Verses on Sāṃkhya 13.3

13.3

prītyātmakā aprītyātmakāḥ viṣādātmakāśca guṇāḥ sattvarajastamāṃsītyarthaḥ / tatra prītyātmakaṃ sattvaṃ prītiḥ sukhaṃ tadātmakamiti / aprītyātmakaṃ rajaḥ / viṣādātmakaṃ tamaḥ / viṣādo mohaḥ / tathā prakāśapravṛtti niyamārthāḥ / arthaḥ śabdaḥ sāmarthyavācī prakāśārthaṃ sattvaṃ prakāśasamarthamityarthaḥ / pravṛttyarthaṃ rajo niyamārthaṃ tamaḥ sthitau samarthamityarthaḥ prakāśakriyāsthitiśīlā guṇā iti / tathānyonyābhibhavāśrayajananamithunavṛttayaśca / anyonyābhibhavāḥ anyonyāśrayāḥ anyonyajananāḥ anyonyamithunāḥ anyonyavṛttayaśca te tathoktāḥ / anyonyābhibhavā iti anyonyaṃ parasparamabhibhavantīti prītyaprītyādibhirdharmmairāvirbhavanti yathā yadā sattvamutkaṭaṃ bhavati tadā rajastamasī aprītipravṛttidharmmeṇa yadā tamastadā sattvarajasī viṣādasthityātmakena iti / tathānyonyāśrayāśca dvyaṇukavadguṇāḥ / anyonyajananāḥ yathā mṛtpiṇḍo ghaṭaṃ janayati / tathānyonyamithunāśca yathā strīpuṃsau anyonyamithunau tathā guṇāḥ / uktaṃ ca /
rajaso mithunaṃ sattvaṃ sattvasya mithunaṃ rajaḥ /
ubhayoḥ sattvarajarormithunaṃ tama ucyate //

'Consisting of pleasure, consisting of displeasure, and consisting of dejection'—the meaning is: the fundamental qualities are sattva, rajas, and tamas. Therein, sattva consists of pleasure; pleasure is happiness, and it consists of that. Rajas consists of displeasure. Tamas consists of dejection; dejection is delusion. Likewise, 'their purposes are illumination, activation, and restraint.' The word 'purpose' signifies capacity: sattva has illumination as its purpose, meaning that it is capable of illumination; rajas has activation as its purpose; tamas has restraint as its purpose, meaning that it is capable of stillness. The meaning is: the fundamental qualities have the natures of illumination, action, and stillness. Likewise, 'and their functions are mutual suppression, support, generation, and consortship.' They are spoken of as such because they are mutually suppressive, mutually supportive, mutually generative, mutually consorts, and mutually operative. 'Mutually suppressive' means that they suppress one another, [that is,] they manifest through properties such as pleasure and displeasure; just as when sattva becomes dominant, then rajas and tamas [are suppressed; and rajas becomes dominant] through the property of displeasure and activation; when tamas [becomes dominant], then sattva and rajas [are suppressed] through [its property] consisting of dejection and stillness. Likewise, they are mutually supportive, like binary atoms. Mutually generative: just as a lump of clay generates a pot. Likewise, mutually consorts: just as a woman and a man are mutual consorts, so are the fundamental qualities. And it is said: / 'Sattva is the consort of rajas, rajas is the consort of sattva; / of both sattva and rajas, tamas is said to be the consort.'