Transcreating Advaita Makaranda

1.

kaṭākṣa-kiraṇācānta-naman-mohabdhaye namaḥ,

anantānanda-kṛṣṇāya jagan-maṅgala-mūrtaye.

2.

I am. Always I illumine. Never am I unbeloved.

For I am Brahman alone and my nature is satcitananda.

3.

Rising in my space of consciousness is this universe like a castle in the sky.

Thus how can I not be Brahman, all-knowing and the cause of all?

4.

I always know myself. Without parts,

origination, shelter, or support, I am indestructible.

5.

There is no drying, burning, wetting, cutting, or dividing that space of awareness.

The real is untouched by wind, fire, water, weapons, or other instruments of illusion.

6.

This universe cannot be experienced without the revelation of consciousness.

I am that onnipresent light of awareness which is all-pervading.

7.

Without light, the world does not exist. Without consciousness, there is no light.

Without the unreal superimposed on the real, there is no union with consciousness. For I am nondual.

8.

Neither body nor senses am I. Nor life-force nor mind nor intelligence.

These have been embraced as mine only because of this play of thoughts in the mind.

9.

The witness, all-pervading and beloved am I, and I am never

changing, limited, nor afflicted with suffering.

10.

The mind’s I in deep sleep doesn’t see sorrow, imperfection, or fault.

Samsara belongs to ego and not the witness of the traveling samsari.

11.

The one who sleeps doesn’t know sleep. The one who doesn't sleep neither wakes nor dreams.

I am the witness of waking, dreaming, and deep sleep, and thus beyond those states.

12. 

Worldly knowledge ends in deep sleep. It rises in dreaming and waking.

How can these three states belong to me, their witness, eternally aware?

13.

I am the knower of things with six states of change. Otherwise, I am free of all change.

Observing these changes would be impossible if I weren't free of them.

14.

In various ways appearances rise and fall again and again. 

How can such changing things observe these changes?

15.

No one can ever see their own birth or death. 

These two are the final point of prior non-existence and initial point of later non-existence.

16.

I do not know—is a statement appearing in the light of consciousness.

How can such darkness touch the Self-luminous Self?

17.

Even so, this indescribable entity does appear in the absence of investigation

like a mist in the sky of consciousness, until the sun of inquiry rises.

18.

With ignorance of the true self, a great sleep yawns, filling with this universe.

A long dream then appears with delusions of heaven, liberation, and all the rest.

19.

This division between the sentient and insentient is imagined in me, pure consciousness. 

As on the surface of a wall or on the canvas of a painting, there's a division between moving and unmoving objects.

20.

Since it's relative to thoughts reflecting in the mind, even being the witness isn't real

but merely a pointer to a sea of consciousness free from all waves.

21.

As an ocean of immortality, I cannot be destroyed by the birth of imaginary waves.

As a crystal mountain, I cannot be colored by the dream of fleeting evening clouds.

22.

As spaceness is of space, existence is my nature and not a quality.

There's no classification of existence for there's no existence other than myself 

23.

Consciousness is my essential nature and not an attribute. If an attribute,

there's non-selfhood or non-existence depending if it's known or unknown.

24.

I alone am joy and joy is nothing other than myself. If other than myself, it's not joy.

If it were not for my sake, it would not be loved, for it could not be loved for itself.

25.

One reality can never be of many natures. 

Therefore , abandoning worldly differences, I am indivisible.

26.

That from which distance, limitation, and variety has been removed is spotless.

That thus is, as indicated by speech, I, of one essence, self-luminous.

27.

Completely calm is the universe, individual, disciple, guru, God, and all illusion.

Established in itself, without beginning and without end, perfectly whole, I am that great illumination.

28.

These good words of the poet Laksmīdhara are gathered like autumn lotus flowers.

May their nectar of nonduality be deeply enjoyed by the bee-like wise.

Bibliography

The One and One Only: Advaita Makaranda by Swami Tejomayananda

Advaita Makaranda - The Nectar of Non-duality of Sri Laksmidhara Kavi, translation and commentary by Swami Atmarupananda

A Nip of Nectar: A translation of Advaita Makaranda of Poet Lakṣmīdhara by Anonymous

Advaita Makaranda Translation & Commentary by Ann Berliner

11-12-25 - 6-19-26

Talks on Mandukya Karika (very loose transcreations)

MK1

11

Gaudapada says both waking states and dreaming states are bound by cause and effect, deep sleep is bound by cause alone, and Turiya is beyond all cause and effect.

12

Deep sleep knows nothing of any other state of consciousness nor the state of deep sleep itself. It knows nothing of truth or untruth, but only knows the absence of duality. Turiya is the presence of nonduality, that all-seeing existence.

13

The absence of duality is actually common to both deep sleep and Turiya. But deep sleep is the seed of variety and such a fruit does not exist in Turiya.

14

Not only the dream state but the waking state is a state of sleep and dream. Deep sleep is a state of sleep without dream. The wise ones say neither sleep nor dream is to be seen in Turiya.

(Dreaming misapprehends reality. Sleeping doesn't apprehend reality at all. Gaudapada says when these two errors disappear, reality is realized.)

15

Dreaming misapprehends reality. Sleeping doesn't apprehend reality at all. When these two errors disappear, Turiya is realized.

16

Asleep in beginningless maya, the individual awakens into birthless, sleepless, dreamless realization of the nondual.

17

And there’s no doubt the world would disappear if it actually existed. But duality is nothing but Maya and nondual in reality.

18

Concepts are to be abandoned when imagined for the sake of teaching. This talk of duality stops upon realization.

Talking Mandukya 12

The Mandukya Upanishad consists of two parts: an inquiry into Atman (culminating in the magnificent 7th mantra) and an inquiry into Aum, into which the two are merging in its glorious 12th and last mantra.

And this 12th mantra is ending such a revelation with the Sanskrit, atmanatmanam: the Self merging into the Self. Like the water of the waves merging into the water of the sea, there is nothing but the Self.

It’s like the tenors and the mediums of Aum falling into the silence of Turiya. If deep sleep is the relative silence of the absence of duality, Turiya is the causeless silence of the presence of nonduality.

24

The four quarters of Aum are not to be known as vehicles but the four tenors themselves.

25

As if the sound of A is the actual waking state; U, the actual dreaming state; M, the actual deep sleep state.

26

And most notably, the real silence following and swallowing Aum is the witness consciousness, Turiya.

28

Aum is beginningless and that silence, timeless. Aum is an infinity of sounds appearing in the soundless.

29

Aum is God. That silence is Parabrahman. The one who knows Aum this way is the real sage.

MK2

35

Gaudpada keeps it real. His advaita is neither neo nor conventional. Free from attachment, well-versed in vedantic revelations, and able to discern reality from illusion, his seer is free from phenomenal duality—nondual.

36

Having realized the nondual self and having trained the mind to self-remember that, the knower of the truth acts as one who does not know when in the world.

37

Having given up god, society, and sacraments, this unconventional seer makes one’s home in the nondual self, using the body-mind for public transportation as needed and accepting whatever food and clothing happens by.

38

Seeing the inner truth and the outer truth, being one with the real truth and reveling forever in that, this seer is never not the truth, Gaudapada says.

K3

3

Say Atman is infinite space and Atman is manifesting in people like infinite space in clay pots. This is what birth is like.

4

Upon destruction of any clay pot, the infinite space contained in the pot merges with infinite space. So do people merge with Atman.

5

As the smoke-filled space in one clay pot doesn’t smudge the other spaces enclosed in other pots, so the emotions of one individual does not actually darken others.

6

Although a variety of names and forms of different spaces may be admitted, this does not imply there's any differentiation in space itself.

7

As the infinite space enclosed in a clay pot is neither an effect nor a part of infinite space, so an individual is neither a creation nor a part of Atman.

8

Only a child would think the actual dimension of space is being polluted by polluted air. Only the ignorant believe Atman can be similarly polluted.

9

Atman, in regard to its birth and death, its comings and goings, its dwelling in different bodies, is not unlike infinite space.

19

The unborn is born only by the power of Maya and no other way. If this world were really real, the one immortal absolute would be phenomenally mortal right now. 

20

Some still say the unborn was born. As if that birthless and immortal ground could become a mortal seed.

21

The immortal can't really be mortal. The mortal can't really be immortal either. The object is never the subject.

22

How does an immortal one become the mortal many? How does the one that appears to change retain its changelessness? It's called Maya.

27

Existence passes into birth only through Maya and not really.

Believing things were born in such a way, they’ll be born ad infinitum.

28

The non-existent can’t be born the so-called real way or via Maya.

The child of an infertile woman isn't born one way or the other.

29

As in the state of dreaming, a semblance of duality is projected by the maya of mind, so too in the waking state.

30

As a singular mind appears to be a world of duality in dreams, the nondual self appears to be dual in waking. No doubt.

31

A world of things, both moving and non-moving, is seen in the mind only. Duality is nowhere to be seen when the mind isn’t moving.

32

A mind, upon realizing the knowledge that Atman alone is real, ceases to be the mind. For the want of a mind, all perception is free from belief.

33

Ajam and free from imagination is Jnana. The Knowable is one with Brahman. That intent of Knowledge is unborn and immutable. By the birthless, the birthless is known.

MK4

47

A firebrand appears to be straight, crooked, or otherwise, according to its motion in the darkness. Likewise consciousness in motion will split itself into appearances of seers and the seen. 

48

When not in motion, a firebrand is free from all appearances, remaining changeless. And a motionless Consciousness is free from all appearances, resting birthless.

49

When the firebrand is in motion, such forms do not come from somewhere else nor do they go elsewhere when it’s still. Neither do they return to its shining point.

50

Such forms do not issue from the firebrand for they are insubstantial. In Consciousness, such appearances are similar.

51

In consciousness associated with activity of mind (like both dream states), appearances do not come from somewhere else. When the mind is inactive (like deep sleep), appearances do not go somewhere else.

52

Lastly such appearances do not emerge from consciousness for their nature isn't real. And they are beyond comprehension because their nature is beyond cause and effect.

82

Bliss remains hidden beneath the constant misery of the mind always desiring things even though the self-luminous Self is all of this.

83

Is, is not, is and is not, or totally is not. Impermanent, permanent, both permanent and impermanent, or neither. Such childish beliefs veil the truth.

84

The four alternatives veil reality. The all-seeing one who doesn't hold to any of these points of view knows that truth.

85

Having attained the complete omniscience of Brahman, that quarter of nonduality without beginning, middle, or end, what other desire remains?

86

The wise ones, humble, balanced, and spontaneous, are said to display a self-control of natural restraint. Thus the sage abides in peace.

91

All individual beings by their nature are known to be beginningless and unbound. There isn't the slightest difference there at any place or any time.

92

All individual beings are enlightened from the very beginning, immutable by nature. The ones who know this rest and seek no further, realizing that immortal truth.

93

Always peaceful, birthless, and free by nature, all individual beings are undifferentiated, undivided, and unborn, equally divine.

94

There's no integrity in duality. One caught in the concepts of separation will assert the violent rift of things. They are to be considered most unfortunate.

95

Unborn and self-same: those who stabilize in such an understanding are the wisest in the world. Ordinary people cannot fathom the depths of their way.

99

The knowledge of a realized one is untouched and pure.

The suchness of all being is that knowledge.

This is not the understanding of the Buddha.

100

Beyond all grasp, depthless, unborn, 

unvarying and fearless is that realization. 

I bow to that with all my power. 

Talks on Aparoksanubhuti (very loose transcreations)

16

According to this Shankaracharya, I am the One as the subtle and the knower, the witness, immutable existence.

It's like a ladder to the Fourth. The subtle is the mind and the knower is reflected consciousness. The witness is awareness. Immutable existence is unborn.

Like pure consciousness is the sun, the knower is the moon, and the mind is moonlight illuminating earth. Further, the principle of existence transcends this big bang of spacetime.

17.

Atman is without parts, one.

The body has many many parts.

Yet you see these two as one!

What lunacy is greater than this?

19.

Atman is pure consciousness.

The body is a mess of flesh and bone.

Yet you see these two as one!

What lunacy is greater than this?

20.

Atman is the absolute illuminator.

The body is dark and inert.

Yet you see these two as one!

What lunacy is greater than this?

21.

Atman is that timeless principle of existence.

The body is constantly changing so it never actually exists.

Yet you see these two as one!

What lunacy is greater than this?

22-24

The light of Atman illumines all. And unlike with the light of a fire or flashlight, that Self sees both the presence and absence of light.

Because of beginningless ignorance, people think they are the body-mind. It's like the maker mistaking they're the pot.

I am Brahman alone, the self-contained, calm sea of satcitananda. I am not an unreal waveform. This is what the wise call real knowledge.

25-28

Changeless, formless, faultless, I am truly imperishable. This is what the wise call real knowledge.

Afflictionless, reflectionless, conceptionless, I am all-pervading. This is what the wise call real knowledge.

Conditionless, actionless, endless, I am unbound. This is what the wise call real knowledge.

Immaculate, immovable, unadulterated, I am ageless and immortal. This is what the wise call real knowledge.

31

That supreme I is one alone. Material and one of many, how can the mere physical body be the Self?

32

It's well-established that I is the seer and the body is the seen. Thus they say, this is mine. So how can a mere body be the Self?

33

That I is changeless and the body is always changing. This is visibly experienced. So how can a mere body be the Self?

39

Even the subtle body is made of unstable parts. It too is an object, subject to modification, limited, and unreal. So how can it be the Self?

40

Different from these two bodies is Atman, Purusa, Isvara, the Self of all, of all form and beyond all, that imperishable I.

43

In the one Consciousness, there can be no division. All individuality is in vain. It's as a snake mistakenly seen in the rope.

44

From an ignorance of the rope comes the appearance of a snake. Similarly, in pure immutable consciousness appears a phenomenal universe.

45

The substrate of the universe is Brahman. There's nothing other than that there. Thus, the whole universe is Brahman only.

49

All beings are born of Brahman, Paramatman. Therefore one should understand they are Brahman alone.

50

All various names and forms are Brahman alone. All activity is similarly sustained. This is divine revelation.

51

Whatever's created from gold is always gold. And too, whoever is born of Brahman is always of the nature of Brahman.

52

Imagining the slightest difference between an individual self and the Supreme Self is the undertaking of a foolish mind and certain to invite much fear and loathing.

53

As reality is misconceived, duality appears—and one sees another. But as one is seeing the Self in all, there is no other in the least.

54

In the one who truly realizes all beings as the Self, there's neither delusion nor sorrow, for there is no second.

56

However much an experience this practical transactional world seems to be, it is unsubstantial like a dream with all its momentary contradictions.

57

Upon waking, the dream state disappears. In dreaming, there is no waking state. Both are non-existent in deep sleep while deep sleep is unavailable in both.

58

Thus these three states are considered to be unreal, creations of the three primal attributes. The real seer is beyond all attributes, that one consciousness, the Self.

104.

All is Brahman. From this understanding, the senses are self-controlled.

This approach is called authentic yama and should be cultivated again and again.

105.

The continuous current of that thought (I am Brahman) while excluding dissimilar thoughts

is called true niyama, which is supreme bliss and a regular observance by the wise.

106.

Renunciation of the phenomenal world by seeing it as the Atman of pure consciousness

is real renunciation and worshipped by the great ones as instant liberation.

107.

From where words turn back unable to reach the mind

is that silence attainable by yogis but which the realized one always is.

108.

Who can speak of that from which all words return?

Just to describe this phenomenal world is beyond all words.

109.

Let that silence of the wise be known as the natural state.

The silence of words is merely prescribed for the unknowing by the knowers of Brahman.

110.

Where the world does not exist, in the beginning, middle, or end,

is that all-pervading space only solitude knows.

111.

In the blink of an eye, Time produces all beings, beginning with Brahma the Creator.

Verily that is also called Timeless, the one who is unbroken bliss and nondual.

112.

That way in which unbroken meditation on Brahman flows with ease

is the right posture. And not some other Asana which destroys one's equanimity.

113.

That known as the source of all beings, the substrate of the universe, the immutable ground

upon which the enlightened one is seated — that truly is the perfect posture.

created 10/18/25 to 12/1/25

A Nondual Creed

1. Consciousness is not a product of the body-mind. 

2. Consciousness is the ground upon which the body-mind is superimposed. 

3. Consciousness is the noumenal absolute called Brahman. 

4. The universe appears in Brahman. 

5. The universe is of Brahman. 

6. Brahman is all there is.

7. Nondual Brahman is consciousness-existence called Satcitananda.

8. I, Atman, am Brahman, is Turiyam.

Aum

Transcreating Dakshinamurti 8

Translations

viśvaṁ paśyati kārya-kāraṇa-tayā sva-svāmi-sambandhataḥ śiṣyācārya-tayā tathaiva pitṛ-putrādyātmanā bhedataḥ, svapne jāgrati vā ya eṣa puruṣo māyā-paribhrāmitaḥ tasmai śrī-guru-mūrtaye nama idaṁ śrī-dakṣiṇāmūrtaye. 

(8) विश्वं – world; पश्यति – sees; कार्यकारणतया – of cause and effect; स्वस्वामिसम्बन्धतः – as the relationship of possessions and the possessor; शिष्याचार्यतया – as the taught and the Teacher; तथा - similarly; एव – also; पितृपुत्राद्यात्मना – as father and son in himself; भेदतः – differentiation; स्वप्ने – in dream; जाग्रति – in waking; वा – or; यः – He who; एषः – this; पुरुषः – Puruṣa; मायापरिभ्रामितः – whirled in māyā; तस्मै – to Him; श्रीगुरुमूर्तये – the divine Teacher; नमः – prostration; इदं – this; श्रीदक्षिणामूर्तये – to Śrī Dakṣiṇāmūrti 

8. He, who is the Puruṣa, whirled in māyā, sees the world of cause-effect, diversely related as possessor and possession, father and son and as Teacher and taught, both in the state of waking and dreaming; to Him, the divine Teacher, Śrī Dakṣiṇāmūrti, is this prostration. ~Chinmayananda

To the Self who, deluded by mayā sees, in dream-ing and waking, the universe in its distinctions such as cause and effect, property and proprietor, disciple and teacher, and father and son, likewise to Him, of the form of the Preceptor, the blessed Dakshina-murti may this obeisance be! ~Mahadevan

8. Obeisance to Śri Daksināmūrti, who is the Guru, (who as) this person, being deluded by māyā sees the world both in sleep and in the waking state, as (full of) differences (brought about by such) relationships as cause and effect, property and owner, disciple and teacher as also father, mother and so on. ~Harshananda

To the Atman who, deluded by Mâyâ, sees, in jâgrat or svapna, the universe in variety, as cause and effect, as master and servant, as teacher and disciple, as father and son, and so on to Him who is incarnate in the Teacher, to Him in the Effulgent Form Facing the South, to Him (Siva) be this bow! ~Sastri

My transcreation:

Google search:

Word-by-word (Line 1):

• viśvam: The universe / the world
• paśyati: Sees
• kārya-kāraṇa-tayā: As cause and effect
• sva-svāmi-sambandhataḥ: As the owner and the owned (master and servant)
• śiṣyācārya-tayā: As the student (disciple) and the teacher (master)
• tathaiva: Similarly / in the same manner
• pitṛ-putra-ādi-ātmanā: In the form of father, son, and others
• bhedataḥ: In a state of plurality/division (duality)

Word-by-word (Line 2):

• svapne: In dreams
• jāgrati: In the waking state
• vā: Or
• yaḥ eṣaḥ: This
• puruṣaḥ: Person (individual)
• māyā-paribhrāmitaḥ: Deluded / thoroughly bewildered by illusion
• tasmai: To Him
• śrī-guru-mūrtaye: To the embodiment of the Guru
• namaḥ: Salutations / prostrations
• idam: This
• śrī-dakṣiṇāmūrtaye: To Lord Dakṣiṇāmūrti

Heresies in the Material World 1

The seer itself, the sky-like supreme; ever-shining and changeless, one alone and unborn; stainless, all-pervading, nondual. 
~Shankara, from US-V10.1

1. Consciousness

a. Consciousness is not a product of the material world in general, and of the body-mind in particular. 

b. Consciousness is the ground upon which the body-mind is super-imposed.

c. Consciousness is the noumenal absolute godhead nondual Brahman. 

d. The universe appears in Brahman. The universe is of Brahman. Brahman is all there is.

d1. As dreamstates appear in the mind, and dreams are of the mind, and the mind is in and of nondual consciousness.

I minus unawareness equals awareness. Aum.

2. Dreamstates

The waking dream state seems real because it appears in and of unchanging consciousness which is as real as it gets.

The sleeping dream state appears real for a moment because it appears in and of the changing mind.

3. Elementary

Understanding the metaphysics of Advaita is like knowing the floor you're standing on is 99.9% space—

like indirect (paroksha) to direct (aparoksha), like the difference between physicist and sage.

4. Am I

Am I the body-mind which is nothing without Brahman or am I Atman, Brahman, in which nothing but dreams appear?

Am I a body-mind reflecting consciousness or am I consciousness reflecting in a body-mind? That is the real question.

Nondual Creed

1. Consciousness is not a product of the body-mind. 

2. Consciousness is the ground upon which the body-mind is superimposed. 

3. Consciousness is the noumenal absolute called Brahman. 

4. The universe appears in Brahman. 

5. The universe is of Brahman. 

6. Brahman is all there is.

7. Nondual Brahman is consciousness-existence called Satcitananda.

8. I, Atman, am Brahman, is Turiyam.

Aum

Transcreating Shankara's Upadesa Sahasri Verse Chapter 10 dṛśi-svarūpa paramārtha-darśanam

1. 

The seer itself, the sky-like supreme;

ever-shining and changeless, one alone and unborn;

stainless, all-pervading, nondual:

thus I am that eternally released. Om.

2.

I am the seer, pure and unchanging.

By my very nature, there aren't any objects to me.

Before and behind, above and below, everywhere is 

the all-pervading reality, unborn and abiding as the Self.

3.

Unborn, undying, and accordingly ageless,

deathless, self-luminous, and all-pervasive, I am nondual—

neither cause nor effect, impeccably pure, 

and ever content in complete liberation. Om.

4.

Deep sleep, the waking state, and the dream state are not my experiences

and do not exist for me at all, like illusions.

They neither exist independently nor are they dependent on the real. 

Thus I am always the Fourth alone, the nondual seer.

5.

The continuous suffering of body, intellect, and the senses are not mine

and I'm not theirs, for I am changeless

and also because of the unreality of this stream.

It's unreal like the dreamlike visions of a sleeper.

6.

It is my truth that change does not exist for me

and the cause of change is never mine due to my nondual nature.

Thus I possess neither merit nor sin, liberation nor bondage,

social class nor stage of life for I'm without a body.

7.

Beginningless and without attributes, I claim no action nor its results.

For I am the Supreme without a second.

As space is all-pervading yet untouched,

I permeate this body with my subtlety.

8.

Always and equally in all beings, I am Isvara, the Supreme Ruler.

Beyond the mortal and immortal, I am the highest and the ultimate.

Although that Supreme Self of Reality and Nondual Being,

I am mistaken to be otherwise by the nescience of ignorance.

9.

Detached from ignorance, imagination, and action,

the limitless Self is completely pure.

Endowed with the powers of seeing and such, I am nondual,

established in my true nature, and motionless like the sky.

10.

I, Parabrahman, Atman, with surest vision, see—

no one is born again, as the Vedas say.

When the seed is absent, there's no creation.

No fruit is born where there's no delusion.

11.

This is thus mine and that like this is yours;

I also alone oversee my world and not otherwise:

such is the delusion of people's imagination.

Eternally equal is Brahman in that auspicious nonduality.

12.

That nondual knowledge is exceedingly pure. 

The great ones thus experience neither sorrow nor delusion. 

In the absence of both, there's neither birth nor binding action. 

Such assuredness arises in the knowers of the Vedas.

13.

As in deep sleep while in the waking state is the one who doesn't see duality

while seeing through it to that nonduality.

Similarly is the one performing actions although actionless.

One is the knower of the Self and no other is the conclusion here.

14.

Thus this vision of supreme truth that's been declared

by me surely is the highest observation of Vedanta.

One is completely liberated if it is firmly understood.

As the sky is never stained, so is it here by action.

Bibliography

The Thousand Teachings trans. by A.J. Alston

Upadesa Sahasri trans. by Swami Jagadananda

A Thousand Teachings trans. by John Denton

A Thousand Teachings trans. by Sengaku Mayeda

Introductions

In the post-war years, western and western-inspired scholarship, notably that of Paul Hacker and Sengaku Mayeda, has tended to show that the only surviving independent work that can with safety be ascribed to Śaṃkara is the Upadeśa Sāhasrī or Thousand Teachings in both its prose and verse parts—though it would be incautious to suppose that there was finality in this judgement...

The independent works other than the Upadeśa Sāhasrī are not safe guides to the doctrine of the historical Śaṃkara, while the Upadeśa Sāhasrī itself is. Hence its importance today as a relatively compact statement by Śaṃkara of his own view, eminently suitable as an introduction to the inherently more diffuse work of the commentaries...

It is, however, not certain that either the prose or the verse parts of the Upadeśa Sāhasrī originally constituted a unity. The whole work is very possibly a compilation of short pieces that originally stood on their own...

Of the verse part, Chapters I, XVII, XVIII and XIX appear from their dedicatory verses to have been separate works originally. Chapters II to XVI, also, are most probably a compilation of works that were originally separate, as it is hard to explain the fact that they stand in ascending order of length as being due to mere chance...

~Alston

The Upadesasahasri consists of two parts, one in verse and the other in prose. The verse or Metrical Part (Padyabandha) comprises nineteen chapters (prakarana). Manuscripts indicate that the two parts were regarded as independent works, as it were, and studied or commented upon separately. They also suggest the possibility that any single chapter could be selected, copied, and studied apart from the rest. This means that reading of the text may begin anywhere. 

~Mayeda

Sankara’s manner of exposition does not present us with the usual but avoidable additional difficulty which is obscurity of expression. He wrote magnificent works, both in prose and verse; and all of them are marked by depth of thought and lucidity of language. 

Among his major works are the great commentaries on what are known as the three canons of Vedanta, viz., the principal Upanishads, the Bhagavad-gita, and the Brahma-sutra, and such independent manuals as the Upadesasahasri and the Vivekachudamani. 

The quintessence of the philosophy of Sankara is stated in the following words which constitute a half-verse in Sanskrit; ‘‘The Absolute Spirit is the reality; the world of appearance is illusory; the so-called individual soul is the Absolute itself, and no other.”

~Mahadevan

Upadesa Sahasri 10.14 Translations

itīdam uktam paramārtha-darśanam mayā hi vedānta-viniścitam paraṃ vimucyate ’smin yadi niścito bhaven na lipyate vyoma iveha karmabhiḥ 

[14] In these words I have proclaimed the nature of vision of the highest reality, the supreme conclusion of Vedānta. If a man becomes convinced of it he is liberated. Like the ether, he is no longer tainted by activity here in this world. ~Alston

14. This Right knowledge described by me is the highest because it is ascertained in the Vedântas. One becomes liberated and unattached (to actions) like the ether if one is perfectly convinced of this Truth. ~Jagadananda

14. This view which has been declared by me from the stand¬ point of the highest truth is the supreme [view] as ascertained in the Vedanta. If a man has firm belief in it, he is released and not stained by actions,10 as others are. ~Mayeda

My transcreation in progress:

Thus this vision of supreme truth that's been declared

by me surely is the highest observation of Vedanta.

One is completely liberated if it is firmly understood.

As the sky is never stained, so is it here by action.

All transcreations to date:

Transcreating Upadesa Sahasri Verse Chapter 10 dṛśi-svarūpa paramārtha-darśanam

Google:

Line 1: itīdam uktam paramārtha-darśanam

• iti (इति): thus / in this manner
• idam (इदम्): this
• uktam (उक्तम्): spoken / declared / taught
• parama (परम): supreme / highest
• artha (अर्थ): reality / purpose / truth
• darśanam (दर्शनम्): vision / philosophy / realization

Line 2: mayā hi vedānta-viniścitam paraṃ

• mayā (मया): by me
• hi (हि): indeed / surely (used for emphasis)
• vedānta (वेदान्त): Vedanta (the end/essence of the Vedas)
• viniścitam (विनिश्चितम्): thoroughly ascertained / conclusively proven
• param (परम्): ultimate / highest

Line 3: vimucyate ’smin yadi niścito bhaven

• vimucyate (विमुच्यते): is completely liberated / freed
• asmin (अस्मिन्): in this (supreme truth/self)
• yadi (यदि): if
• niścitaḥ (निश्चितः): firm / convinced / resolute
• bhavet (भवेत्): should be / becomes

Line 4: na lipyate vyoma iveha karmabhiḥ

• na (न): not
• lipyate (लिप्यते): is tainted / smeared / affected
• vyoma (व्योम): sky / space
• iva (इव): like / just as
• iha (इह): here / in this world
• karmabhiḥ (कर्मभिः): by actions / by karmas