The works of Ādi Śaṅkarācārya

Chāndogyopaniṣadbhāṣyam

Bhashya

Bhashya

अथ एनानेव उत्क्रान्तप्राणान् त्यक्तदेहनाथान् यद्यपि शूले-न समासं समस्य व्यतिषंदहेत् व्यत्यस्य संदहेत् , एवमप्य-तिक्रूरं कर्म समासव्यत्यासादिप्रकारेण दहनलक्षणं तद्देहसं-बद्धमेव कुर्वाणं नैवैनं ब्रूयुः पितृहेत्यादि ।तस्मादन्वयव्य-तिरेकाभ्यामवगम्यते एतत्पित्राद्याख्योऽपि प्राण एवेति ॥

In plain words

Now, if someone were to spear and cremate these very bodies after the life-breath has departed and the master of the body is gone, mixing and burning them together in a horribly cruel manner, people would still not accuse him of being a father-slayer or anything of the sort. Therefore, by the method of presence and absence, it is understood that what we call a father or relative is truly Prana alone.

Close to the Sanskrit

Now, even if one were to stake and burn these very relatives whose prana has departed and who have lost their bodily master, grouping and intermixing them through permutation—even while performing such an extremely cruel act of cremation related solely to the body, people would never accuse him saying 'He is a father-slayer' and so forth. Therefore, through presence and absence, it is understood that what is designated as father and others is Prana itself.