उपदेशसाहस्री (आदि शङ्कराचार्य - गद्य व पद्य भाग)

नान्यदन्यत्प्रकरणम् ॥ १५ ॥ CHAPTER XV IMPOSSIBILITY OF ONE BEING ANOTHER नान्यदन्यद्भवद्यस्मान्नान्यत्किंचिद्विचिन्तयेत् । अन्यस्यान्यत्वभावे हि नाशस्तस्य ध्रुवो भवेत् ॥ १ ॥

1. As one cannot become another one should not consider Brahman to be different from oneself. For if one becomes another one is sure to be destroyed. [The idea is this : The individual Self, if considered to be really different from Brahman, cannot become Brahman as long as it exists ; and if it were destroyed who would then become Brahman ? Therefore one should know that one is not different from It and It is not different from one.] स्मरतो दृश्यते दृष्टं पटे चित्रमिवार्पितम् । यत्र येन च तौ ज्ञेयौ सत्त्वक्षेत्रज्ञसंज्ञकौ ॥ २ ॥
2. Things seen (in the waking state) are seen like a picture painted on a canvas when one remembers them. Those by and in which they are so seen are (respectively) known to be the individual Self and the intellect.