उपदेशसाहस्री (आदि शङ्कराचार्य - गद्य व पद्य भाग)

1-7] 'THOU ART THAT' 219 3. If the conviction, 'I am nothing but Existence and am ever free' were impossible to be attained, why should the Sruti teach us that so affectionately like a mother ? सिद्धादेवाहमित्यस्माद्युष्मद्धर्मो निषिध्यते । रज्ज्वामिवाहिधीर्युक्त्या तत्त्वमित्यादिशासनैः ॥ ४ ॥ 4. Just as the idea of a snake is negated from a rope (in a rope-snake), so, everything of the nature of the non-Self is negated from the eternally existing Self implied by the word 'I', on the evidence of the Srutis, 'Thou art That' etc. and by reasoning. शास्त्रप्रामाण्यतो ज्ञेया धर्मादेरस्तिता यथा । विषापोहो यथा ध्यानाद् ह्नुतिः स्यात्पाप्मनस्तथा ॥ ५ ॥ 5. Brahman should be regarded as the Self on the evidence of the scriptures, just as religious duties are known from the same source. Ignorance vanishes (im- mediately on the attainment of right Knowledge) like the effect of poison coming to an end when mantras¹ are remembered. सद्ब्रह्माहं करोमीति प्रत्ययावात्मसाक्षिकौ । तयोरज्ञानजस्यैव त्यागो युक्ततरो मतः ॥ ६ ॥ सदस्मीति प्रमाणोत्था धीरन्या तन्निभोद्भवा । प्रत्यक्षादिनिभा वापि बाध्यते दिग्भ्रमादिवत् ॥ ७ ॥ ¹ Sacred formulae addressed to individual deities like Garuda and others.