Mandukya Karika, verse 4.57

Text

संवृत्या जायते सर्वं शाश्वतं नास्ति तेन वै ।
सद्भावेन ह्यजं सर्वमुच्छेदस्तेन नास्ति वै ॥ ५७ ॥

saṃvṛtyā jāyate sarvaṃ śāśvataṃ nāsti tena vai |
sadbhāvena hyajaṃ sarvamucchedastena nāsti vai || 57 ||

57. All this is seen to be born on account of the illusion of experience (due to Avidyā); therefore nothing is permanent. Ally again, as one with the Ultimate Reality is unborn. And therefore there is nothing like destruction.

Shankara Bhashya (commentary)

(Objection)—Nothing else verily exists except the unborn Ātman. Then how can you speak of the origin and destruction of the cause and the effect as well as of (the chain of birth and death constituting) the world? (Reply)—Listen. The word Saṃvṛti in the text signifies the (illusory) experiences of the empirical world which are caused by ignorance. All this is born of this power of ignorance which brings into existence the illusory experiences of the world. For this reason, nothing is permanent in the realm of ignorance. Therefore it is said that the world, having the characteristics of origination and destruction, is spread before us (i.e., the ignorant persons). But as one with the Ultimate Reality, all this is nothing but the unborn Ātman. Therefore, in the absence of birth, there cannot be any destruction, viz., the destruction of cause or effect.