Mandukya Karika, verse 4.3


Text


भूतस्य जातिमिच्छन्ति वादिनः केचिदेव हि ।
अभूतस्यापरे धीरा विवदन्तः परस्परम् ॥ ३ ॥

bhūtasya jātimicchanti vādinaḥ kecideva hi |
abhūtasyāpare dhīrā vivadantaḥ parasparam || 3 ||

3. Quarrelling among themselves, some disputants postulate that an existing entity undergoes evolution, whereas other disputants, proud of their understandings maintain that evolution proceeds from a non-existing entity.

Shankara Bhashya (commentary)

How do the dualists quarrel with one another? It is thus replied:1 Some disputants, such as the followers of the Sāṃkhya system, admit production as the effect of an entity that is already existent. But this is not the view of all the dualists. For the intelligent followers of the Nyāya and the Vaiśeṣika systems, that is to say, those who believe that they possess wisdom, maintain that evolution proceeds from a non-existing cause. The meaning is that these disputants, quarrelling among themselves, claim victory over their respective opponents.