उपदेशसाहस्री (आदि शङ्कराचार्य - गद्य व पद्य भाग)

प्रकाशप्रकरणम् ॥ १२ ॥ CHAPTER XII LIGHT प्रकाशस्थं यथा देहं सालोकमभिमन्यते । द्रष्ट्राभासं तथा चित्तं द्रष्ट्राहमिति मन्यते ॥ १ ॥

1. Just as a man (erroneously) looks upon his body placed in the sun as having the property of light in it, so, he looks upon the intellect pervaded by the reflection of Pure Consciousness as the Self, the witness. यदेव दृश्यते लोके तेनाभिन्नत्वमात्मनः । प्रपद्यते ततो मूढस्तेनात्मानं न विन्दति ॥ २ ॥
2. The Self gets identified with whatever¹ is seen in the world. It is for this reason that an ignorant man does not know himself (to be Brahman). [The reason why people mistake the combination of the subtle and the gross bodies for the Self is this identification caused by Its reflection. On account of there being the reflection of Pure Consciousness in the body, the senses, the mind, the intellect and the vital ¹ The body, the senses, the mind, the intellect and the vital force.