(Translated from the original Sanskrit of Sankara Acharya.)
by Mohini M. Chatterji
[An apology is scarcely needed for undertaking a translation of Sankara
Acharya's celebrated Synopsis of Vedantism entitled "Atmanatma Vivekah."
This little treatise, within a small compass, fully sets forth the scope
and purpose of the Vedanta philosophy. It has been a matter of no
little wonder, considering the authorship of this pamphlet and its own
intrinsic merits, that a translation of it has not already been executed
by some competent scholar. The present translation, though pretending
to no scholarship, is dutifully literal, excepting, however, the
omission of a few lines relating to the etymology of the words Sarira
and Deha, and one or two other things which, though interesting in
themselves, have no direct bearing on the main subject of treatment.
--T.R.]
Nothing is Spirit which can be the object of consciousness. To one
possessed of right discrimination, the Spirit is the subject of
knowledge. This right discrimination of Spirit and Not-spirit is set
forth in millions of treatises.
This discrimination of Spirit and Not-spirit is given below:
Q. Whence comes pain to the Spirit?
A. By reason of its taking a body. It is said in the Sruti: * "Not in
this (state of existence) is there cessation of pleasure and pain of a
living thing possessed of a body."
Q. By what is produced this taking of a body?