Mandukya Karika, verse 3.10

Sanskrit text, IAST transliteration and English translation

संघाताः स्वप्नवत्सर्वे आत्ममायाविसर्जिताः ।
आधिक्ये सर्वसाम्ये वा नोपपत्तिर्हि विद्यते ॥ १० ॥

saṃghātāḥ svapnavatsarve ātmamāyāvisarjitāḥ |
ādhikye sarvasāmye vā nopapattirhi vidyate || 10 ||

10. All aggregates (such as body, etc.) are produced by the illusion of the Ātman (i.e., the perceiver) as in a dream. No rational arguments can be adduced to establish their reality, whether they be equal or superior (to one another).

Shankara Bhashya (commentary)

The aggregates of body, etc., answering to the pots, etc., in the illustration, are produced,—like the body, etc., seen in dream or conjured up by the magician—by the illusion¹ of the Ātman, i.e., the Avidyā (ignorance) which is in the perceiver. That² is to say, they do not exist from the standpoint of the ultimate Reality. If³ it be argued, in order to establish their reality, that there is a superiority (among the created beings),—as in the case of the aggregates of cause and effect constituting gods who are superior to lower beings, such as birds and beasts—or that there is an equality (of all created beings), yet no cause⁴ can be set forth regarding their creation or reality. As there is no cause therefore all these are due to Avidyā or ignorance; they have no real existence.

Anandagiri Tika (glossary)

¹ Illusion, etc.—If one, subject to Avidyā, sees multiplicity, then this Avidyā is in the perceiver. Avidyā is not objective,

it does not exist outside the perceiver.

² That is, etc.—As in the case of the dream objects, etc., which have no real existence.

³ If, etc.—The opponents may argue that the bodies of gods, etc., on account of their superiority and adorability cannot be unreal. This is an argument of the ignorant, as all bodies, whether belonging to gods or lower animals, are constituted of five elements. Hence there is no intrinsic difference between gods and other beings, it is like the various objects seen in the dream, such as gods, birds, men, beasts, etc. They are made of the same thing, viz., the mind-stuff. Therefore, they are of the same nature and known to be ūnreál when the dream vanishes. Similarly a wise man knows all bodies from Brahmā to the blade of grass to be unreal.

⁴ Cause—The idea of creation or coming into existence is due to Avidyā. With the removal of Avidyā, the idea of creation also vanishes. This topic will be discussed at full length later on.