Mandukya Karika, verse 4.42

Text

उपलम्भात्समाचारात् अस्तिवस्तुत्ववादिनाम् ।
जातिस्तु देशिता बुद्धैर् अजातेस्त्रसतां सदा ॥ ४२ ॥

upalambhātsamācārāt astivastutvavādinām |
jātistu deśitā buddhair ajātestrasatāṃ sadā || 42 ||

42. Wise men support causality only for the sake of those who, being afraid of absolute non-manifestation (of things), stick to the (apparent) reality of (external) objects on account of their perception (of such objects) and their faith in religious observances.

Shankara Bhashya (commentary)

Wise men, i.e., the exponents of Advaita Philosophy, have, no doubt, supported causality. But they have done so only for those who have little discrimination but who are eager (to know the Truth) and who are endowed with faith. These people assert that external objects exist as real because they perceive them, and also because they cling to the observances of various duties associated with the different Varṇās 1 and Āśramas? instructions regarding causality are only meant for them as3 a means to (some) end. Let them hold on to the idea of causality. Rut the students who practise disciplines in accordance with Vedānta philosophy will, without such belief in causality, spontaneously get the knowledge4 of Self, unborn and non-dual. Causality is declared not from the standpoint of the Ultimate Reality. These students, who5 believe in Scriptures, and who are devoid of discrimination, fear the idea of absolute non-manifestation on account of their gross intellect, as they are afraid of the annihilation of their selves. It6 has also been stated before that these Scriptural statement (regarding creation) are meant as a help to our higher understanding of Reality. (In Reality, there is no multiplicity.)