उपदेशसाहस्री (आदि शङ्कराचार्य - गद्य व पद्य भाग)

166 A THOUSAND TEACHINGS [CHAP. XV 51. Knowing Brahman, described as having no con- nection with acceptance¹ or rejection¹ according to the method² delineated, one is certainly never born again. जन्ममृत्युप्रवाहेषु पतितो नैव शक्नुयात् । इत उद्धर्तुमात्मानं ज्ञानादन्येन केनचित् ॥ ५२ ॥ 52. One who has fallen into the stream of births and deaths cannot save oneself by anything else except Knowledge. भिद्यते हृदयग्रन्थिश्छिद्यन्ते सर्वसंशयाः । क्षीयन्ते चास्य कर्माणि तस्मिन्दृष्ट इति श्रुतेः ॥ ५३ ॥ 53. The Sruti³ says that the knots⁴ of the heart are torn asunder, all doubts disappear and one's actions come to an end when the Self is seen. ममाहमित्येतदपोह्य सर्वतो विमुक्तदेहं पदमम्बरोपमम् । सुदृष्टशास्त्रानुमितिभ्य ईरितं विमुच्यतेऽस्मिन्यदि निश्चितो नरः ॥ 54. A man gets liberated if, after discarding in all respects the ideas of 'me' and 'mine' he gets perfect conviction in the etherlike goal⁵, which is devoid of (the gross and the subtle) bodies and described here accord- ing to right inference⁶ and the scriptures⁶ well-studied. ¹ Knowing that the Self is neither accepted nor rejected and that It does not accept or reject anything. ² For a clear understanding of the terms 'the Self' and 'Brahman'. See also verse 96, Chapter 18. ³ Mu. U., 2. 2. 8. ⁴ The mutual superimposition of the Self and the non-Self. ⁵ Self-Brahman. ⁶ And therefore there is no possibility of there being any error here.