उपदेशसाहस्री (आदि शङ्कराचार्य - गद्य व पद्य भाग)

13-19] LIGHT 127 16. The doership of the Self is false as it depends on the misconception of the body being the Self. That I do not do anything is the true knowledge which arises from the right evidence, (the Vedas). कर्तृत्वं कारकापेक्षमकर्तृत्वं स्वभावतः । कर्ता भोक्तेति विज्ञानं मृषैवेति सुनिश्चितम् ॥ १७ ॥ 17. Agency depends on doership, instruments¹ etc. but non-agency is natural. It has, therefore, been very well ascertained that the knowledge that one is a doer and experiencer is certainly false. एवं शास्त्रानुमानाभ्यां स्वरूपेऽवगते सति । नियोज्योऽहमिति ह्येषा सत्या बुद्धिः कथं भवेत् ॥ १८ ॥ 18. How can the idea that I am a person to be enjoined (by the Vedas to perform actions) be true when the real nature of the Self is thus² known from the scriptures³ and inference?⁴ यथा सर्वान्तरं व्योम व्योम्नोऽप्यभ्यन्तरो ह्यहम् । निर्विकारोऽचलः शुद्धोऽजरो मुक्तः सदाद्वयः ॥ १९ ॥ 19. Just as the ether is in the interior⁵ of all,⁶ so, I am in the interior⁷ even of the ether. Therefore I am without change, without motion, pure, devoid of old age, ever free and without a second. ¹ Of action and of knowledge. ² As described in this chapter. ³ See verse 8. ⁴ See verse 10 above. ⁵ Being the material cause. ⁶ The other four elements. ⁷ I.e., I am the substratum of everything.