उपदेशसाहस्री (आदि शङ्कराचार्य - गद्य व पद्य भाग)

23-28] RIGHT KNOWLEDGE 199 to be deep sleep. (The witness of the three states) one's own Self should be regarded as the supreme Goal¹ to be realised. सुषुप्त्याख्यं तमोऽज्ञानं बीजं स्वप्नप्रबोधयोः । स्वात्मबोधप्रदग्धं स्याद्बीजं दग्धं यथाऽभवम् ॥ २६ ॥ 26. What is called deep sleep,² Darkness³ or Ignorance is the seed³ of the waking and dream states. It gets perfectly burnt by the fire of Self-knowledge (and it no more produces effects) like a burnt seed that does not germinate. तदेवैकं त्रिधा ज्ञेयं मायाबीजं पुनः क्रमात् । मायाव्यात्माऽविकारोऽपि बहुधैको जलार्कवत् ॥ २७ ॥ 27. That one seed, called Mâyâ, is evolved into the three states⁴ which come one after another again and again. The Self, the Substratum of Mâyâ, though one only and immutable, appears to be many like reflections of the sun in water. बीजं चैकं यथा भिन्नं प्राणस्वप्नादिभिस्तथा । स्वप्नजाग्रच्छरीरेषु तद्वच्चात्मा जलेन्दुवत् ॥ २८ ॥ 28. Just as the one seed, (called Mâyâ) is regarded as different according to different states such as, the ¹ Brahman. ² It is called Ignorance because the modifi- cations of Ignorance are there in it. ³ The word indicates a positive entity and hence it can be the material cause of the three states. (See the next verse.) ⁴ Waking, dream and deep sleep.