेष्टितेन मे फलं भवेत्सर्वविशेषहानतः ॥ १ ॥
- The connection of enjoyment etc., with me, oh
My mind, who am by nature Consciousness Itself is
due to the delusion created by you. As I am free from
all attributes there is no utility accruing to Me from
your efforts.
विमुच्य मायामयकार्यतामिह प्रशान्तिमायाह्यसदीहितात्सदा ।
अहं परं ब्रह्म सदा विमुक्तवत्तथाजमेकं द्वयवर्जितं यतः ॥ २ ॥ - Give up false attempts and come to rest in Me
from constant vain efforts as I am always the supreme
Brahman as if ² free from bondage, unborn and devoid
of duality.
¹ This and Chap. 19 may be studied together for comparison.
² For Brahman is never bound. So It cannot be called at any
time liberated.