उपदेशसाहस्री (आदि शङ्कराचार्य - गद्य व पद्य भाग)

294 A THOUSAND TEACHINGS [CHAP. XIX असत्समं चैव सदित्यपीति चेदनर्थवत्त्वान्नृशृङ्गतुल्य- तः । अनर्थवत्त्वं त्वसति ह्यकारणं न चैव तस्मान्न विपर्ययेऽन्यथा ॥ १६ ॥ 16. (Objection). What is called real ¹ is, as a matter of fact, unreal like a human horn as it does not serve ² any purpose. (Reply). That a thing serves no purpose is no reason why it should be unreal and that a thing serves some purpose is no reason, on the other hand, why it should be real. असिद्धतश्चापि विचारकारणाद्द्वयं च तस्मात्प्रसृतिं च मायया । श्रुतेः स्मृतेश्चापि तथा हि युक्तितः प्रसिद्धय- तीत्थं न तु युज्यतेऽन्यथा ॥ १७ ॥ 17. Your inference is wrong (because reality serves some purpose) as It is the subject-matter of deliberation and also the source of all duality proceeding from It under the influence of Mâyâ, according to the Srutis,³ the Smritis⁴ and reason⁵. Thus it is reasonable (that the Self, though changeless, serves some purpose). Otherwise (i.e., as a matter of reality) it is not reason- able (that a thing, either permanent or momentary, serves any purpose). विकल्पनाचापि विधर्मकं श्रुतेः पुरा प्रसिद्धेश्च विकल्प- तोऽद्वयः । न चेति नेतीति यथा विकल्पितं निषिध्य- तेऽत्राप्यवशेषसिद्धये ॥ १८ ॥ ¹ In the Vedas. ² In the opposite case it becomes momentary according to the objector. ³ Sw. U., 4. 10. ⁴ Bh. Gîtâ., 9. 10. ⁵ Chh. U. 6. 1. 4—6.