Hymn Of Sankara

"I am not a combination of the five perishable elements I am neither body, the senses,

 nor what is in the body (antar-anga: i e., the mind). 

I am not the ego-function: 

I am not the group of the vital breathforces; 

I am not intuitive intelligence (buddhi). 

Far from wife and son am 1, far from land and wealth and other notions of that kind. 

I am the Witness, the Eternal, the Inner Self, the Blissful One (sivoham; suggesting also, 'I am Siva')."

"Owing to ignorance of the rope the rope appears to be a snake; 

owing to ignorance of the Self the transient state arises of the individualized, 

limited, phenomenal aspect of the Self. 

The rope becomes a rope when the false impression disappears because of the statement of some credible person; 

because of the statement of my teacher I am not an individual life-monad (yivo-naham), 

I am the Blissful One (sivo-ham )."

"I am not the born; how can there be either birth or death for me ?"

"I am not the vital air; how can there be either hunger or thirst for me ?"

"I am not the mind, the organ of thought and feeling; how can there be either sorrow or delusion for me ?"

"I am not the doer; how can there be either bondage or release for me ?"

"I am neither male nor female, nor am I sexless. 

I am the Peaceful One, whose form is self-effulgent, powerful radiance. 

I am neither a child, a young man, nor an ancient; nor am I of any caste. 

I do not belong to one of the four lifestages. 

I am the Blessed-Peaceful One, who is the only Cause of the origin and dissolution of the world."