Mandukya Karika, verse 4.49-50

Sanskrit text, IAST transliteration and English translation

अलाते स्पन्दमाने वै नाऽभासा अन्यतोभुवः ।
न ततोऽन्यत्र निस्पन्दान्नालातं प्रविशन्ति ते  ४९ ॥

alāte spandamāne vai nā''bhāsā anyatobhuvaḥ |
na tato'nyatra nispandānnālātaṃ praviśanti te || 49 ||

49. When the fire-brand is in motion, the appearances (that are seen in it) do not come from elsewhere. When, the fire-brand is not moved, the appearances do not go elsewhere from the motionless fire-brand. Further, the appearances, when the fire-brand is not moved, do not enter into the fire-brand itself.

Shankara Bhashya (commentary)

Moreover, when that very fire-brand is in motion, the appearances, straight or crooked, etc., do not come to it from anywhere else outside the fire-brand. Nor do the appearances go elsewhere from the fire-brand when it is motionless. Nor, again, do the appearances, enter into the fire-brand when it is motionless.

Anandagiri Tika (glossary)

What actually exists is a point. But the mind, on account of its ignorance, sees in it various forms.

Verse 4.50

Sanskrit text, IAST transliteration and English translation

न निर्गता अलातात्ते द्रव्यत्वाभावयोगतः ।
विज्ञानेऽपि तथैव स्युराभासस्याविशेषतः ॥ ५० ॥

na nirgatā alātātte dravyatvābhāvayogataḥ |
vijñāne'pi tathaiva syurābhāsasyāviśeṣataḥ || 50 ||

50. The appearances do not emerge from the firebrand because they are not of the nature of a substance. This also applies to Consciousness on account of the similarity of appearances (in both cases).

Shankara Bhashya (commentary)

Moreover, those appearances do not emerge from the fire-brand as something that comes out of a house. The reason is that appearances are not of the nature of substance. The appearances have no reality. Entrance, etc., can be said of a real thing but not of anything unreal. The appearance of birth, etc., in the case of consciousness is exactly similar, for,¹ appearances are of the same nature in both the cases.

Anandagiri Tika (glossary)

¹ For, etc.—In both cases, appearances are due to the ignorance of the perceiver. Birth, death, etc., are, really speaking, illusory. They have no real existence. Therefore these are called mere appearances.