Mandukya Karika, verse 4.61-62

Sanskrit text, IAST transliteration and English translation

यथा स्वप्ने द्वयाभासं चित्तं चलति मायया ।
तथा जाग्रद्द्वयाभासं चित्तं चलति मायया ॥ ६१ ॥
अद्वयं च द्वयाभासं चित्तं स्वप्ने न संशयः ।
अद्वयं च द्वयाभासं तथा जाग्रन्न संशयः ॥ ६२ ॥

yathā svapne dvayābhāsaṃ cittaṃ calati māyayā |
tathā jāgraddvayābhāsaṃ cittaṃ calati māyayā || 61 ||
advayaṃ ca dvayābhāsaṃ cittaṃ svapne na saṃśayaḥ |
advayaṃ ca dvayābhāsaṃ tathā jāgranna saṃśayaḥ || 62 ||

61-62. As in dream, the mind is seen to act through Māyā manifesting the appearance of duality, so also in the waking state the mind is seen to act, through Māyā, producing the appearance of duality.

There is no doubt that the mind which is, in fact, non-dual, appears as dual in dream; in like manner, undoubtedly, the waking state, which is non-dual, appears as dual.

Shankara Bhashya (commentary)

That pure consciousness which is non-dual (from the standpoint of the Supreme Reality) is sought to be described by words, is due to the active condition of the mind (which is due to Avidyā). This description (of the non-dual Ātman by words) has no meaning from the standpoint of the Ultimate Truth. These¹ verses have already been explained.

Anandagiri Tika (glossary)

It may be contended that if Ātman cannot be described by words, why then should the scholars have taken the pains to use words to denote Ātman. In reply it is said that what is described by words by scholars is not the non-dual Ātman but a duality, perceived on account of the activity of the mind, associated with the subject-object relationship which is the characteristic of the relative plane of existence. The Ultimate Reality is the essence of everything, including ideas or descriptions.

¹ The verses, etc.—Vide Chapter III, 29-30.