उपदेशसाहस्री (आदि शङ्कराचार्य - गद्य व पद्य भाग)

162 A THOUSAND TEACHINGS [CHAP. XV 38. One should ascertain whether Pure Conscious- ness, the witness of all the mental modifications is knowable or not (and, if knowable,) whether It is an object of knowledge or not. अदृष्टं द्रष्ट्रविज्ञातं दभ्रमित्यादि शासनात् । नैव ज्ञेयं मयान्यैर्वा परं ब्रह्म कथंचन ॥ ३९ ॥ 39. The supreme Brahman is never capable of being known by me or others according to the teachings of the Srutis, 'unseen seer',¹ 'unknown¹ (knower)' and 'finite'² (if thought to be known), and so on. स्वरूपाव्यवधानाभ्यां ज्ञानालोकस्वभावतः । अन्यज्ञानानपेक्षत्वाज्ज्ञातं चैव सदा मया ॥ ४० ॥ 40. Independent of every other knowledge, of the nature of the Light of Pure Consciousness and not dis- tanced by anything³ Brahman, my own nature is always known⁴ by me. नान्येन ज्योतिषा कार्यं रवेरात्मप्रकाशने । स्वबोधान्नान्यबोधेच्छा बोधस्यात्मप्रकाशने ॥ ४१ ॥ 41. The sun does not require any other light in order to illumine itself; so, Knowledge⁵ does not require any other knowledge except that which is its own nature in order to be known. ¹ Br. U., 3. 7. 23. ² Ke. U., 2. 1. ³ Like the reflection of Itself. See also footnote 1, p. 60. ⁴ Not as an object of knowledge but as a non-object. ⁵ Pure Consciousness.