Mandukya Karika, verse 2.11

Text

उभयोरपि वैतथ्यं भेदानां स्थानयोर्यदि ।
क एतान्बुध्यते भेदान्को वै तेषां विकल्पकः ॥ ११ ॥

ubhayorapi vaitathyaṃ bhedānāṃ sthānayoryadi |
ka etānbudhyate bhedāṅko vai teṣāṃ vikalpakaḥ || 11 ||

11. If the objects cognized in both the conditions (of dream and of waking) be illusory, who cognizes all these (illusory objects) and who again imagines them?

Shankara Bhashya (commentary)

The opponent asks, “If the objects, cognized in the-waking and dream states, be devoid of reality, who1 is the cognizer of these,—objects imagined by the mind, both inside (subjective), and outside (objective)? Who is, again, their fmaginer?” In short, what is the support (substratum) of memory and knowledge? If2 you say none,. then we shall be led to the conclusion that there is nothing like Ātman or Self.