Verses on Sāṃkhya 2

From the assault of the threefold suffering arises the desire to know the means to eliminate it;
if [it be said that] this is useless because perceptible [means exist], no, because they lack certainty and absoluteness. // 1

“From the threefold suffering”—an introduction to this āryā verse is now made. Here, the venerable son of Brahmā was named Kapila. As it is said:
“Sanaka, Sananda, and third, Sanātana,
Āsuri, Kapila, Voḍhu, and likewise Pañcaśikha—
these seven great seers are declared to be the sons of Brahmā.”

Virtue, knowledge, dispassion, and mastery were born along with Kapila. Having been born in this way, seeing the world plunging into blinding darkness through the continuous cycle of existence, moved by true compassion, he communicated this knowledge of the twenty-five principles to a brāhmaṇa of the Āsuri gotra who desired to know, from the knowledge of which the destruction of suffering occurs:
“One who knows the twenty-five principles, in whatever stage of life he may dwell,
whether matted-haired, shaven, or with a topknot, is liberated—of this there is no doubt.”

Therefore, they say: “From the assault of the threefold suffering arises the desire to know.” In that regard, the threefold suffering is internal, environmental, and supernatural. Among these, the internal is twofold: physical and mental. The physical is caused by the imbalance of wind, bile, and phlegm, such as fever, diarrhea, and the like. The mental is separation from the pleasant, union with the unpleasant, and the like. The environmental is of four kinds: caused by the multitude of beings; it arises from humans, cattle, wild beasts, birds, reptiles, biting insects, mosquitoes, lice, bugs, fish, sea monsters, crocodiles, and immovable things, belonging to the viviparous, oviparous, sweat-born, and sprouting-born. The supernatural—supernatural belongs to the gods; or supernatural is that which originates from heaven: that which arises concerning that, such as cold, heat, wind, rain, thunderbolts, and the like. Thus, as from the assault of the threefold suffering the desire to know should be made—where? “In the means to eliminate it”: in that which is the means that eliminates that threefold suffering. “If [it be said that] this is useless because perceptible [means exist]”—if that desire to know is useless because perceptible means eliminating the threefold suffering exist. In that regard, even for the twofold internal [suffering], through the treatment of the medical science, by union with the pleasant, avoidance of the unpleasant, and decoctions of pungent, bitter, and astringent substances, the internal means is indeed perceived; for the environmental, elimination is perceived through protection and the like. “If [it be said that] this is useless because perceptible [means exist],” if you think so: “no, because they lack certainty and absoluteness.” Since elimination by a perceived means does not occur with certainty—inevitably—nor with absoluteness—permanently—therefore, the desire to know, the wish to understand, should be made elsewhere, in a means that eliminates with certainty and absoluteness. // 1