The works of Ādi Śaṅkarācārya

Viṣṇusahasranāmastotram

Verse 110

देवतामुपास्ते अन्योऽसावन्योऽहमस्मीति न स वेद यथा पशुः' 'मृत्योः स मृत्युमाप्नोति य इह नानेव पश्यति' 'यथोदकं दुर्गे वृष्टं पर्वतेषु विधावति ।एवं धर्मान्पृथक्प श्यंस्तानेवानुविधावति' 'द्वितीयाद्वै भयं भवति' 'यदा ह्येवैष एतस्मिन्नुदरमन्तरं कुरुते ।अथ तस्य भयं भवति ।तत्त्वेव भयं विदुषो मन्वानस्य' 'सर्वं तं परादाद्योऽन्यत्रात्मनः सर्वं वेद' इत्येवमाद्या भूयसी श्रुतिर्भेददृष्टिमपवदति ।तथा 'आत्मैवेदं सर्वम्' 'आत्मनि विज्ञाते सर्वमिदं विज्ञातं भवति' 'इदं सर्वं यदयमात्मा' 'ब्रह्मैवेदं सर्वम्' इति श्रुतिः ।तथा स्मृतिरपि 'यज्ज्ञात्वा न पुनर्मोहमेवं यास्यसि पाण्डव ।येन भूतान्यशेषेण द्रक्ष्यस्यात्मन्यथो मयि' क्षेत्रज्ञेश्वरैकत्वं सर्वोपनिषत्प्रसिद्धं द्रक्ष्यसीत्यर्थः ।'सर्वभूतेषु येनैकं भावमव्ययमीक्षते ।अविभक्तं विभक्तेषु तज्ज्ञानं विद्धि सात्विकम्' इति अद्वैतात्मज्ञानं सम्यग्दर्शनमित्युक्तं भगवतापि ।तस्मादात्मन्येवेश्वरे मनो दधीत ॥'आत्मा च परमात्मा च त्वमेकः पञ्चधा स्थितः' इति च ।'अथवा बहुनैतेन किं ज्ञातेन तवार्जुन ।विष्टभ्याहमिदं कृत्स्नमेकांशेन स्थितो जगत् ॥' इति च ।

In plain words

'Whoever worships a deity thinking, "He is one and I am another," does not know the truth; he is like a beast.' 'He goes from death to death who sees multiplicity here.' 'Just as rainwater pouring on mountain peaks scatters down the slopes, so one who perceives qualities as separate chases after them alone.' 'Fear arises only from a second entity.' 'When a person creates even a slight distinction in this non-dual reality, fear overtakes him; that very duality becomes a source of terror to the one who imagines differences.' 'Everything abandons him who perceives anything elsewhere than in the universal Self'—such abundant scriptural passages condemn the perception of difference. Likewise, texts declare: 'All this is verily the Self,' 'When the Self is known, all this is known,' 'This entire universe is Brahman.' Smṛti similarly states: 'Knowing which you will never fall into such delusion again, O Pāṇḍava, and by which you will see all beings without exception first within your own self and then in Me'—meaning you will realize the oneness of the individual soul and the Lord, a truth established across every Upanishad. 'He who perceives the one imperishable reality equally within all beings, undivided among divided forms—know that knowledge to be pure and true.' Thus, the Lord Himself has declared that the knowledge of the non-dual Self is true vision. Therefore, one should fix the mind solely upon the Lord who is none other than the Self, as stated: 'You alone are the Self and the Supreme Self, existing in fivefold ways,' and 'Or else, what is the use of knowing all these details, O Arjuna? Supporting this entire universe with a mere fraction of Myself, I abide.'

Close to the Sanskrit

'Whoever worships a deity thinking 'He is one and I am another,' he does not know; he is like an animal.' 'From death to death he obtains who sees plurality here.' 'Just as water rained on difficult elevated terrain runs about scatteredly on mountains, so one who sees dharmas as separate chases after them alone.' 'Fear indeed arises from a second.' 'When indeed this person makes even a slight distinction in this [non-dual reality], then fear belongs to him. That very duality is the source of fear for the learned person who imagines distinctions.' 'Everything is cast away by him who sees everything elsewhere than in the Self' — such abundant scripture refutes the vision of difference. Similarly: 'All this is verily the Self,' 'When the Self is known, all this becomes known,' 'This all is what this Brahman is, Brahman is verily all this' — thus says the scripture. And Smṛti also: 'Having known which you will not fall into delusion again like this, O Pāṇḍava, by which you will see all beings without exception in the Self and then in Me' — meaning you will see the identity of the individual soul and the Lord, which is established in all upaniṣads. 'He who sees the one imperishable state equally in all beings, undivided in divided things—know that knowledge to be suttvic' — thus knowledge of the non-dual Self is declared by the Lord to be correct vision. Therefore one should fix the mind only upon the Lord who is the Self. 'And you alone are the Self and the Supreme Self, existing fivefold' — and: 'Or alternatively, what is the use of knowing much by this, O Arjuna? Supporting this entire universe with a single fraction of Myself, I remain [pervading it].'