Text 119
ṛte ’rthaṁ yat pratīyeta
na pratīyeta cātmani
tad vidyād ātmano māyāṁ
yathābhāso yathā tamaḥ
ṛte — without; artham — value; yat — that which; pratīyeta — appears to be; na — not; pratīyeta — appears to be; ca — certainly; ātmani — in relation to Me; tat — that; vidyāt — you must know; ātmanaḥ — My; māyām — illusory energy; yathā — just as; ābhāsaḥ — the reflection; yathā — just as; tamaḥ — the darkness.
“ ‘What appears to be truth without Me is certainly My illusory energy, for nothing can exist without Me. It is like a reflection of a real light in the shadows, for in the light there are neither shadows nor reflections.
This is a quotation from Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam (2.9.34). It is the second verse of the catuḥ-ślokī. For an explanation of this verse, see Ādi-līlā, chapter one, text 54.