उपदेशसाहस्री (आदि शङ्कराचार्य - गद्य व पद्य भाग)

75-80] ' THOU ART THAT ' 241 76—77. Is the hearer (i.e. the aspirant) who is suffering from the misery due to transmigratory exist- ence and seeking liberation the Witness Itself or other than It ? That the Witness is subject to misery and desirous of liberation is not your view.¹ If, on the other hand, he be (other than the Witness) he then an agent, cannot accept the idea, ' I am Brahman, the Witness.' And, (in that case) the teach- ing of the Sruti, ' Thou art That ' would be false, which is not reasonable. 78. (First line). But this teaching may be accepted if the Sruti teaches it without discriminating the two, (the Self and the ego). 78. (Last two lines). But if the Sruti discriminates ² the ego from the innermost Self and then says to the ego ' Thou art That ' the defects spoken of (in the previous verse) will creep in. त्वमित्यध्यक्षनिष्ठश्चेदहमध्यक्षयोः कथम् । संबन्धो वाच्य एवात्र येन त्वमिति लक्ष्येत् ॥ ७९ ॥ 79. If you ³ say that the word ' thou ' means finally the witness you must explain how there can be a relation ⁴ between It and the ego so that the word ' thou ' may express the Witness indirectly. द्रष्टृदृश्यत्वसंबन्धो यद्यध्यक्षेऽक्रिये कथम् ॥ ८० ॥ ¹ For in the absence of a reflection, the Witness, untouched by Ignorance and its effects, cannot become an aspirant. ² The refutation of the Sânkhyas who do not accept the reflection of the Self in the intellect. ³ The Sânkhyas. ⁴ As the reflection is not accepted the relation cannot be ascertained. 16