उपदेशसाहस्री (आदि शङ्कराचार्य - गद्य व पद्य भाग)

20-26] ' THOU ART THAT ' 225 23. This negation is not one of a reality, but of a false superimposition only like the prohibition of the placing of fire¹ on the highest region of the sky ; for liberation would have surely been transitory if things really existing were negated. सम्भाव्यो गोचरे शब्दः प्रत्ययो वा न चान्यथा । न सम्भाव्यौ तदात्मत्वादहंकर्तुस्तथैव च ॥ २४ ॥ 24. It is only to objects of knowledge and not to non-objects that a word² or an idea² can be applied. Brahman which is the Self of them and also of the ego is not within the scope of a word or an idea. अहंकर्त्रात्मनि न्यस्तं चैतन्ये कर्तृतादि यत् । नेति नेतीति तत्सर्वं साहंकर्त्रा निषिध्यते ॥ २५ ॥ 25. Everything such as agency etc. superimposed³ by the ego on (the Self), Pure Consciousness is negated together with the ego on the evidence of the Sruti, ‘Not this, not this.’ उपलब्धिः स्वयंज्योतिर्दृशिः प्रत्यक्सदक्रियः । साक्षात्सर्वान्तरः साक्षी चेता नित्योऽगुणोऽद्वयः ॥ २६ ॥ 26. (The Self is then known to be) Intelligence, Self-effulgent, a Seer, the Innermost, Existence, free from actions, directly cognised, the Self of all, the ¹ There is the scriptural statement that fire should be placed neither in the highest nor in the middle region of the sky. The placing of fire in those two regions is an impossibility ; still it is forbidden like the real placing of fire on the earth. ² I.e., all the evidences. ³ Through the indiscrimination between the intellect and the Self. 15