Mandukya Karika, verse 3.25
Text
संभूतेरपवादाच्च संभवः प्रतिषिध्यते ।
को न्वेनं जनयेदिति कारणं प्रतिषिध्यते ॥ २५ ॥
saṃbhūterapavādācca saṃbhavaḥ pratiṣidhyate |
ko nvenaṃ janayediti kāraṇaṃ pratiṣidhyate || 25 ||
25. Again, by the negation of creation (Sambhūti) the passing into birth is refuted. Causality (in respect of Ātman) is denied by such a statement as, “who can cause it to pass into birth?”
Shankara Bhashya (commentary)
By the condemnation of Sambhūti 1 (i.e., Hiraṇyagarbha) as something fit to be meditated upon, in such Śruti2 passage as, “They enter into blind darkness who worship Sambhūti,” the whole3 creation (evolution) is negatived. For, if Sambhūti were absolutely real, then its condemnation, in such manner, would not be reasonable. (Objection)—The4 condemnation of Sambhūti is meant here for co-ordinating Sambhūti with Vināśa 5 as is the case with the Śruti passage,6 “They enter into blind darkness who worship Avidyā”. (Reply)—Yes, it is indeed true that the condemnation of the exclusive worship of Sambhūti is made for the purpose of co-ordinating the meditation regarding Sambhūti with the Karma (ritual) known as Vināśa. Still it should not be forgotten that as the purpose of the Karma known as Vināśa is to transcend death,—whose nature is the desire consequent upon the inborn ignorance of man—so also the aim7 of the co-ordination of the meditation on Devatā (i.e., Sambhūti or Hiraṇyagarbha) with the Karma (called Vināśa) undertaken for the purpose of the purification of the mind of man, is to transcend death,—which8 is of the nature of the attachment to ritual and its results characterised by the dual hankering after the end and the means. For, thus alone man becomes free from death which is of the nature of impurity and is characterised by the dual impulse of end and means. Therefore the co-ordination of the meditation of Devatā and of Karma—which is Avidyā—leads to freedom from death. Thus9 the realisation of Vidyā (the highest knowledge), characterised by the identity of the Supreme Self and Jīva, is inevitable10 for one who has transcended death,—of the form of Avidyā and characterised by the dual impulses (of the means and the end),—and who is established in renunciation and also devoted to the meaning of the import of the Upaniṣad. It is therefore said thus11: Brahmavidyā (i.e., the knowledge of Brahman—which is the means for the attainment of Immortality and which is (from the relative standpoint) subsequent to the state of the antecedent Avidyā (ignorance) being related to the same person (who is still in the state of ignorance), is said to be coordinated with Avidyā. Hence the negation of Sambhūti is for the purpose of condemnation as it serves a purpose other12 than the knowledge of Brahman which (alone) is the means to the attainment of Immortality. Though it serves the purpose of removing impurity yet the devotion to Sambhūti does not enable one to realise (directly) immortality. (Therefore the condemnation of Sambhūti is reasonable.) Hence, Sambhūti, being thus negatived, it can be said to have only a relative existence. Having regard to the unity of Ātman, the ultimate Reality, creation (symbolised by Hiraṇyagarbha) which is known as immortal13 (only from the relative standpoint) is negated. Such14 being the case, who can bring into being the Jīva who is seen as created only through illusion (Māyā) and who exists only while ignorance (Avidyā) lasts? This Jīva reverts to its original nature (of Brahman) with the disappearance of Avidvā, For, no one can verily bring into being the snake (falsely) superimposed upon the rope through Avidyā and which disappears when one knows (the true nature of the rope). Therefore no one can produce or create the Jīva. The words “Ko nu” (“who can?”) in the text, being in the form of interrogation refute the idea of causality. The purport of the Kārikā is that there can be no cause for a thing which is seen to be born only through ignorance and which disappears with the destruction of the said ignorance. The Śruti also says, “This15 Ātman is not born from any cause nor is anything born from it.”