Sarvadarshanasangraha 6

English (machine translation) 6

Language: English

6.1

Now the Nakulīśa-Pāśupata philosophical system [is examined]. //6

Certain Māheśvaras—disliking that Vaiṣṇava doctrine on the grounds that dependence, conveyed by terms such as servitude, causes suffering and therefore is not the locus of the desired end of suffering, and desiring supreme sovereignty—resort to the Pāśupata scripture which teaches the five principles as the means to the highest good, accepting as a means of valid cognition inferences such as: 'Those regarded as liberated by our opponents are not liberated, because they are dependent and devoid of supreme sovereignty, like ourselves and others'; and 'Liberated souls are related to the attributes of the Supreme Lord, because, being conscious spirits, they are devoid of the seeds of all suffering, like the Supreme Lord.'

6.3

Here, this is the first aphorism: 'Now then, we shall explain the rule for the Pāśupata yoga of the Lord of Souls.' Its meaning is: Here, the word 'now' depends on what has preceded. What has preceded is the disciple's question to the teacher. The nature of the teacher is defined in the Gaṇakārikā:

6.4

"Eight pentads are to be known, and one group consisting of a triad.

6.5

The knower of this group of nine, who performs the consecration, is called a teacher."

6.6

"Attainments, impurities, and means; localities, stages, and purifications;

6.7

initiators, and powers are the eight pentads; three are the modes of livelihood."

6.8

Where 'tisro vṛttayaḥ' should have been used, 'trīṇi vṛttayaḥ' is an archaic Vedic usage. Among these, the attainment is the fruit of the means being prescribed. It is of five kinds, divided into knowledge, penance, divinity, permanence, and purity. Ācārya Haradatta has said regarding this:

6.9

"Knowledge, penance, then permanence, stability, and fifthly, purity."

6.10

Impurity is a defective condition residing in the self. It is of five kinds, divided into false knowledge and the rest. He has also stated this:

6.11

"False knowledge, and demerit, the cause of attachment, and likewise lapse,

6.12

and the root, creaturehood—these five are to be abandoned in the treatise through discrimination."

6.13

The means is the cause of purity for the practitioner; it is of five kinds, divided into dwelling in holy places, conduct, and the rest. He has also said this:

6.14

"Dwelling in a holy place, conduct, recitation of mantras, meditation, and constant remembrance of Rudra,

6.15

and surrender—these are determined to be the five means for the attainments."

6.16

That by which, preceded by contemplation of the goal, one obtains an increase of knowledge and penance is the locality, such as the teacher, ordinary people, and the rest. As he has said:

6.17

"The teacher, ordinary people, a cave, a cremation ground, and Rudra alone."

6.18

A stage is the state of abiding, characterized by qualifications such as the manifest, of one who remains within a single discipline until the acquisition of the attainments.

6.19

It has been said:

6.20

"The manifest, the unmanifest, conquest, severance, and indeed the fifth is the end."

6.21

Purification is the complete removal of false knowledge and the rest. It is of five kinds according to the distinction of the counter-entities [to be removed]. It has been said:

6.22

"Destruction of ignorance, of demerit, and of that which produces attachment,

6.23

destruction of lapse, and of creaturehood—purification is remembered as fivefold."

6.24

The pentad of initiators has also been stated:

6.25

"The substance, the time, the rite, the image, and the teacher as the fifth."

6.26

And the pentad of powers:

6.27

"Devotion to the teacher, clarity of mind, victory over the dualities,

6.28

merit, and alertness—power is remembered as fivefold."

6.29

For the purpose of lightening the fifth impurity, the modes of livelihood are means of acquiring food that do not conflict with the traditional scriptures, designated as begging, abandoned food, and whatever is obtained by chance. All the rest is to be understood from the primary texts alone.

6.30

By the word 'then' (ataḥ), the end of suffering is taught, because its purpose is the inquiry into the removal of the threefold suffering beginning with the internal. By the word 'paśu' (creature/individual soul), the effect is indicated, because it expresses that which is dependent. By the word 'pati' (Lord), the cause is indicated, because it expresses the Lord who is the cause of the world, based on the principle that the Lord is the master, the ruler. Yoga and vidhi (rule) are well known.

6.31

In that context, the end of suffering is twofold: without the self and with the self. Among them, that without the self consists in the absolute annihilation of all sufferings. But that with the self is supremacy characterised by the powers of vision and action. There, the power of vision, though single, is metaphorically described as fivefold according to the difference of objects: seeing, hearing, reflecting, discriminating knowledge, and omniscience. Among them, seeing is knowledge regarding all visible, tactile, and other objects, subtle, concealed, or remote. Hearing is accomplished knowledge regarding all sound. Reflecting is accomplished knowledge regarding all thoughts. Discriminating knowledge is accomplished knowledge, in word and meaning, regarding all treatises without remainder, by which one's own system is proclaimed. Omniscience is accomplished knowledge, pervaded by truth and ever-arisen, concerning all objects mentioned or unmentioned, in summary, detail, distinction, and particularity. This is the power of intellect.

6.32

The power of action, though single, is metaphorically described as threefold: swiftness like thought, assuming forms at will, and possessing faculty without organs. Among them, swiftness like thought is acting with unsurpassed speed. Assuming forms at will is governing, by one's mere will, independent of karma and the like, endless organs of uniform, distinct, or similar character. Possessing faculty without organs is being related to unsurpassed supremacy even when organs are withdrawn. This is the power of action.

6.33

The effect is all that is not independent. It is threefold: knowledge, constituent principle, and the bound soul. From the knowledge of these comes the cessation of doubt and the like.

6.34

There, knowledge is a quality of the bound soul. That also is twofold, owing to the difference of having the nature of awareness or non-awareness. That having the nature of awareness is twofold, owing to the difference of operation as discrimination or non-discrimination. It is called the mind; for by the mind every living being cognizes an object, aided by the illumination that is awareness, whether generally discriminated or non-discriminated. There, the operation as discrimination is manifested solely by a means of valid cognition.

6.35

Knowledge of the nature of non-awareness, on the other hand, consists in the merit and demerit of the bound soul. The constituent principle is insentient while being dependent upon a sentient being. That also is twofold: termed effect and termed cause. Among them, that termed effect is of ten kinds: the five principles beginning with earth and the five qualities beginning with color. That termed cause is of thirteen kinds: the set of five organs of perception, the set of five organs of action, and the threefold internal organ characterised by intellect, ego-sense, and mind, according to the distinction of the functions known as resolution, self-appropriation, and conception.

6.36

The bound soul is that which is connected with bondage. It also is twofold: with stain and without stain. Among them, that with stain is connected with body and organs, whereas that without stain is devoid of them. But its detailed explanation should be seen in the commentary on the *Pañcārtha* and other works.

6.37

The cause is that which performs all creation, dissolution, and grace. Although it is one, its division with respect to distinctions of quality and action is stated as: 'the Lord, the existent, the primal,' and so on. There, lordship is the unsurpassed power of vision and action; existence is eternal connection with that supremacy; being primal is connection with unacquired supremacy. Thus it has been determined by the author of the *Ādarśa* and other teachers.

6.38

Yoga is the cause of the connection between the self and the Lord through the medium of the mind. And it is twofold: characterised by action and characterised by the cessation of action. Among them, that characterised by action consists of recitation, meditation, and the like, whereas that characterised by the cessation of action is designated as resting, consciousness, attainment, and so forth.

6.39

Injunction is the activity that accomplishes dharma. And it is twofold: primary and secondary. Among them, the primary is conduct, which is the direct cause of dharma. That is twofold: observances and doors. There, bathing with ash, lying on ash, offerings, recitation, and circumambulation are the observance. That is stated by the blessed Nakulīśa: 'One should bathe with ash at the three junctures of the day; one should lie on ash.'

6.40

Here, offering is a rule of observance. And it has six limbs. That is stated by the author of the sūtras: 'One should attend with the sixfold offering of laughter, singing, dancing, the huḍuk-sound, bowing, and muttered prayer.' There, laughter is loud laughter saying 'aha-ha', accompanied by the expansion of the throat and lips.

6.41

Singing is the contemplation of reasons, such as qualities and attributes belonging to Maheśvara, in accordance with the rules of the musical treatises. Dancing also is to be performed according to the treatise on dramaturgy, with the lifting up and [lowering] of the hands, feet, and so forth, along with major limbs, minor limbs, and subsidiary parts, accompanied by emotional states and their absence. The huḍuk-sound is a sacred sound resembling the bellow of a bull, produced by the contact of the tongue and palate; 'huḍuk' is an onomatopoeic word, like 'vaṣaṭ'. Where worldly people are present, all this is to be performed secretly; the rest is well known. The doors, however, are pretending to be asleep, trembling, limping, exhibiting lust, acting improperly, and speaking nonsense. Among them, pretending to be asleep is showing signs of sleep even when one is not asleep. Trembling is shaking the limbs of the body as if seized by a wind disorder. Limping is walking as if the power of one's feet were damaged. Exhibiting lust is when, upon seeing a lovely woman endowed with beauty and youth, one displays oneself as if amorous through gestures. Acting improperly is doing deeds censured by the world as if devoid of discernment between what is to be done and what is not to be done. Speaking nonsense is uttering contradictory, meaningless, or similar words. The secondary injunction, however, is an aid to conduct, such as subsequent ablution, for the purpose of removing the notion of impurity caused by alms, remnants of food, and the like. That too has been stated by the author of the sūtras: 'Possessing subsequent ablution and wearing the remnants of offering as mark.'

6.42

In that connection, summary is the mention of the subject alone; and that was done in the very first sūtra. Detail is the fivefold statement of the five categories by means of valid cognition; that should indeed be seen in the commentary of Rāśīkara. Distinction is the statement of these, as far as possible, through their definitions without confusion; that indeed has been set forth. Particularity is the exposition of these through their superiority of qualities in comparison to other systems. For example: elsewhere, the end of suffering is the mere cessation of suffering; here, however, it is also the attainment of supreme power. Elsewhere, the effect is that which comes into being after having not been; here, however, the bound soul and the rest are eternal. Elsewhere, the cause is dependent; here, however, the Lord alone is independent. Elsewhere, yoga has fruits such as isolation; here, however, it has supreme power and the end of suffering as fruit. Elsewhere, injunction has as fruit heaven and the like, which are of the nature of return; here, however, it has as fruit proximity [to Śiva] and the like, which are of the nature of non-return.

6.43

[Objection:] Surely this is a great piece of sorcery—that the Supreme Lord is an independent cause. For if that were the case, two defects would result: the fruitlessness of action (karman) and the simultaneous production of all effects.

6.44

Do not think thus, because [the objection] has a different locus.

6.45

If the Lord were an independent cause, then what would follow regarding the fruitlessness of action? If [it is argued that] it is an absence of purpose—the absence of whose purpose is the cause of the fruitlessness of action? Is it of the agent of action, or of the Lord? Not the first, because action favored by the Lord's will is shown to be fruitful, and when not favored by it, it may sometimes be fruitless, like the action of Yayāti and others. Nor does this imply a non-undertaking of actions, since [it] is justified as in the case of farmers and the like, and because the activity of bound souls (paśu) depends upon the Lord's will. Nor is it the second, because the Supreme Lord, being one whose desires are fully realized, has no dependence on a purpose to be accomplished by action. As for what was said regarding simultaneous production, that too is improper, because it is accepted that the Supreme Lord, who possesses unthinkable power, brings about effects through an unimpeded power of action conforming to his will. Thus it was said by those who know the tradition:

6.46

"Because he is independent of action and the rest, and acts according to his own will,

6.47

therefore, by virtue of causality, he is stated in the scripture to be the cause of all causes."

6.48

[Objection:] But surely liberation is obtained from knowledge of the Lord in other philosophical systems as well; whence, then, is this distinction? If this is urged, do not speak thus, because the alternative positions do not stand to reason. Is mere knowledge whose object is the Lord the cause of emancipation, or is it direct realization, or is it the ascertainment of the principles as they truly are? Not the first, for if liberation were achieved merely by the arising of the knowledge that "Mahādeva is the sovereign of the gods," even without scripture, like an ordinary person, the study of scripture would be pointless. Nor the second, for bound souls whose eyes are of flesh, laden with an accumulation of many impurities, cannot have direct realization of the Supreme Lord. In the third [alternative], it results in our doctrine, because the ascertainment of the principles as they truly are cannot be achieved without the Pāśupata scripture. Thus it was said by the teachers:

Translations (1)

The Sarva-darśana-saṃgraha, or Review of the Different Systems of Hindu Philosophy — Edward Byles Cowell & Archibald Edward Gough 1882, English

Linked texts (1)

Sarvadarśanasaṅgraha — Mādhava, Sanskrit