Mandukya Karika, verse 4.19

Text

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).