Sage Sankara says: If you give up the external world in your inquiry, you cannot get the whole truth.+

The universe is the Soul and the Soul is the universe. The universe is the Soul because the universe is merely an illusion created out of the Soul, the Self, which is present in the form of consciousness.

All is consciousness.  The whole universe is consciousness. From consciousness, the universe comes. When the universe disappears,  consciousness still remains without form, time, and space.

Sage Sankara: ~  All this universe which through ignorance appears as of diverse forms, is nothing else but Brahman (Consciousness) which is absolutely free from all the limitations of Maya. 

When you finally realize the ‘‘Self’ ‘is not you but the ‘‘Self’’ is the Soul then you will realize the world in which you exist is merely an illusion created out of the Soul. The Soul is present in the form of consciousness. 

Sage Sankara says:~ VC-47 All the effects of ignorance, root, and branch, are burnt down by the fire of knowledge, which arises from discrimination between these two—the Self and the non-self.   

Until you think you are an individual separate from the world and the world existed prior to you and you are born in it afterward the ignorance will prevail as a reality. Till ignorance is there the universe prevails as a reality.

Sage Sankara: ~ In the dream state, even though there is no contact with the outside world, the Soul alone projects the entire dream universe of enjoyer, enjoyment, etc. Similarly, the waking state is no different. All this world of pluralistic phenomena is an illusory projection.

If one starts with the idea that the universe exists, he can never see the Soul, which is present in the form of consciousness, because Samsara (world) is an illusion and only ignorant people read it as a reality.

Sage  Sankara says: ~ V.63 ~ "Without knowing and examining the external world, one can’t know the Truth, as the idea that the external world exists, won't go. It can go only by an inquiry into the nature of the external world.

The ‘Self’ is hidden by the world in which you exist. Without examining the world in which you exist, it is impossible to realize the ‘Self’. 

Thus, it is necessary to examine the world that confronts you first, to realize the ‘Self’, which is hidden by the world in which we exist. 

Sage  Sankara says you must first know what is before you. If you cannot know that, what else can you know or understand? If you give up the external world in your inquiry, you cannot get the whole truth.

Whatever the universe contains is nothing but the Soul, which is present in the form of consciousness.

Sage  Sankara said: ~  Just as the snake is superimposed on the rope, this world and this body are superimposed on Brahman or the Soul the Self. If one gets knowledge of the rope, the illusion of the snake will vanish. Even so, if he gets knowledge of Brahman, the illusion of the body and the world will vanish.

The snake is only an idea: it disappears on inquiry but deeper Self-search reveals the fact that the rope is also an idea and its reality will be exposed when wisdom dawns. 

There is neither a snake nor a rope in reality because, from the ultimate standpoint, the duality is merely an illusion created out of consciousness.

The Soul which is present in the form of consciousness is the root element of the universe. From consciousness, the universe comes into existence. In consciousness, the universe resides. And into consciousness, the universe is dissolved.   

Consciousness is the parent of all that is there. Consciousness is the ultimate truth or Brahman or God in truth.

Remember:~

Consciousness is the only reality, and the universe too but an illusory manifestation. 

Sage Sankara said: ~A.A~ 88. When the whole universe, movable and immovable, is known to be Atman (consciousness), and thus the existence of everything else is negated, where is then any room to say that the body is Atman? 

Sage  Sankara says ~ VC-162- There is no liberation for a person of mere book knowledge, howsoever well-read in the philosophy of Vedanta, so long as one does not give up the false identification with the body, sense organs, etc., which are unreal. 

In fact, Sage Sankara states a paradox- the world is and is not. It is neither real nor unreal. It leads us to recognize the existence of Maya (illusion). He thinks that the world is illusory from one perspective and from the second it is nothing but Brahman(God), Itself in manifestation. This apparent world is Maya and has its basis in Brahman, the Eternal. It looks as real. It has names and forms and actually, it is not real In the light of true knowledge, it disappears and Self-alone shines as real. However, Sage Sri, Sankara's Mayavada has not been accepted by many preachers and philosophers.

When Sankara says clearly, the universe is not real. He says that Brahman and Atman are one. The ultimate and the Absolute Truth is the Self, which is one though appearing as many in different individuals. The individual has no reality. Only the Soul, the  Self is Real; the rest, mental and physical are but passing appearances, then it indicates the form (waking or duality or mind) is unreal and the formless soul (consciousness or Soul) is real.  Therefore, only Atman is real because there is no second thing that exists other than Atman, which is in the form of consciousness.:~Santthosh Kumaar