उपदेशसाहस्री (आदि शङ्कराचार्य - गद्य व पद्य भाग)

278 A THOUSAND TEACHINGS [CHAP. XVIII यथानुभूयते तृप्तिर्भुजेर्वाक्यान्न गम्यते । वाक्यस्य विधृतिस्तद्वद्गोशकृत्पायसीक्रिया ॥ २०१ ॥ 201. (Objection). The Bliss of liberation is not obtained by ascertaining the meaning of the sentence. It is not like the satisfaction which is felt by eating. Just as boiled milk-rice cannot be prepared from cow- dung, so, (the direct knowledge of Brahman cannot be produced) simply by ascertaining the meaning of the sentence. सत्यमेवमनात्मार्थे वाक्यात्पारोक्ष्यबोधनम् । प्रत्यगात्मनि न त्वेवं संख्याप्राप्तिवद्ध्रुवम् ॥ २०२ ॥ 202. (Reply). Indirect knowledge, it is true, is the result produced by the sentences regarding the non-Self, but it is not so in the case of those regarding the Innermost Self. It is, on the other hand (direct and certain knowledge) like that in the case of the tenth¹ boy. स्वयंवेद्यत्वपर्यायः स्वप्रमाणक इष्यताम् । निवृत्तावहमः सिद्धः स्वात्मनोऽनुभवश्च नः ॥ २०३ ॥ 203. Therefore accept the Self as self-evident which means the same thing as self-knowable. The know- ledge of the Innermost Self according to us thus be- comes possible when the ego² vanishes. बुद्धीनां विषयो दुःखं नो यस्य विषया मताः । कुतोऽस्य दुःखसंबन्धो दृशेः स्यात्प्रत्यगात्मनः ॥ २०४ ॥ ¹ See footnote 2, verse 3, chapter 12. ² It vanishes when one is taught 'Thou art That.'