Verses on Sāṃkhya 4.3

4.3

mūlaprakṛtiḥ pradhānam / prakṛtivikṛtisaptakasya mūlabhūtatvāt / mūlaṃ ca sā prakṛtiśca mūlaprakṛtiravikṛtiḥ / anyasmānnotpadyate tena prakṛtiḥ kasyacidvikāro na bhavati / mahadādyāḥ prakṛtivikṛtayaḥ sapta / mahābhūtāditi buddhiḥ buddhyādyāḥ sapta buddhi 1 ahaṃkāraḥ 2 pañcatanmātrāṇi 5 etāni saptaprakṛtivikṛtayaḥ / tadyathā / pradhānādbuddhirutpadyate tena vikṛtiḥ pradhānasya vikāra iti saivāhaṃkāramutpādayati ataḥ prakṛtiḥ / ahaṃkāro 'pi buddherutpadyata iti vikṛtiḥ sa ca pañcatanmātrāṇyutpādayatīti prakṛtiḥ / tatra śabdatanmātramahaṃkārādutpadyata iti vikṛtistasmādākāśamutpadyata iti prakṛtiḥ / tathā sparśatanmātramahaṃkārādutpadyata iti vikṛtistadevaṃ vāyumutpādayatīti prakṛtiḥ / gandhatanmātramahaṃkārādutpadyata iti vikṛtistadevaṃ pṛthivīmutpādayatīti prakṛtiḥ / rūpatanmātramahaṃkārādutpadyata iti vikṛtistadevaṃ teja utpādayatīti prakṛtiḥ / rasatanmātramahaṃkārādutpadyata iti vikṛtistadevaṃ āpa utpādayatīti prakṛtiḥ / evaṃ mahadādyāḥ sapta prakṛtayo vikṛtayaśca / ṣoḍaśakaśca vikāraḥ pañcabuddhīndriyāṇi pañcakarmmendriyāṇi ekādaśaṃ manaḥ pañcamahābhūtāni eṣa ṣoḍaśako gaṇo vikṛtireva / vikāro vikṛtiḥ / na prakṛtirna vikṛtiḥ puruṣaḥ // 3 //

"Root nature" is primary matter, because it is the root of the seven modifications of nature. And it is both a root and nature; hence root nature is "not a modification". It does not arise from anything else; because of that, it is nature, not a transformation of anything. "The seven, intellect and the rest, are modifications of nature": intellect, beginning with the great principle—the seven beginning with intellect are: intellect (1), the ego-maker (2), the five subtle elements (5)—these seven are modifications of nature. To explain: intellect arises from primary matter; by that, it is a modification, a transformation of primary matter. That very [intellect] produces the ego-maker; therefore it is nature. The ego-maker too arises from intellect, so it is a modification; and it produces the five subtle elements, so it is nature. Among them, the sound subtle element arises from the ego-maker, so it is a modification; from it space arises, so it is nature. Likewise, the touch subtle element arises from the ego-maker, so it is a modification; that likewise produces wind, so it is nature. The smell subtle element arises from the ego-maker, so it is a modification; that likewise produces earth, so it is nature. The form subtle element arises from the ego-maker, so it is a modification; that likewise produces fire, so it is nature. The taste subtle element arises from the ego-maker, so it is a modification; that likewise produces water, so it is nature. Thus, the seven beginning with intellect are both natures and modifications. "And the sixteenfold transformation": the five faculties of cognition, the five faculties of action, the mind as the eleventh, and the five gross elements—this group of sixteen is modification alone. A transformation is a modification. Pure consciousness is "neither nature nor a modification". // 3