हेतुर्न जायतेऽनादेः फलं चापि स्वभावतः ।
आदिर्न विद्यते यस्य तस्य ह्यादिर्न विद्यते ॥ २३ ॥heturna jāyate’nādeḥ phalaṃ cāpi svabhāvataḥ |
ādirna vidyate yasya tasya hyādirna vidyate || 23 ||23. The cause cannot be produced froth an effect which is without beginning, nor is the effect born of its-own nature (itself). That which is Without beginning is necessarily free from birth.
Shankara Bhashya (commentary)
In accepting the beginninglessness of the cause and the effect you are forced to admit the absence of birth regarding them. How is it so? The1 cause cannot be produced from an effect, which is without beginning. In other words, you do not certainly mean that the cause-is produced from an effect which is, itself, without beginning and free from birth. Nor do you2 admit that the effect, by following its own inherent nature, (i.e., without any extraneous cause) is produced from a cause which is unborn and without beginning. Therefore2 by admitting the beginninglessness of the cause and the effect, you, verily, accept the fact of their being never produced. It is because we know from common experience that what is without beginning is also free from birth which means a beginning. Beginning is admitted of a thing, which has birth, and not of a thing which has none.
Anandagiri Tika (glossary)
1 The cause, etc.—The beginningless effect cannot produce a cause. For, otherwise it cannot be itself an effect. An effect, signifying birth, must have a beginning. Again, if the cause be produced from an effect, then the cause, itself, cannot be without beginning
2 You, etc.—It is because if the effect be produced from a cause, it cannot be beginningless.
3 Therefore, etc.—If the cause and the effect, on account of their being never born, be ever free from birth, they cannot be cause and effect. For, the words are always associated with birth. Hence the opponent by admitting the beginninglessness of cause and effect accepts, as a matter of fact, the theory of Ajāti or he stultifies himself.