Verses on Sāṃkhya 12.3

12.3

triguṇaṃ vyaktaṃ sattvarajastamāṃsi trayo guṇā yasyeti / aviveki vyaktaṃ na viveko 'syāstīti / idaṃ vyaktamime guṇā iti na vivekakarttuṃ yāti ayaṃ gaurayamaśva iti yathā ye guṇāstadvyaktaṃ yadvyaktaṃ te ca guṇā iti / tathā viṣayo vyaktaṃ bhojyamityarthaḥ sarvapuruṣāṇāṃ viṣayabhūtatvāt / tathā sāmānyaṃ vyaktaṃ mūlyadāsīvat sarvasādhāraṇatvāt / acetanaṃ vyaktaṃ sukhaduḥkhamohānna cetayatītyarthaḥ / tathā prasavadharmi vyaktaṃ tadyathā buddherahaṃkāraḥ prasūyate tasmāt pañcatanmātrāṇi ekādaśendriyāṇi ca prasūyante tanmātrebhyaḥ pañcamahābhūtāni / evamete vyaktadharmāḥ prasavadharmāntā uktā evamebhiravyaktaṃ sarūpaṃ yathā vyaktaṃ tathā pradhānamiti / tatra triguṇaṃ vyaktamavyaktamapi triguṇaṃ yasyaitanmahadādi kāryaṃ triguṇam / iha yadātmakaṃ kāraṇaṃ tadātmakaṃ kāryamiti yathā kṛṣṇatantukṛtaḥ kṛṣṇa eva paṭo bhavati / tathāviveki vyaktaṃ pradhānamapi guṇairna bhidyate anye guṇā anyat pradhānameva vivaktuṃ na yāti tadaviveki pradhānam / tathā viṣayo vyaktaṃ pradhānamapi sarvapuruṣaviṣayabhūtatvādviṣaya iti / tathā sāmānyaṃ vyaktaṃ pradhānamapi sarvasādhāraṇatvāt / tathācetanaṃ vyaktaṃ pradhānamapi sukhaduḥkhamohānna cetayatīti kathamanumīyata iha hyacetanānmṛtpiṇḍādacetano ghaṭā utpadyate / evaṃ pradhānamapi vyākhyātam / idānīṃ tadviparītastathā pumānityetadvyākhyāyate / sadviparītastābhyāṃ vyaktāvyaktābhyāṃ viparītaḥ pumān / tadyathā triguṇaṃ vyaktamavyaktaṃ cāguṇaḥ puruṣaḥ / aviveki vyaktamavyaktaṃ ca vivekī puruṣaḥ / tathā viṣayo vyaktamavyaktaṃ cāviṣayaḥ puruṣaḥ / tathā sāmānyaṃ vyaktamavyaktaṃ cāsāmānyaḥ puruṣaḥ / acetanaṃ vyaktamavyaktaṃ ca cetanaḥ puruṣaḥ sukhaduḥkhamohāṃścetayati saṃjānīte tasmāccetanaḥ puruṣa iti / prasavadharmi vyaktaṃ pradhānaṃ cāprasavadharmī puruṣo nahi kiñcit puruṣāt prasūyate / tasmāduktaṃ tadviparītaḥ pumāniti / taduktaṃ tathā ca pumāniti / tat pūrvasyāmāryāyāṃ pradhānamahetumadyathā vyākhyātaṃ tathā ca pumān tadyathā hetumadananityamityādi vyaktaṃ tadviparītamavyaktaṃ tatra hetumadvyaktamahetumat pradhānaṃ tathā ca pumānahetumānanutpādyatvāt / anityaṃ vyaktaṃ nityaṃ pradhānaṃ tathā ca nityaḥ pumān / akriyaḥ sarvagatatvādeva / anekaṃ vyaktamekamavyaktaṃ tathā pumānyapyekaḥ / āśritaṃ vyaktamanāśritamavyaktaṃ tathā ca pumānanāśritaḥ / liṅgaṃ vyaktamaliṅgaṃ pradhānaṃ tathā ca pumānapyaliṅgaḥ / na kvacillīyata iti / sāvayavaṃ vyaktaṃ niravayavamavyaktaṃ tathā ca pumān niravayavaḥ / nahi puruṣe śabdādayo 'vayavāḥ santi / kiṃca paratantraṃ vyaktaṃ svatantramavyaktaṃ tathā ca pumānapi svatantraḥ / ātmanaḥ prabhavatītyarthaḥ / evametadavyaktapuruṣayoḥ sādharmyaṃ vyākhyātaṃ pūrvasyāmāryāyām / vyaktapradhānayoḥ sādharmyaṃ puruṣasya vaidharmyaṃ ca triguṇamavivekītyādi prakṛtyāryāyāṃ vyākhyātam // 11 //

The manifest is 'endowed with the three fundamental qualities'—meaning that it possesses the three fundamental qualities: sattva, rajas, and tamas. The manifest is 'non-discriminative'—meaning that it has no discrimination. One cannot make a discrimination [thinking], 'this is the manifest, these are the fundamental qualities,' as [one would say], 'this is a cow, this is a horse'; rather, what the fundamental qualities are, that is the manifest, and what the manifest is, that is the fundamental qualities. Likewise, the manifest is an 'object'—meaning an object of consumption, because it is an object for all pure consciousnesses. Likewise, the manifest is 'common,' because it is shared by all, like a hired maidservant. The manifest is 'non-conscious'—meaning that it does not experience pleasure, pain, and delusion. Likewise, the manifest is 'productive'—as follows: from intellect the ego-maker is produced; from that the five subtle elements and eleven sense faculties are produced; from the subtle elements the five gross elements [are produced]. Thus these properties of the manifest ending with 'productive' have been stated; through these the unmanifest is of the same form—just as is the manifest, so is primary matter. Among these, the manifest is endowed with the three fundamental qualities, and the unmanifest too is endowed with the three fundamental qualities, of which this effect consisting of the great principle and the rest is endowed with the three fundamental qualities. In this world, whatever the nature of the cause, that is the nature of the effect, just as a cloth made of black threads is indeed black. Likewise, the manifest is non-discriminative, and primary matter too is not distinguished from the fundamental qualities; one cannot differentiate, saying, 'the fundamental qualities are one thing, primary matter is another'; thus primary matter is non-discriminative. Likewise, the manifest is an object; primary matter too is an object, because it is an object for all pure consciousnesses. Likewise, the manifest is common; primary matter too [is common], because it is shared by all. Likewise, the manifest is non-conscious; primary matter too does not experience pleasure, pain, and delusion. How is this inferred? For in this world, from a non-conscious lump of clay a non-conscious pot is produced. Thus primary matter too has been explained. Now this is explained: 'the person is the reverse of that, and yet similar.' The person is 'the reverse of that'—meaning the reverse of those two, the manifest and the unmanifest. As follows: the manifest and unmanifest are endowed with the three fundamental qualities, whereas pure consciousness is devoid of fundamental qualities; the manifest and unmanifest are non-discriminative, whereas pure consciousness is discriminative; likewise, the manifest and unmanifest are objects, whereas pure consciousness is a non-object; likewise, the manifest and unmanifest are common, whereas pure consciousness is non-common; the manifest and unmanifest are non-conscious, whereas pure consciousness is conscious—it experiences, [that is,] perceives, pleasure, pain, and delusion, therefore pure consciousness is conscious; the manifest and primary matter are productive, whereas pure consciousness is non-productive, for nothing is produced from pure consciousness. Therefore it is said: 'the person is the reverse of that.' As to what is said: 'and yet [the person is] similar'—that is, just as in the previous verse primary matter was explained as uncaused, so also is the person. As follows: the manifest is 'caused, impermanent,' and so on, and the unmanifest is the reverse of that; therein the manifest is caused, primary matter is uncaused, and so also the person is uncaused, because of not being produced. The manifest is impermanent, primary matter is permanent, and so also the person is permanent. [The person is] inactive precisely because of being all-pervading. The manifest is manifold, the unmanifest is single, and so also the person is single. The manifest is dependent, the unmanifest is independent, and so also the person is independent. The manifest is a mark, primary matter is devoid of marks, and so also the person is devoid of marks—it does not dissolve anywhere. The manifest has parts, the unmanifest is without parts, and so also the person is without parts, for in pure consciousness there are no parts such as sound. Moreover, the manifest is dependent on another, the unmanifest is independent, and so also the person is independent—meaning that it rules itself. Thus this commonality between the unmanifest and pure consciousness was explained in the previous verse; the commonality between the manifest and primary matter, and the difference of pure consciousness, are explained in the verse under discussion: 'endowed with the three fundamental qualities, non-discriminative,' and so on.