Sarvadarshanasangraha 7.6

7.6

asyārthaḥ/ uktās trayaḥ padārthā yasmin santi tat tripadārthaṃ vidyākriyāyogacaryākhāś catvāraḥ pādā yasmiṃs tac catuścaraṇaṃ mahātantram iti/ tatra paśūnām asvatantratvāt pāśānām acaitanyāt tadvilakṣaṇasya patyuḥ prathamam uddeśaḥ/ cetanatvasādharmyāt paśūnāṃ tadānantaryam/ avaśiṣṭānāṃ pāśānām ante viniveśa iti kramaniyamaḥ/ dīkṣāyāḥ paramapuruṣārthahetutvāt tasyāś ca paśupāśeśvarasvarūpanirṇayopāyabhūtena mantramantreśvarādimāhātmyaniścāyakena jñānena vinā niṣpādayitum aśakyatvāt tadavabodhakasya vidyāpādasya prāthamyam/ anekavidhasāṅgadīkṣāvidhipradarśakasya kriyāpādasya tadānantaryam/ yogena vinā nābhimataprāptir iti sāṅgayogajñāpakasya yogapādasya taduttaratvam/ vihitācaraṇaniṣiddhavarjanarūpāṃ caryāṃ vinā yogo ’pi na nirvahatīti tatpratipādakasya caryāpādasya caramatvam iti vivekaḥ/

The meaning of this [is as follows]: It has three categories in that it contains the three stated categories; it has four quarters in that it contains the four quarters called knowledge (vidyā), ritual action (kriyā), yoga, and conduct (caryā)—this is the great tantra. Among these, because bound souls are non-independent and fetters are non-conscious, the first mention is of the Lord, who is distinct from both. Bound souls come immediately after him due to their common property of being conscious. The remaining fetters are placed at the end: such is the fixed sequence. Because initiation is the cause of the highest aim of human existence, and that cannot be accomplished without knowledge which serves as the means for determining the essential nature of the bound soul, the fetter, and the Lord, and which ascertains the greatness of the mantras, the lords of mantras, and the like, the knowledge-quarter comes first. Immediately following it is the ritual-quarter, which exhibits the multifaceted rules of initiation along with its auxiliary parts. Because the desired attainment is not possible without yoga, the yoga-quarter, which makes known yoga along with its limbs, comes next. Because even yoga does not succeed without conduct consisting in performing the enjoined and avoiding the prohibited, the conduct-quarter, which expounds that, comes last: this is the distinction.