उपदेशसाहस्री (आदि शङ्कराचार्य - गद्य व पद्य भाग)

186 A THOUSAND TEACHINGS [CHAP. XVI (Reply). No. Bondage is nothing but a delu- sion of the intellect; the removal of this delusion is liberation. Bondage is nothing but what has been described.¹ बोधात्मज्योतिषा दीप्ता बोधमात्मनि मन्यते । बुद्धिर्नान्योऽस्ति बोद्धेति सेयं भ्रान्तिर्हि धीगता ॥ ६० ॥ 60. Illumined by the light² of the Self, Pure Con- sciousness, the intellect (falsely) believes that it is itself conscious and that there is no one else which is so. This is delusion. It is in the intellect. बोधस्यात्मस्वरूपत्वान्नित्यं तत्रोपचर्यते । अविवेकोऽप्यनाद्योऽयं संसारो नान्य इष्यते ॥ ६१ ॥ 61. Consciousness which is of the nature of the eternal Self is superimposed³ on the intellect. This indiscrimination is also beginningless (like the Ignorance to which it is due). This indiscrimination, and nothing else, is what is called transmigratory existence. मोक्षस्तन्नाश एव स्यान्नान्यथानुपपत्तितः । येषां वस्त्वन्तरापत्तिर्मोक्षो नाशस्तु तैर्मतः ॥ ६२ ॥ 62. The removal of this indiscrimination, and nothing else, is what is called liberation as all other conceptions of it are unreasonable. It is the destruc- tion of the Self according to those who consider ¹ In verse 17 of this chapter. So the scriptures are not useless, as they teach the means to the removal of this delusion. See the following verse. ² The reflection of the Self. ³ See foot-note 2, para 59, chapter II, prose part.