उपदेशसाहस्री (आदि शङ्कराचार्य - गद्य व पद्य भाग)

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.