उपदेशसाहस्री (आदि शङ्कराचार्य - गद्य व पद्य भाग)

प्रतिषेधप्रकरणम् ॥ २ ॥ CHAPTER II NEGATION प्रतिषेद्धुमशक्यत्वान्नेतिनेतीति शेषितम् । इदं नाहमिदं नाहमित्यद्धा प्रतिपद्यते ॥ १ ॥

1. 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 ॥
2. 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.,
3. 1. 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.