उपदेशसाहस्री (आदि शङ्कराचार्य - गद्य व पद्य भाग)

A METHOD OF ENLIGHTENING THE DISCIPLE 7
unborn Self ", " Without ¹ the vital force and the mind,"
" Unborn ², comprising the interior and exterior ", " Con-
sisting ³ of knowledge only ", " Without ⁴ interior or exte-
rior ", " It ⁵ is verily beyond what is known as also what
is unknown " and " Called ⁶ Âkâsha (the self-effulgent
One) ", and also through such Smriti texts as the follow-
ing : " It is ⁷ neither born nor dies," " It is ⁸ not affected
by anybody's sins," " Just ⁹ as air is always in the ether,"
" 'The individual ¹⁰ Self should be regarded as the univer-
sal one,' " " It is ¹¹ called neither existent nor non-existent,"
" As ¹² the Self is beginningless and devoid of qualities,"
" The ¹³ same in all beings " and " The Supreme ¹⁴ Being
is different ; "—all these support the definition given by
the Srutis and prove that the innermost Self is beyond
transmigratory existence and that it is not different from
Brahman, the all-comprehensive principle.
एवं श्रुतिस्मृतिभिः गृहीतपरमात्मलक्षणं शिष्यं संसारसागरा-
दुत्तितीर्षुं पृच्छेत्—कस्त्वमसि सोम्येति ॥ ९ ॥
9. The disciple who has thus learnt the definition
of the inner Self from the Srutis and the Smritis and is
eager to cross the ocean of transmigratory existence is
asked, " who are you, my child ? "
स यदि ब्रूयात्—ब्राह्मणपुत्रः अदोन्वयः ब्रह्मचार्यासिम् ,
गृहस्थो वा, इदानीमस्मि परमहंसपरिव्राट् संसारसागरात् जन्म-
मृत्युमहाग्राहात् उत्तितीर्षुरिति ॥ १० ॥
¹ Mu. U., 2. 1. 2. ² Mu. U., 2. 1. 2. ³ Br. U., 2. 4. 12.
⁴ Br. U., 2. 5. 19. ⁵ Ke. U., 1. 3. ⁶ Chh. U., 8. 14. 1.
⁷ Bh. Gîtâ, 2. 20. ⁸ Bh. Gîtâ, 5. 15. ⁹ Bh. Gîtâ, 9. 6.
¹⁰ Bh. Gîtâ, 13, 2. ¹¹ Bh. Gîtâ, 13. 12. ¹² Bh. Gîtâ, 13. 31.
¹³ Bh. Gîtâ, 13. 27. ¹⁴ Bh. Gîtâ, 15. 17.

8 A THOUSAND TEACHINGS
आचार्यो ब्रूयात्—इहैव तव सोम्य मृतस्य शरीरं वयोभि-
र्भक्ष्यते मृद्भावं वापद्यते, तत्र कथं संसारादुद्धर्तुमिच्छसीति । नहि
नद्याः अवरे कूले भस्मीभूते नद्याः पारं तरिष्यसीति ॥ ११ ॥
10, 11. If he says, “ I am the son of a Brâhmaṇa
belonging to such and such a lineage, I was a student
or a householder, and am now a wandering monk
anxious to cross the ocean of transmigratory existence
infested with the terrible sharks of birth and death,” the
teacher should say, “ My child, how do you desire to
go beyond transmigratory existence as your body will
be eaten up by birds or will turn into earth even here
when you die ? For, burnt to ashes on this side of the
river, you cannot cross to the other side.”
स यदि ब्रूयात्—अन्योऽहं शरीरात् । शरीरं तु जायते
म्रियते, वयोभिर्भक्ष्यते, शस्त्राग्न्यादिभिश्च विनाश्यते, व्याध्यादि-
भिश्च प्रयुज्यते । तस्मिन् अहं स्वकृतधर्माधर्मवशात् पक्षी नीड-
मिव प्रविष्टः पुनःपुनः शरीरविनाशे धर्माधर्मवशात् शरीरान्तरं
यास्यामि, पूर्वनिीडविनाशे पक्षीव नीडान्तरम् । एवमेवाहमनादौ
संसारे देवमनुष्यतिर्यङ्निरयस्थानेषु स्वकर्मवशादुपात्तमुपात्तं
शरीरं त्यजन्, नवं नवं च अन्यदुपाददानो, जन्ममरणप्रबन्धचक्रे
घटीयन्त्रवत् स्वकर्मणा भ्राम्यमाणः क्रमेणेदं शरीरमासाद्य
संसारचक्रभ्रमणात् अस्मान्निर्विण्णो भगवन्तमुपसन्नोऽस्मि संसा-
रचक्रभ्रमणप्रशमाय । तस्मान्नित्य एवाहं शरीरादन्यः । शरीराणि
आगच्छन्त्यपगच्छन्ति च वासांसीव पुरुषस्येति ॥ १२ ॥
आचार्यो ब्रूयात्—साध्ववादीः, सम्यक्पश्यसि । कथं मृषा-
ऽवादीः, ब्राह्मणपुत्रोऽदोन्वयो ब्रह्मचार्यासम्, गृहस्थो वा, इदा-
नीमस्मि परमहंसपरिव्राडिति ॥ १३ ॥

A METHOD OF ENLIGHTENING THE DISCIPLE 9
12, 13. If he says, "I am different from the body.
The body is born and dies, is eaten up by birds, is
destroyed by weapons, fire etc., and suffers from
diseases and the like. I have entered it, like a bird its
nest, on account of merit and demerit accruing from
acts done by myself, and like a bird going to another
nest when the previous one is destroyed I shall enter
into different bodies again and again as a result of
merits and demerits when the present body is gone.
Thus in this beginningless world on account of my own
actions I have been giving up successive bodies assum-
ed among gods, men, animals and the denizens of hell
and assuming ever new ones. I have in this way been
made to go round and round in the cycle of endless
births and deaths, as in a Persian wheel by my past
actions, and having in the course of time obtained the
present body I have got tired of this going round and
round in the wheel of transmigration, and have come to
you, Sir, to put an end to this rotation. I am, therefore,
always different from the body. It is bodies that come
and go, like clothes on a person,"—the teacher would
reply, "You have spoken well. You see aright. Why
then did you wrongly say, 'I am the son of a Brâhmaṇa
belonging to such and such a lineage, I was a student
or a householder and am now a wandering monk?'"
तं प्रति ब्रूयादाचार्यः—स यदि ब्रूयात् भगवन्, कथमहं
मृषाऽवादिषमिति ॥ १४ ॥ यतस्त्वं भिन्नजात्यन्वयसंस्कारं
शरीरं जात्यन्वयवर्जितस्यात्मनः प्रत्यभ्यज्ञासीः ब्राह्मणपुत्रोऽदो-
न्वय इत्यादिना वाक्येनेति ॥ १५ ॥

10 A THOUSAND TEACHINGS
14, 15. If the disciple says, "How did I speak
wrongly, Sir?" The teacher would reply, "Because by
your statement, 'I am the son of a Brāhmana belonging
to such and such a lineage etc.' you identified with the
Self devoid of birth, lineage and purificatory ceremonies,
the body possessed of them that are different¹ (from
the Self)."
स यदि पृच्छेत् कथं भिन्नजात्यन्वयसंस्कारं शरीरं, कथं वा
अहं जात्यन्वयसंस्कारवर्जित इति ॥ १६ ॥
आचार्यो ब्रूयात्—शृणु सोम्य यथेदं शरीरं त्वत्तो भिन्नं
भिन्नजात्यन्वयसंस्कारं, त्वं च जात्यन्वयसंस्कारवर्जितः, इत्यु-
क्त्वा तं स्मारयेत्—स्मर्तुमर्हसि सोम्य, परमात्मानं सर्वात्मानं
यथोक्तलक्षणं श्रावितोऽसि 'सदेव सोम्येदम' इत्यादिभिः श्रुतिभिः
स्मृतिभिश्च । लक्षणं च तस्य श्रुतिभिः स्मृतिभिश्च ॥ १७ ॥
16, 17. If he asks, "How is the body possessed
of the diversities of birth, lineage and purificatory cere-
monies (different from the Self) and how am I devoid
of them?"—The teacher would say, "Listen, my child,
how this body is different from you and possessed of
birth, lineage and sanctifying ceremonies and how you
are free from these." Speaking thus he will remind the
disciple saying, "You should remember, my child, you
have been told about the innermost Self which is the
Self of all with its characteristics as described by the
Srutis such as 'This² was existence, my child' etc., as
also the Smritis, and you should remember these charac-
teristics also."
¹ i.e., of the nature of the non-Self. ² Chh. U., 6. 2. 1.

A METHOD OF ENLIGHTENING THE DISCIPLE 11
लब्धपरमात्मलक्षणस्मृतये ब्रूयात् — योऽसावाकाशनामा नाम-
रूपाभ्यामर्थान्तरभूतः अशरीरः अस्थूलादिलक्षणः अपहत-
पाप्मादिलक्षणश्च सर्वैः संसारधर्मैः अनागन्धितः ‘यत्तत्साक्षाद्-
परोक्षाद्ब्रह्म’, ‘य आत्मा सर्वान्तरः’, ‘अदृष्टो द्रष्टा अश्रुतः
श्रोता अमतो मन्ता अविज्ञातो विज्ञाता’ नित्यविज्ञानस्वरूपः,
अनन्तरः अबाह्यः विज्ञानघन एव, परिपूर्णः आकाशवत्, अन-
न्तशक्तिः, आत्मा सर्वस्य, अशनायादिवर्जितः, आविर्भावतिरो-
भाववर्जितश्च, स्वात्मविलक्षणयोः नामरूपयोः जगद्बीजभूतयोः
स्वात्मस्थयोः तत्त्वान्यत्वाभ्यामनिर्वचनीययोः स्वसंवेद्ययोः
सद्भावमात्रेणाचिन्त्यशक्तित्वाद् व्याकर्ता अव्याकृतयोः ॥ १८ ॥
18. The teacher should say to the disciple who has
remembered the definition of the Self, “That which is
called Âkâsha (the self-effulgent one) which is distinct
from name and form, bodiless and defined as not gross
etc., and as free from sins and so on, which is untouched
by all transmigratory conditions, ‘The Brahman¹ that
is immediate and direct,’ ‘The innermost² Self,’ ‘The
unseen³ seer, the unheard listener, the unthought
thinker, the unknown knower’, which is of the nature
of eternal knowledge, without interior or exterior, con-
sisting only of knowledge, all-pervading like the ether
and of infinite power—that Self of all devoid of hunger
etc., as also appearance and disappearance, is, by
virtue of Its inscrutable power, the cause of the manifes-
tation of unmanifested name and form which abide in
the Self through Its very presence,⁴ but are different from
¹ Br. U., 3. 4. 1. ² Br. U., 3. 4. 1. ³ Br. U., 3. 7. 23.
⁴ They have no existence of their own apart from that of the Self.

12 A THOUSAND TEACHINGS
It, which are the seed of the universe, are describable
neither as identical with It nor different from It, and are
cognized by It alone.
ते नामरूपे अव्याकृते सती व्याक्रियमाणे तस्मादेतस्मादात्मन
आकाशनामाकृती संवृत्ते । तच्चाकाशाख्यं भूतमेन प्रकारेण
परमात्मनः सम्भूतं प्रसन्नादिव सलिलान्मलमिव फेनम् । न सलिलं
न च सलिलादत्यन्तभिन्नं फेनम् । सलिलव्यतिरेकेणादर्शनात् ।
सलिलं तु स्वच्छं अन्यत् फेनान्मलरूपात् । एवं परमात्मा नाम-
रूपाभ्यामन्यः फेनस्थानीयाभ्यां शुद्धः प्रसन्नः तद्विलक्षणः । ते
नामरूपे अव्याकृते सती व्याक्रियमाणे फेनस्थानीये आकाश-
नामाकृती संवृत्ते ॥ १९ ॥
19. "That name and form originally unmanifested
took the name and form of the ether as they were
manifested from that Self. This element called the
ether thus arose out of the supreme Self, like the dirt
called foam coming out of transparent water. Foam is
neither water nor absolutely different from it. For it is
never seen apart from water. But water is clear, and
different from the foam which is of the nature of dirt.
Similarly the supreme Self which is pure and transparent
is different from name and form, which stand for foam.
These—corresponding to the foam—having originally
been unmanifested, took the name and form of the
ether as they were manifested.
ततोऽपि स्थूलभावमापद्यमाने नामरूपे व्याक्रियमाणे वायु-
भावमापद्येते, ततोऽप्यग्निभावं, अग्नेरब्भावं, ततः पृथिवीभावं
इत्येवंक्रमेण पूर्वपूर्वानुप्रवेशेन पञ्चमहाभूतानि पृथिव्यन्तान्युत्प-

A METHOD OF ENLIGHTENING THE DISCIPLE 13
न्नानि । ततः पञ्चमहाभूतगुणविशिष्टा पृथिवी । पृथ्व्याश्च पञ्चा-
त्मिक्यो व्रीहियवाद्या ओषधयो जायन्ते । ताभ्यो भक्षिताभ्यो
लोहितं च शुक्लं च स्त्रीपुंसशरीरसंबन्धि जायते । तदुभयमृतुकाले
अविद्याप्रयुक्तकामखजनिर्मथनोद्धृतं मन्त्रसंस्कृतं गर्भाशये निषि-
च्यते । तत्स्वयोनिरसानुप्रवेशेन विवर्धमानं गर्भीभूतं नवमे दशमे
वा मासि सञ्जायते ॥ २० ॥
20. "Name and form, as they became still grosser
in the course of manifestation assumed the form of air.
From that again they became fire, from that water, and
thence earth. In this order the preceding elements
penetrated the succeeding ones, and the five gross
elements ending with earth came into existence. Earth,
therefore, possesses the qualities of all the five gross
elements. From earth compounded of all the five great
elements, herbs such as paddy and barley are produced.
From these, after they are eaten, are formed blood and
the seed of women and men respectively. These two
ingredients drawn out, as by a churning rod, by lust
springing from Ignorance, and sanctified by mantras,¹
are placed in the womb at the proper time. Through
the infiltration of the sustaining fluids ² of the mother's
body, it ³ develops into an embryo and is delivered at
the ninth or tenth month.
तज्जातं लब्धनामाकृतिकं जातकर्मादिभिः मन्त्रसंस्कृतं पुनः
उपनयनसंस्कारयोगेन ब्रह्मचारिसंज्ञं भवति । तदेव शरीरं पत्नी-
¹ sacred mystical formulae. ² derived from food.
³ blood and seed mixed together.

14 A THOUSAND TEACHINGS
योगसंस्कारयोगेन गृहस्थसंज्ञं भवति । तदेव वनस्थसंस्कारेण
तापससंज्ञं भवति । तदेव क्रियाविनिवृत्तिनिमित्तसंस्कारेण परि-
व्राट्संज्ञं भवति । इत्येवं त्वत्तो भिन्नं भिन्नजात्यन्वयसंस्कारं
शरीरम् ॥ २१ ॥
21. "It is born, or is possessed of a form and a
name and is purified by means of mantras relating to
natal and other ceremonies. Sanctified again by the
ceremony of investiture with the holy thread, it gets the
appellation of a student. The same body is designated
a house-holder when it undergoes the sacrament of
being joined to a wife. That again is called a recluse
when it undergoes the ceremonies pertaining to retire-
ment into the forest. And it becomes known as a
wandering monk when it performs the ceremonies lead-
ing to the renunciation of all activities. Thus ¹ the body
which has birth, lineage and purificatory ceremonies
different (from the Self) is different from you.
मनश्चेन्द्रियाणि च नामरूपात्मकान्येव 'अन्नमयं हि सोम्य
मनः' इत्यादिश्रुतिभ्यः ॥ २२ ॥
22. "That the mind and the senses are also of the
nature of name and form is known from the Sruti, 'The
mind, my child, consists of food ².'
कथं चाहं भिन्नजात्यन्वयसंस्कारवर्जित इत्येतच्छृणु । योऽसौ
नामरूपयोर्व्याकर्ता नामरूपधर्मविलक्षणः स एव नामरूपे व्या-
¹ See paras 15 and 16 above.
² Food is transformed into the substance of the mind and invi-
gorates it. Chh. U., 6. 5. 4 and 6. 5. 6.

A METHOD OF ENLIGHTENING THE DISCIPLE 15
कुर्वन् सृष्ट्वेदं शरीरं स्वयं संस्कारधर्मवर्जितो नामरूपे इह प्रविष्टः
अन्यैरदृष्टः स्वयं पश्यन्, तथाऽश्रुतः शृण्वन्, अमतो मन्वानो,
अविज्ञातो विजानन्—‘सर्वाणि रूपाणि विचित्य धीरो नामानि
कृत्वाऽभिवदन् यदास्ते’ इति। अस्मिन्नर्थे श्रुतयः सहस्रशः
‘तत्सृष्ट्वा तदेवानुप्राविशत्’, ‘अन्तः प्रविष्टः शास्ता जनानाम्’,
‘स एष इह प्रविष्टः’, ‘एष त आत्मा’, ‘स एतमेव सीमानं
विदार्यैतया द्वारा प्रापद्यत’, ‘एष सर्वेषु भूतेषु गूढोत्मा’, ‘सेयं
देवतैक्षत हन्ताहमिमास्तिस्रो देवताः’ इत्याद्याः ॥ २३ ॥
23. “You said, ‘How am I devoid of birth, lineage
and sanctifying ceremonies which are different (from the
Self ?)’ Listen. The same one who is the cause of the
unfoldment of name and form, whose nature is different
from that of name and form, and who is devoid of all
connection with sanctifying ceremonies, evolved name
and form, created this body and entered into it (which
is but name and form)—who is Himself the unseen
seer, the unheard listener, the unthought thinker, the
unknown knower as stated in the Sruti text, ‘(I ¹ know)
who creates names and forms and remains speaking’.
There are thousands of Sruti texts conveying the same
meaning; for instance, ‘He ² created and entered into
it,’ ‘Entering ³ into them He rules all creatures,’ ‘He,⁴
the Self, has entered into these bodies,’ ‘This ⁵ is your
Self,’ ‘Opening ⁶ this very suture of the Skull He got in by
that door,’ ‘This ⁷ Self is concealed in all beings,’ ‘That ⁸
Divinity thought—let me enter into these three deities.’
¹ T. Â., 3. 12. 7.      ² Tai. U., 2. 6.      ³ T. Â., 3. 11. 1, 2.
⁴ Br. U., 1. 4. 7.      ⁵ Br. U., 3. 4. 1.      ⁶ Ai. U., 1. 3. 12.
⁷ Kath. U., 3. 12.      ⁸ Chh. U., 6. 3. 2.

16 A THOUSAND TEACHINGS
स्मृतयोऽपि ‘आत्मैव देवताः सर्वाः’, ‘नवद्वारे पुरे देही’,
क्षेत्रज्ञं चापि मां विद्धि’, ‘समः सर्वेषु भूतेषु’, ‘उपद्रष्टानुमन्ता
च’, ‘उत्तमः पुरुषस्त्वन्यः’, ‘अशरीरं शरीरेषु’ इत्याद्याः ।
तस्मात् जात्यन्वयसंस्कारवर्जितस्त्वमिति सिद्धम् ॥ २४ ॥
24. “Smriti texts too elucidate the same truth ; for ex-
ample, ‘All¹ gods verily are the Self,’ ‘The Self² in the
city of nine gates,’ ‘Know³ the individual Self to be
Myself’, ‘The same⁴ in all beings,’ ‘The witness⁵ and
approver,’ ‘The Supreme⁶ Being is different,’ ‘Residing
in⁷ all bodies but Itself devoid of any,’ and so on.
Therefore it is established that you are without any
connection with birth, lineage and sanctifying cere-
monies.”
स यदि ब्रूयात्—अन्य एवाहमज्ञः सुखी दुःखी बद्धः
संसारी, अन्योऽसौ मद्विलक्षणः असंसारी देवः, तमहं बल्युप-
हारनमस्कारादिभिः वर्णाश्रमकर्मभिश्चाराध्य संसारसागरादुत्ति-
तीर्षुरस्मि, कथमहं स एवेति ॥ २५ ॥
25. If he says, “I am in bondage, liable to trans-
migration, ignorant, (sometimes) happy, (sometimes)
unhappy and am entirely different from Him. He, the
shining One who is dissimilar in nature to me and
beyond transmigratory existence is also different from
me. I want to worship Him through the actions
pertaining to my caste and order of life by making
presents and offerings to Him and also by making
¹ Manu, XII. 119. ² Bh. Gîtâ, 5. 13. ³ Bh. Gîtâ, 13. 2.
⁴ Bh. Gîtâ, 13. 27. ⁵ Bh. Gîtâ, 13. 22. ⁶ Bh. Gîtâ, 15. 17.
⁷ Kath. U., 2. 22, but the Smriti source untraced.

A METHOD OF ENLIGHTENING THE DISCIPLE 17
salutations and the like. I am eager to cross the ocean
of the world in this way. So how am I He Himself?"
आचार्यो ब्रूयात्—नैवं सोम्य प्रतिपत्तुमर्हसि, प्रतिषिद्ध-
त्वाद्भेदप्रतिपत्तेः। कथं प्रतिषिद्धा भेदप्रतिपत्तिरित्यत आह—
'अन्योऽसावन्योऽहमस्मीति न स वेद', 'ब्रह्म तं परादाद्यो-
ऽन्यत्रात्मनो ब्रह्म वेद', 'मृत्योः स मृत्युमाप्नोति य इह नानेव
पश्यति' इत्येवमाद्याः ॥ २६ ॥
26. The teacher should say, "You ought not, my
child, regard it so; because a doctrine of difference is
forbidden." In reply to the question, 'Why is it for-
bidden?' the following other Sruti texts may be cited :
"He$^1$ who knows that Brahman is one and he is another
does not know (Brahman)", "He$^2$ who regards the
Brâhmanical caste as different from himself is rejected$^3$
by that caste." "One$^4$ who views Brahman as if
having diversity in It goes from death to death", and
so on.
एता एव श्रुतयो भेदप्रतिपत्तेः संसारगमनं दर्शयन्ति ॥ २७ ॥
27. These Srutis show that transmigratory existence
is the sure result of the acceptance of (the reality of)
difference.
अभेदप्रतिपत्तेश्च मोक्षं दर्शयन्ति सहस्रशः—'स आत्मा
तत्त्वमसि' इति परमात्मभावं विधाय 'आचार्यवान् पुरुषो वेद'
इत्युक्त्वा 'तस्य तावदेव चिरम्' इति मोक्षं दर्शयन्त्यभेदविज्ञा-
$^1$ Br. U., 1. 4. 10. $^2$ Br. U., 2. 4. 6. $^3$ Makes him disinclined to
$^4$ Br. U., 4, 4. 19. know Brahman.
2

18 A THOUSAND TEACHINGS
नादेव । सत्याभिसन्धस्य अतस्करस्येव दाहाद्यभाववत् संसारा-
भावं दर्शयन्ति दृष्टान्तेन, भेददर्शनादसत्याभिसन्धस्य संसार-
गमनं दर्शयन्ति तस्करस्येव दाहादिदृष्टान्तेन ॥ २८ ॥
28. " That, on the other hand, liberation results
from the acceptance of (the reality of) non-difference is
borne out by thousands of Śrutis; for example, after
teaching that the individual Self is not different from
the supreme One in the text, " That ¹ is the Self, thou
art That', and after saying, ' A ² man who has a teacher
knows Brahman' the Śrutis prove liberation to be the
result of the knowledge of (the reality of) non-difference
only, by saying ' A ³ knower of Brahman has to wait
only so long as he is not merged in Brahman'. That
transmigratory existence comes to an absolute cessation,
(in the case of one who speaks the truth that difference
has no real existence), is illustrated by the example of
one ⁴ who was not a thief and did not get burnt (by
grasping a heated hatchet ;) and that one, speaking
what is not true (i.e. the reality of difference), continues
to be in the mundane condition is illustrated by the
example of a thief who got burnt.
'त इह व्याघ्रो वा' इत्यादिना च अभेददर्शनात् 'स
स्वराट् भवति' इत्युक्त्वा तद्विपरीतेन भेददर्शनेन संसारगमनं
दर्शयन्ति—'अथ येऽन्यथाऽतो विदुरन्यराजानस्ते क्षय्यलोका
भवन्ति' इति प्रतिशाखम् । तस्मान्मृषैवैवमवादीः—ब्राह्मण-
पुत्रोऽदोन्वयः संसारी परमात्मविलक्षण इति ॥ २९ ॥
¹ Chh. U., 6. 13. 3. ² Chh. U., 6. 14. 2.
³ Chh. U., 6. 14. 2. ⁴ Chh. U., 6. 16. 1—3.

A METHOD OF ENLIGHTENING THE DISCIPLE 19
29. "The Sruti text commencing with 'Whatever¹
these creatures are here, whether a tiger or' and similar
other texts, after asserting that 'One² becomes one's
own master (i.e. Brahman)' by the knowledge of (the
reality of) non-difference, show that one continues to
remain in the transmigratory condition in the opposite
case as the result of the acceptance of (the reality of)
difference, saying, 'Knowing³ differently from this they
get other beings for their masters and reside in perish-
able regions'. Such statements are found in every
branch of the Veda. It was, therefore, certainly wrong
on your part to say that you were the son of a Brâh-
mana, that you belonged to such and such a lineage,
that you were subject to transmigration and that you
were different from the supreme Self.
तस्मात् प्रतिषिद्धत्वाद्भेददर्शनस्य, भेदविषयत्वाच्च कर्मोपा-
दानस्य, कर्मसाधनत्वाच्च यज्ञोपवीतादेः कर्मसाधनोपादानस्य
परमात्माभेदप्रतिपत्त्या प्रतिषेधः कृतो वेदितव्यः । कर्मणां
तत्साधनानां च यज्ञोपवीतादीनां परमात्माभेदप्रतिपत्तिविरुद्ध-
त्वात् । संसारिणो हि कर्माणि विधीयन्ते तत्साधनानि च
यज्ञोपवीतादीनि, न परमात्मनोऽभेददर्शिनः । भेददर्शनमात्रेण च
ततोऽन्यत्वम् ॥ ३० ॥
30. "As the acceptance of (the reality of) difference
s forbidden, it should be understood that, on the know-
ledge of one's identity with the supreme Self, the under-
taking of religious rites which have difference for their
¹ Chh. U., 6. 9. 3. ² Chh. U., 6. 25. 2. ³ Chh. U., 7. 25. 2.

20 A THOUSAND TEACHINGS
province and the assumption of yajnopavîta ¹ etc., which
are the means to their performance, are forbidden. For
these rites and yajnopavîta etc., their means, are incon-
sistent with the knowledge of one's identity with the
supreme Self. It is on those people only that refer classes
and orders of life etc., to the Self that Vedic
actions and yajnopavîta etc., their means, are enjoined,
but not on those who have acquired the knowledge of
their identity with the supreme Self. That ² one is other
than Brahman is due only to the acceptance of (the
reality of) difference.
यदि कर्माणि कर्तव्यानि, न निवर्तयिषितानि, कर्मसाधना-
सम्बन्धिनः कर्मनिमित्तजात्याश्रमाद्यसम्बन्धिनश्च परमात्मनश्च
आत्मनैवाभेदप्रतिपत्तिं नावक्ष्यत् 'स आत्मा तत्त्वमसि' इत्येव-
मादिभिर्निश्चितरूपैर्वाक्यैः, भेदप्रतिपत्तिनिन्दां च नाभ्यधास्यत्
'एष नित्यो महिमा ब्राह्मणस्य', 'अनन्वागतं पुण्येनानन्वागतं
पापेन, अत्र स्तेनोऽस्तेनः' इत्यादिना ॥ ३१ ॥
31. "If Vedic rites were to be performed and not
meant to be renounced, the Sruti would neither have dec-
lared the identity of oneself with the supreme Self un-
related to those rites, their means, castes, orders of life,
etc., which are the conditions ³ of Vedic actions, in
unambiguous sentences like 'That ⁴ is the Self, thou art
¹ The holy thread worn by the first three classes of the Hindus—
the Brâhmanas, the Kshatriyas, and the Vaishyas.
² This is said in reply to the objection viz., why are duties enjoin-
ed only on the ignorant as they are also not different from
Brahman?
³ Those only who belong to castes or orders of life are fit for
Vedic actions. ⁴ Chh. U., 6. 8. 7.

A METHOD OF ENLIGHTENING THE DISCIPLE 21
That ; ' nor would it have condemned the acceptance of
(the reality of) difference in clauses such as ' It ¹ is the
eternal glory of the knower of Brahman,' ' Untouched ²
by virtue, untouched by sin', and ' Here ³ a thief is no
thief.'
कर्मासम्बन्धिस्वरूपत्वं कर्मनिमित्तवर्णाद्यसम्बन्धरूपतां च
नाभ्यधास्यत्, कर्माणि च कर्मसाधनानि च यज्ञोपवीतादीनि
यद्यपरितित्याजयिषितानि । तस्मात् ससाधनं कर्म परित्यक्तव्यं
मुमुक्षुणा, परमात्माऽभेददर्शनविरोधात्, आत्मा च पर एवेति
प्रतिपत्तव्यो यथाश्रुत्युक्तलक्षणः ॥ ३२ ॥
32. "The Srutis would not have stated that the
essential nature of the Self was in no way connected
with Vedic rites and conditions required by them such
as a particular class, and the rest, if they did not intend
that those rites and yajnopavîta etc., their means, should
be given up. Therefore, Vedic actions which are in-
compatible with the knowledge of the identity of one-
self with the supreme Self should be renounced together
with their means by one who aspires after liberation ;
and it should be known that the Self is no other than
Brahman as defined in the Srutis."
स यदि ब्रूयात्—भगवन्, दह्यमाने छिद्यमाने वा देहे प्रत्यक्षा
वेदना, अशनायादिनिमित्तं च प्रत्यक्षं दुःखं मम । परश्चायमात्मा,
‘ अयमात्माऽपहतपाप्मा विजरो विमृत्युर्विशोको विजिघत्सोऽपि-
पासः सर्वगन्धरसवर्जितः ' इति श्रूयते सर्वश्रुतिषु स्मृतिषु च ।
¹ Br. U., 4. 4. 23. ² Br. U., 4. 3. 22. ³ Br, U., 4. 3. 22.

22 A THOUSAND TEACHINGS
कथं तद्विलक्षणः अनेकसंसारधर्मसंयुक्तः परमात्मानमात्मत्वेन च
मां संसारिणं परमात्मत्वेन अग्निमिव शीतत्वेन प्रतिपद्येयम् ?
संसारी च सन् सर्वाभ्युदयनिःश्रेयससाधने अधिकृतः अभ्यु-
दयनिःश्रेयससाधनानि कर्माणि तत्साधनानि च यज्ञोपवीतादीनि
कथं परित्यजेयमिति ॥ ३३ ॥
33. If he says, “ The pain due to burns or cuts in
the body and the misery caused by hunger and the like,
Sir, are distinctly perceived to be in me. The supreme
Self is known in all the Srutis and the Smritis to be
‘ free $^{1}$ from sin, old age, death, grief, hunger, thirst, etc.,
and devoid of smell and taste ’. How can I who am
different from Him and possess so many phenomenal
attributes possibly accept the supreme Self as myself
and myself, a transmigratory being, as the supreme
Self ? I may them very well admit that fire is cool ! Why
should I, a man of the world entitled to accomplish all
prosperity in this world and in the next and realize the
supreme end of life, i.e., liberation, give up the actions
producing those results and yajnopavîta etc., their
accessories ? ”
तं प्रति ब्रूयात्—यदवोचो दह्यमाने छिद्यमाने वा देहे प्रत्यक्षा
वेदनोपलभ्यते ममेति तदसत् । कस्मात् ? दह्यमाने छिद्यमान इव
वृक्षे उपलब्धुरुपलभ्यमाने कर्मणि शरीरे दाहच्छेदवेदनाया उप-
लभ्यमानत्वात् दाहादिसमानाश्रयैव वेदना । यत्र हि दाहः छेदो
वा क्रियते तत्रैव व्यपदिशति दाहादिवेदनां लोकः, न वेदनां
दाहाद्युपलब्धरीति । कथं ? क ते वेदनेति पृष्टः शिरसि
$^{1}$ Chh. U., 8. 7. 1.

A METHOD OF ENLIGHTENING THE DISCIPLE 23
मे वेदना उरसि उदरे इति वा यत्र दाहादिस्तत्रैव व्यपदि-
शति, न तूपलब्धरीति । यद्युपलब्धरि वेदना स्यात्,
वेदनानिमित्तं वा दाहच्छेदादि, वेदनाश्रयत्वेनोपदिशेद्दाहा-
द्याश्रयवत् ॥ ३४ ॥
34. The teacher should say to him, “ It was not
right for you to say, ‘ I directly perceive the pain in me
when my body gets cuts or burns ’. Why ? Because the
pain due to cuts or burns, perceived in the body,¹ the
object of the perception of the perceiver like a tree
burnt or cut, must have the same location as the burns
etc. People point out pain caused by burns and the
like to be in that place where they occur but not in the
perceiver. How ? For, on being asked where one's
pain lies, one says, ‘ I have pain in the head, in the
chest or in the stomach ’. Thus one points out pain in
that place where burns or cuts occur, but never in the
perceiver. If pain or its causes viz., burns or cuts were
in the perceiver one would have pointed out the per-
ceiver to be the seat of the pain, like the parts of the
body, the seats of the burns or cuts.
स्वयं च नोपलभ्येत चक्षुर्गतद्रूपवत् । तस्मात् दाहच्छेदादि-
समानाश्रयत्वेन उपलभ्यमानत्वाद्दाहादिवत् कर्मभूतैव वेदना ।
भावरूपत्वाच्च साश्रया तण्डुलपाकवत् । वेदनासमानाश्नय एव
तत्संस्कारः । स्मृतिसमानकाल एवोपलभ्यमानत्वात् वेदना-
विषयः । तन्निमित्तविषयश्च द्वेषोऽपि संस्कारसमानाश्नय एव ।
¹ Pain is located in the body, it is true, but as a matter of fact
it is in the mind.

24 A THOUSAND TEACHINGS
तथा चोक्तम्—‘रूपसंस्कारतुल्याऽऽधी रागद्वेषौ भयं च यत् ।
गृह्यते धीश्रयं तस्माज्ज्ञाता शुद्धोऽभयः सदा’ ॥ ३५ ॥
35. “Moreover, (if it were in the Self) the pain could
not be perceived by the Self like the colour of the eye
by the same eye. Therefore, as it is perceived to have
the same seat as burns, cuts and the like, pain must be
an object of perception like them. Since ¹ it is an effect,
it must have a receptacle like that in which rice is
cooked. The impressions ² of pain must have the same
seat as pain ³ itself. As they are perceived during the
time when memory is possible (i.e., in waking and
dream, and not in deep sleep), these impressions must
have the same location ⁴ as pain. The aversion to cuts,
burns and the like, the causes of pain, must also have
the same seat ⁵ as the impressions (of pain). It is there-
fore said, ‘Desire ⁶, aversion and fear have a seat com-
mon with that of the impressions of colours. As they
have for their seat the intellect,⁷ the knower, the Self,
is always pure and devoid of fear.’
किमाश्रयाः पुना रूपादि संस्कारादय इति । उच्यते । यत्र
कामादयः । क्व पुनस्ते कामादयः ? ‘कामः सङ्कल्पो विचि-
¹ This sentence is an answer to the objection that pain cannot be
in the body which is non-conscious ; nor can it be in the Self which
has been shown to be free from it ; so pain has no location at all.
² This is in reply to the objection viz, ‘Let the Self be the recep-
tacle as the impressions and memory etc. of pain are perceived in
the Self.’
³ Pain being proved to be not in the Self, its impressions also
cannot be there. ⁴ And therefore it is not the Self. ⁵ i.e., the non-
Self. ⁶ Verse 13, chapter 15 of this book. ⁷ The intellect (and not
the Self) is the seat of all other feelings also.

A METHOD OF ENLIGHTENING THE DISCIPLE 25

कित्सा ’ इत्यादिश्रुतेः बुद्धावेव । तत्रैव रूपादिसंस्कारादयोऽपि,
‘कस्मिन्नु रूपाणि प्रतिष्ठितानीति हृदये’ इति श्रुतेः । ‘कामा
येऽस्य हृदि श्रिताः ’, ‘तीर्णो हि तदा सर्वान् शोकान् हृद-
यस्य’, ‘असङ्गो ह्ययम्’, ‘तद्वा अस्यैतदतिच्छन्दाः ’ इत्यादि-
श्रुतिभ्यः, ‘अविकार्योऽयमुच्यते’, ‘अनादित्वान्निर्गुणत्वात् ’
इत्यादि इच्छाद्वेषादि च क्षेत्रस्यैव विषयस्य धर्मो नात्मन इति
स्मृतिभ्यश्च कर्मस्थैवाशुद्धिः नात्मस्था इति ॥ ३६ ॥

36. ‘“What is then the locus of the impressions of
    colours and the rest ?” ‘The same as that of lust etc.’
    ‘Where again are lust etc. ?’ They are in the intellect
    (and no where else) according to the Sruti,¹ ‘lust, deli-
    beration, doubt.’ The impressions of colours and so
    forth are also there (and nowhere else) according to the
    Sruti, ‘what ² is the seat of colours ? The intellect.’
    That desire, aversion and the like are the attributes of
    the embodiment, the object and not of the Self, is known
    from the Srutis, ‘Desires ³ that are in the intellect,’ ‘For ⁴
    he is then beyond all the woes of his heart (intellect) ’,
    ‘Because ⁵ It is unattached,’ and ‘Its ⁶ form untouched by
    desires ’ and also from Smritis such as ‘It ⁷ is said to be
    changeless,’ ‘Because ⁸ It is beginningless and without
    attributes’ and so on. Therefore (it is concluded that)
    impurity pertains to the object and not to the Self.

अतो रूपादिसंस्काराद्यशुद्धिसंबन्धाभावात् न परस्मादात्मनो
विलक्षणस्त्वमिति प्रत्यक्षादिविरोधाभावात् युक्तं पर एवात्माऽह-

¹ Br. U., 1. 5. 3.    ² Br. U., 3. 9. 20.    ³ Br. U., 4. 4. 7.
⁴ Br. U., 4. 3. 22.    ⁵ Br. U., 4. 3. 16.    ⁶ Br. U., 4. 3. 21.
⁷ Bh. Gîtâ, 2. 25.    ⁸ Bh. Gîtâ, 13. 31.

26 A THOUSAND TEACHINGS
मिति प्रतिपत्तुम्—'तदात्मानमेवावेदहं ब्रह्मास्मि', 'एकधैवानु-
द्रष्टव्यम्', 'अहमेवाधस्तात्', 'आत्मैवाधस्तात्', 'सर्वमा-
त्मानं पश्यति', 'यत्र त्वस्य सर्वमात्मैव', 'इदं सर्वं यदयमा-
त्मा', 'स एषोऽकलः', 'अनन्तरमबाह्यम्', 'सबाह्याभ्यन्तरो
ह्यजः', 'ब्रह्मैवेदम्', 'एतया द्वारा प्रापद्यत', 'प्रज्ञानस्य
नामधेयानि', 'सत्यं ज्ञानमनन्तं ब्रह्म', 'तस्माद्वा', 'तत्सृष्ट्वा
तदेवानुप्राविशत्', 'एको देवः सर्वभूतेषु गूढः सर्वव्यापी',
'अशरीरं शरीरेषु', 'न जायते म्रियते', 'स्वप्नान्तं जागरिता-
न्तम्', 'स म आत्मेति विद्यात्', 'यस्तु सर्वाणि भूतानि',
'तदेजति तन्नैजति', 'वेनस्तत्पश्यन्', 'तदेवाग्निः', 'अहं
मनुरभवं सूर्यश्च', 'अन्तः प्रविष्टः शास्ता जनानाम्', 'सदेव
सोम्य', 'तत्सत्यं स आत्मा तत्त्वमसि' इत्यादिश्श्रुतिभ्यः ॥३७॥
स्मृतिभ्यश्च—'पूः प्राणिनः सर्वगुहाशयस्य', 'आत्मैव देव-
ताः', 'नवद्वारे पुरे', 'समं सर्वेषु भूतेषु', 'विद्याविनयसंपन्ने',
'अविभक्तं विभक्तेषु', 'वासुदेवः सर्वम्' इत्यादिभ्यः एक
एवात्मा परं ब्रह्म सर्वसंसारधर्मविनिर्मुक्तस्त्वमिति सिद्धम् ॥३८॥
37, 38. "Therefore you are not different from the
supreme Self inasmuch as you are devoid of impurities
such as the connection with the impressions of colours
and the like. As there is no contradiction to percep-
tional evidence etc. the supreme Self should be accepted
as oneself according to the Srutis, 'It ¹ knew the pure
Self to be Brahman,' 'It ² should be regarded as homo-
geneous,' 'It ³ is I that am below,' 'It ⁴ is the Self that is
below,' 'He ⁵ knows everything to be the Self,' 'When ⁶
¹ Br. U., 1. 4. 10. ² Br. U., 4. 4. 20 ³ Chh. U., 7. 25. 1.
⁴ Chh. U., 7. 25. 2. ⁵ Br. U., 4. 4. 23. ⁶ Br. U., 2. 4. 14.