Mandukya Karika, verse 4.19

Sanskrit text, IAST transliteration and English translation

अशक्तिरपरिज्ञानं क्रमकोपोऽथ वा पुनः ।
एवं हि सर्वथा बुद्धैः अजातिः परिदीपिता ॥ १९ ॥

aśaktiraparijñānaṃ kramakopo'tha vā punaḥ |
evaṃ hi sarvathā buddhaiḥ ajātiḥ paridīpitā || 19 ||

19. The inability (to reply), the ignorance (about the matter) and the impossibility of (establishing) the order of succession (of the cause and the effect) clearly lead the wise to stick to their theory of absolute non-evolution (Ajāti).

Shankara Bhashya (commentary)

If you think that this¹ cannot be explained then this inability shows your ignorance, that is to say, it demonstrates that you are deluded regarding the Knowledge of Reality. Again, the order of succession, pointed out by you—that the effect comes from the cause and the cause comes from the effect—is also inconsistent.² Thus is shown the impropriety of the causal relation between the cause and the effect. This³ leads the wise among the disputants, by showing the fallacy in each other’s arguments, to declare, in effect, the non-evolution of things (which is our opinion).

Anandagiri Tika (glossary)

¹ This, etc.—That is to say, which one of the cause and the effect is antecedent and which is subsequent. It is because both are mutually dependent.

² Inconsistent—See the previous Kārikā.

³ This, etc.—The followers of the Sāṃkhya as well as of the Nyāya and Vaiśeṣika systems, supporting respectively the evolution of things from an existing and non-existing cause, indicate the fallacy in each other’s arguments. It has also been demonstrated that there cannot be any order of succession of cause and effect in the evolution. Thus the disputants ultimately support the view of Ajāti or non-evolution of things as stated by us.