[Advaita-l] What is the Source for this ?

[Venkatesh Murthy]

Namaste

I found this Sloka in a very old book 'Sacred Books of the Hindus' but I
could not find the Source where it is first given.
It could be Mahanirvana Tantra.

You can get it from Forgotten Books web site.

http://www.forgottenbooks.com/readbook/The_Catechism_of_Hindu_Dharma_1000002690#15

Q. Does Higher Hinduism encourage image worship?

A. No. On the contrary it deprecates it in the strongest terms.

बालक्रीडनवत् सर्वं रूपनामादिकल्पनम् ।
विहाय ब्रह्मनिष्ठो यः स मुक्तो नत्र संशयः ॥
मनसा कल्पिता मूर्त्तिः नृणां चेन् मोक्षसाधनी ।
स्वप्नलब्धेन राज्येन राजानो मानवास्तदा ।।
मृच्छिलाधातुदार्वादि मूर्त्तावीश्वरबुद्धयः ।
क्लिश्यन्तस्तपसा ज्ञानं विना मोक्षं न यान्ति ते ॥

'He who is devoted to the Supreme God Brahman having abandoned all imagined
forms and names as so many play things for children, attains salvation
without a doubt. If mentally imagined forms could give salvation to Mankind
then verily all dreamers would become kings in fact, because they in their
dreams had obtained a kingdom. Those who think God is made of clay, stone,
metal or wood merely trouble themselves by fruitless austerities. for
without right knowledge they shall never attain to emancipation.'
-- 
Regards

-Venkatesh