अर्थे ह्यविद्यमानेऽपि संसृतिर्न निवर्तते ।
मनसा लिङ्गरूपेण स्वप्ने विचरतो यथा ॥
arthe hy avidyamāne’pi saṁsṛtir na nivartate |
manasā liṅga-rūpeṇa svapne vicarato yathā ||
(Śrīmad Bhāgavatam: 4.29.35)
“Although in the midst of a non-existent object [i.e., although sāṁsārika suffering does not have any real existence as the jīvātmā does], saṁsāra does not cease [i.e., sāṁsārika suffering continues so long as one identifies with it], just as an object [i.e., suffering] does not cease for one moving in a dream by means of the mind, that is, the subtle body [i.e., as one must wake up and thereby cease to identify with any elements within the dream in order to become free from the suffering in a dream, so one must cease to identify with any aspect of saṁsāra to become free from saṁsāra].”
Commentary
arthe duḥkhādau jīvātmano’vastu-bhūte’pi tan-nivartanaṁ vinā saṁsṛtir na nivartate | yathā svapne liṅga-rūpeṇopādhi-bhūtena manasā saha vicarato jīvasyāsatyam api sarpādikaṁ vastu duḥkhadam eva prabodhaṁ vinā |
(Excerpt from the Sārārtha-darśinī-ṭīkā)
“Although in the midst of an object, such as suffering, which is non-existent for the jīvātmā, without cessation of that [i.e., without ceasing to identify with that object], saṁsāra does not cease, just as for a jīva moving about in a dream by means of the mind, that is, the subtle body adjunct, without waking up, even a non-existent object [i.e., an object merely existent in a dream], such as a snake, is a cause of suffering.”