उपदेशसाहस्री (आदि शङ्कराचार्य - गद्य व पद्य भाग)

176 A THOUSAND TEACHINGS [CHAP. XVI 27. The teaching of a means to the attainment of the end (viz., the bringing to an end of the idea of continuity in knowledge and its object) becomes useless. For it requires no effort to be accomplished. As all phenomena exist only for a moment¹ the coming to an end of the said continuity does not depend on anything else. अपेक्षा यदि भिन्नेऽपि परसंतान इष्यताम् । सर्वार्थे क्षणिके कस्मिंस्तथाप्यन्यानपेक्षता ॥ २८ ॥ 28. If, (according to you,) the effect depends on the cause though unconnected with it you have to accept dependence on a series² which is quite foreign.³ (If you say) “Though all things, i.e. causes and effects, are momentary some effects depend on some fixed causes,” still nothing can depend on anything else (according to your doctrine of momentariness). तुल्यकालसमुद्भूतावितेरेतरयोगिनौ । योगाच्च संस्कृतो यस्तु सोऽन्यं हीक्षितुमर्हति ॥ २९ ॥ 29. That particular one of two⁴ things existing at the same time and connected with each other is fit to depend on the other owing to whose connection it is benefited.⁵ ¹ The ideas of continuity and indiscrimination also being momentary there is no effort necessary to remove them. ² Each phenomenon continually produced and destroyed every moment and produced again is known to be a series. ³ E. g., in order to be produced, curd may depend on sand instead of milk. ⁴ E.g., a sprout and a cloud. ⁵ Here ends the refutation of those who hold the doctrine of momentariness.