Mandukya Karika, verse 4.51-52

Text

विज्ञाने स्पन्दमाने वै नाऽऽभासा अन्यतोभुवः ।
न ततोऽन्यत्र निस्पन्दान्न विज्ञानं विशन्ति ते ॥ ५१ ॥
न निर्गतास्ते विज्ञानाद्द्रव्यत्वाभावयोगतः ।
कार्यकारणताभावाद्यतोऽचिन्त्याः सदैव ते ॥ ५२ ॥

vijñāne spandamāne vai nā''bhāsā anyatobhuvaḥ |
na tato'nyatra nispandānna vijñānaṃ viśanti te || 51 ||
na nirgatāste vijñānāddravyatvābhāvayogataḥ |
kāryakāraṇatābhāvādyato'cintyāḥ sadaiva te || 52 ||

51-52. When Consciousness is associated with the idea of activity (as in the dream and waking states), the appearances (that are seen in it) do not come from elsewhere. When Consciousness is inactive (as in deep sleep) appearances do not go elsewhere from the inactive Consciousness. Further, appearances do not enter into it. The appearances do not emerge from Consciousness because they are not of the nature of a substance. These are always beyond our comprehension on account of their not being subject to the relation of cause and effect.

Shankara Bhashya (commentary)

How are the two appearances similar? It is thus replied:—The fire-brand and Consciousness are alike in all respects. The only special feature of Consciousness is that it always remains immutable.1 What is the cause of such appearances as birth, etc., in Consciousness which is ever immutable? In2 the absence of causality, it is not reasonable to establish the relationship of the producer and the produced (between Consciousness and appearances). The appearances, being illusory, are ever unthinkable.3 The purport of the whole thing is this:—As the fire-brand (which is merely a point) is associated with forms straight, crooked, etc., though, in reality, such crooked or straight forms are ever non-existent, so also, pure Consciousness is associated with the ideas of birth, etc., though such ideas as birth, etc., are ever non-existent. Hence these ideas of birth, etc., associated with Consciousness are illusory.