Where does the story about the snake and rope come from?

[Hari]

It's very common and stunning story which shows the nature of reality. But where does it come from?

[Nagaraj]

Dear Ramana, This very elucidating light is found in Adi Shankara's Vivekachoodamani, verse 110: शुद्धद्वयब्रह्मविभोधनाश्या सर्पभ्रमो रज्जुविवेकतो यथा । रजस्तमःसत्वम् इति प्रसिद्धा गुणास्तदीयाः प्रथितैः स्वकार्यै ॥११०॥ By realisation of pure, non-dual Brahman, Maya can be destroyed, just as the illusion of the snake is removed by the discriminative knowledge of the rope. Its Gunas are Tajas, Tamas and Sattwa, distinguished by their respective functions. The mighty power of delusion only exists like the snake in the snake-rope phenomenon. The illusion of the serpant can be destroyed by the knowledge of the rope, which is the reality behind the delusion. Salutations to Bhagavan

Salutations to Bhagavan

[Subramanian.R]

There are typical paradoxes, like snake and rope, silver and oystershell, water and mirage etc,.
We find this in Sri Sankara's but I am not sure whether these arebin Upanishads and Brahma
Sutras. It is mentioned in all advaitic works, like Naishkarmya Siddhi, Panchadasi etc.

Arunachala Siva.