Mandukya Karika, verse 4.51-52

Sanskrit text, IAST transliteration and English translation

विज्ञाने स्पन्दमाने वै नाऽऽभासा अन्यतोभुवः ।
न ततोऽन्यत्र निस्पन्दान्न विज्ञानं विशन्ति ते ॥ ५१ ॥
न निर्गतास्ते विज्ञानाद्द्रव्यत्वाभावयोगतः ।
कार्यकारणताभावाद्यतोऽचिन्त्याः सदैव ते ॥ ५२ ॥

vijñāne spandamāne vai nā''bhāsā anyatobhuvaḥ |
na tato'nyatra nispandānna vijñānaṃ viśanti te || 51 ||
na nirgatāste vijñānāddravyatvābhāvayogataḥ |
kāryakāraṇatābhāvādyato'cintyāḥ sadaiva te || 52 ||

51-52. When Consciousness is associated with the idea of activity (as in the dream and waking states), the appearances (that are seen in it) do not come from elsewhere. When Consciousness is inactive (as in deep sleep) appearances do not go elsewhere from the inactive Consciousness. Further, appearances do not enter into it. The appearances do not emerge from Consciousness because they are not of the nature of a substance. These are always beyond our comprehension on account of their not being subject to the relation of cause and effect.

Shankara Bhashya (commentary)

How are the two appearances similar? It is thus replied:—The fire-brand and Consciousness are alike in all respects. The only special feature of Consciousness is that it always remains immutable.¹ What is the cause of such appearances as birth, etc., in Consciousness which is ever immutable? In² the absence of causality, it is not reasonable to establish the relationship of the producer and the produced (between Consciousness and appearances). The appearances, being illusory, are ever unthinkable.³ The purport of the whole thing is this:—As the fire-brand (which is merely a point) is associated with forms straight, crooked, etc., though, in reality, such crooked or straight forms are ever non-existent, so also, pure Consciousness is associated with the ideas of birth, etc., though such ideas as birth, etc., are ever non-existent. Hence these ideas of birth, etc., associated with Consciousness are illusory.

Anandagiri Tika (glossary)

When Consciousness is said to be active as in the waking and the dream states, the forms of birth, etc., that are cognised in those: states do not come from elsewhere outside Consciousness. For, such forms are not seen to exist elsewhere outside one’s own. consciousness. Again, when, as in deep sleep, Consciousness remains inactive, the forms of birth, death, etc., do not go elsewhere from the Consciousness in which they were perceived during the waking and the dream states. For, no one is conscious of such a happening. No one ever knows the existence of anything outside one’s own consciousness. Further, when Consciousness remains, inactive, as in deep sleep, the forms, etc., perceived in the waking,, and the dream states, do not seem to merge in Consciousness. For, Consciousness which is non-dual and beyond the ideas of time, space, etc., cannot be the cause of multiple objects existing in time and space. The objects seen in the dream and the waking states, being ever unreal, cannot be said to emerge from or merge in Consciousness.

¹ Immutable—Consciousness is called immutable as it is free from the idea of space and time.

² In the, etc.—The idea of causality is due to Avidyā.

³ Ever unthinkable—The ideas seen in the dream and the waking states cannot be said to be non-existent because they are perceived. Nor can they be said to exist because they are not perceived in deep sleep. Therefore it is impossible to determine their real nature. Hence they are as illusory as the snake seen in the rope.