The works of Ādi Śaṅkarācārya

Sanatsujātīyam

p. 241

p. 241

नैष प्रलापः यद्यपि एक एव वेदार्थः स्यात्, अन्य एव स्वर्गः परमपुरुषार्थो मोक्षाख्यो वेदार्थः; इतरस्य च कर्मण उपासनायाश्च तत्रप्राप्तिसाधनज्ञानसाधनान्तःकरणशुद्धिसाधनत्वेन पारम्पर्येण पुरुषार्थत्वादेव वेदप्रतिपाद्यत्वम् ।तथाहि—तमेव परमात्मानं परमपुरुषार्थं दर्शयति वेदः—‘अनन्दा नाम ते लोका अन्धेन तमसावृताः ।तांस्ते प्रेत्याभिगच्छन्ति अविद्वांसोऽबुधा जनाः’ इति ।स्वर्गादिलोकानामपुरुषार्थत्वमनानन्दात्मकत्वमविद्यावद्विषयत्वेन दर्शयित्वा—‘आत्मानं चेद्विजानीयादयमस्मीति पूरुषः ।किमिच्छन्कस्य कामाय शरीरमनुसंज्वरेत्’ इत्यात्मविदः कृत्यतां दर्शयित्वा—‘इहैव सन्तोऽथ विद्मस्तद्वयं न चेदिहावेदिर्महती विनष्टिः ।य एतद्विदुरमृतास्ते भवन्त्यथेतरे दुःखमेवापियन्ति’ इत्यात्मविदोऽमृतत्वप्राप्तिमनात्मविदः आत्मविनाशमनर्थप्राप्तिं च दर्शयित्वा—‘यदेतमनुपश्यत्यात्मानं देवमञ्जसा ।ईशानं भूतभव्यस्य न ततो विजुगुप्सते’ इत्यादिभिर्वाक्यैस्तत्स्वरूपतदर्थदर्शनतत्फलानि भूयो भूयो दर्शयित्वा कथमेनं मकरादिभिरिव रागादिभिरितस्ततः समाकृष्यमाणं

In plain words

This is no idle chatter. Even if the primary focus of the Veda is one, the worldly heaven and ultimate liberation are distinct in their nature. Rituals and meditations derive their scriptural validity because they indirectly purify the inner instrument, acting as auxiliary steps toward knowledge. Thus scripture reveals the supreme Self as the ultimate goal, declaring: 'Joyless are those worlds shrouded in blinding darkness; to them go those ignorant people after death.' Having shown that celestial worlds do not constitute the true human goal because they lack pure bliss and belong to the realm of ignorance, and having revealed the utter fulfillment of the knower of the Self through passages like: 'If a person knows the Self as

Close to the Sanskrit

This is no idle prattle. Although the meaning of the Veda is single, heaven and liberation designated as liberation are distinctly different as the purport of scripture, while ritual action and meditation possess the status of scriptural subjects precisely because they serve indirectly as means to purification of the inner instrument, which is the instrument of knowledge. For this is how it is: the Veda reveals that very supreme Self as the supreme human goal, showing that 'Joyless by name are those worlds covered by blinding darkness; to them go after departing those ignorant, unwise people' - having shown that heavenly worlds lack the character of the supreme human goal, being devoid of bliss and pertaining to the ignorant, and showing the fulfillment of the knower of the Self by declaring: 'If a person should know the self as