These verses are taken from The Crest Jewel of Wisdom. For some information about the Advaita master Shankaracharya, see this post.

Recognising as thine own the hidden Self, the witness of the soul and its activities, perceiving truly “That am I,” destroy the thought of Self in all not Self.

Give up following after the world, give up following after the body, give up following after the ritual law; make an end of transferring selfhood to these.

Through a man’s imagination being full of the world, through his imagination being full of the ritual law, through his imagination being full of the body, wisdom, truly, is not born in him.

For him who seeks freedom from the grasping hand of birth and death, an iron fetter binding his feet, say they who know it, is this potent triad of imaginings; he who has got free from this enters into freedom.

The scent of sandalwood that drives all evil odors away comes forth through stirring it with water and the like; all other odors are driven altogether away.

The image of the supreme Self, stained by the dust of imaginings, dwelling inwardly, endless, evil, comes forth pure, by the stirring power of enlightenment, as the scent of the sandalwood comes forth clear.

In the net of imaginings of things not Self, the image of the Self is held back; by resting on the eternal Self, their destruction comes, and the Self shines clear.

As the mind rests more and more on the Self behind it, it is more and more freed from outward imaginings; when imaginings are put away, and no residue left, he enters and becomes the Self, pure of all bonds.

Translation by Charles Johnston