उपदेशसाहस्री (आदि शङ्कराचार्य - गद्य व पद्य भाग)

1-6] NATURE OF THE WITNESS 117 मनोवृत्तं मनश्चैव स्वप्नवज्जाग्रतीक्षितुः । संप्रसादे द्वयासत्त्वाच्चिन्मात्रः सर्वगोऽव्ययः ॥ ४ ॥ 3, 4. How can there be any special¹ property in Me who am changeless by nature and witness the modifi- cations of the minds of all without any exception ? (How can again there be any change in Me) who witness the mind and its functions in the waking state as in dream ? But as there is the absence² of both the mind and its functions in deep sleep I am Pure Consci- ousness, all-pervading and changeless. स्वप्नः सत्यो यथाऽबोधाद्देहात्मत्वं तथैव च । प्रत्यक्षादेः प्रमाणत्वं जाग्रत्स्याद्यात्मवेदनात् ॥ ५ ॥ 5. Just as dreams appear to be true as long as one does not wake up, so, the identification of oneself with the body etc. and the authenticity of sense-perception and the like in the waking state continue as long as there is no Self-knowledge. व्योमवत्सर्वभूतस्थो भूतदोषैर्विवर्जितः । साक्षी चेताऽगुणः शुद्धो ब्रह्मैवास्मीति केवलः ॥ ६ ॥ 6. I am Brahman of the nature of pure Conscious- ness, without qualities, free from Ignorance, and free from the three states of waking, dream and deep sleep. Living in all beings like the ether I am the witness free from all their defects. ¹ E.g., agency, egoism, etc. ² Therefore witnessing the mind and its functions is not in the nature of the Self.