उपदेशसाहस्री (आदि शङ्कराचार्य - गद्य व पद्य भाग)

6-13] 'THOU ART THAT' 221 10. Even acquainted with the (literal) meaning of the sentence ¹ one, once told, cannot know its true im- port but requires other things which, as we have said, are two.² नियोगोऽप्रतिपन्नत्वात्कर्मणां स यथा भवेत् । अविरुद्धो भवेत्तावद्यावत्संवेद्यताऽदृढा ॥ ११ ॥ 11. Just as an injunction regarding Vedic actions is necessary,³ so, it is not incompatible (in the case of one) so long as one has not directly known the Self and Self-Knowledge has not been firmly grasped by one. चेष्टितं च तथा मिथ्या स्वच्छन्दः प्रतिपद्यते । प्रसंख्यानमतः कार्यं यावदात्मानुभूतये ॥ १२ ॥ 12. All one's efforts (viz., self-control etc.) become useless if one can know Brahman without being enjoin- ed. One should, therefore, go on with the repetition so long as the Self is not known. सदस्मीति च विज्ञानमक्षजो बाधते ध्रुवम् । शब्दोत्थं दृढसंस्कारो दोषैश्चाकृष्यते बहिः ॥ १३ ॥ 13. Firm impressions originating from sense-percep- tion do surely negate the Knowledge, 'I am Brahman' arising from the Sruti.⁵ Moreover an aspirant is attracted ¹ I.e., 'Thou art That'. ² (1) Mental repetition of the sentence and (2) looking for reason- ing in support of it. ³ Even when actions are known from Vedic statements an injunc- tion regarding them is necessary so that one may get the result arising from the observance of the injunction. ⁴ From the Vedic statement, 'Thou art that'. ⁵ Br. U., 1. 4. 10.