Verse 2.354

Sanskrit text and transliteration:

न हि कोशात्मना सत्त्वमृते ब्रह्म समश्नुते ।
कुतः सर्पात्मना सत्त्वमृते रज्जुं सदात्मिकाम् ॥ ३५४ ॥

na hi kośātmanā sattvamṛte brahma samaśnute |
kutaḥ sarpātmanā sattvamṛte rajjuṃ sadātmikām || 354 ||

English translation of verse 2.354:

Without Brahman the jīva cannot exist in the form of the sheath. How can the (illusory) serpent have a being without the rope which is existent?

Notes:

The rope is the substratum (adhiṣṭhāna) for the appearance of the snake. But for the rope, the illusory serpent cannot come into existence. In the same way, Brahman is the substratum for the appearance of the sheaths which are illusory, in the absence of Brahman, one cannot think of the existence of the sheaths. The idea which is sought to be conveyed here is that no illusion can arise without a substratum which is real (adhiṣṭhānaṃ vinā bhrānterasambhava iti bhāvaḥ).