The Song of the Self
Siddhanta Tattva Vindu

By Sri Adi Sankaracharya,
Translated by Charles Johnston

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?