उपदेशसाहस्री (आदि शङ्कराचार्य - गद्य व पद्य भाग)

204 A THOUSAND TEACHINGS [CHAP. XVII विषयत्वं विकारित्वं नानात्वं वा नहीष्यते । न हेयो नाप्युपादेय आत्मा नान्येन वा ततः ॥ ४२ ॥ 42. The Self is not an object (of knowledge). There is no change or manyness in It. It is, therefore, capable of neither being accepted nor rejected (by Itself or) by anyone else.¹ सबाह्याभ्यन्तरोऽजीर्णो जन्ममृत्युजरातिगः । अहमात्मेति यो वेत्ति कुतोऽन्वेव बिभेति सः ॥ ४३ ॥ 43. Why should a man have even the least fear who knows that he is the Self comprising the interior² and exterior,² beyond birth, decay, death and old age ? प्रागेवैतद्विधेः कर्म वर्णित्वादेरपोहनात् । तदस्थूलादिशास्त्रेभ्यस्तत्त्वमेवेति निश्चयात् ॥ ४४ ॥ 44. It is only before the negation of the Idea of caste ³ etc. on the evidence of the Sruti, 'Not ⁴ large' and before the ascertainment of the nature of the Self on the authority of the sentence, 'Thou art That' and also before the demonstration of the Self (to one) on the part of (the knowledge portion of) the Vedas that Vedic actions are to be performed (and not afterwards). पूर्वदेहपरित्यागे जात्यादीनां प्रहाणतः । देहस्यैव तु जात्यादिस्तस्याप्येवं ह्यनात्मता ॥ ४५ ॥ ¹ For no one else exists except the Self. ² The interior and exterior with reference to the body. The Self is the substratum of both the interior and exterior together with the body. ³ They are conditions of fitness for Vedic actions. ⁴ Br. U., 3. 8. 8.