Siddhanta Tattva Vindu
Siddhanta Tattva Vindu of Adi Sankara
The Song of the Self
Translated by Charles Johnston
E-Text Source: Advaita Vedanta Library
1. Nor earth nor water, fire nor liquid air, nor ether, nor the powers, nor
these in one; undifferentiated, in dreamless perfect rest, that, the One, final,
blest, alone, am I.
2. Nor castes nor their divisions, rite nor rule, are mine, nor fixing mind and
thought and mood; no longer dreaming things not Self art 'I' and 'mine,' that,
the One, final, blest, alone, am I.
3. Nor mother, father, nor the gods and worlds, nor Scriptures, offerings,
shrines are there, they say, in dreamlessness abandoned by the lonely Self;
that, the One, final, blest, alone, am I.
4. Nor sectary of Cause or Lord or Life knows That, nor follower of Saint or
Rite, in perfect union, pure of all but Self, that, the One, final, blest,
alone, am I.
5. Nor upward, downward, nor within, without; nor midward, backward, That, nor
east nor west; all-present everywhere in partless unity, that, the One, final,
blest, alone, am I.
6. Nor white nor black nor yellow, That, nor red; nor small nor very great nor
short nor long; formless, yet like a light, a star; that, the One, final, blest,
alone, am I.
7. Nor teacher, teaching, learner, what is learned; nor thou nor I nor this
expanded world; conscious of its own form, from error free, that, the One,
final, blest, alone, am I.
8.Nor waking, mine, nor dream, nor dreamless sleep; nor fire of life or heart or
seeing soul; these three are of unwisdom; but the fourth, that, the One, final,
blest, alone, am I.
9. Even expanded for the sake of Self -- Self, that, still perfect, on no other
rests -- all the wide world besides is little worth. ahat, the One, final,
blest, alone, am I.
10. Nor is this first with any second to it; nor lonely this, nor yet has it
compeers; nor is this secondless One void or filled with aught; how shall I tell
this perfect wisdom's crowd?