Verses on Sāṃkhya 14.3

14.3

atra yat pūrvasyām āryāyām abhihitaṃ sattvalakṣaṇaṃ tal laghutvaprakāśakalakṣaṇaṃ ca | yadā sattvam utkaṭaṃ bhavati devadatte tadā laghūny aṅgāni, viśuddhānīndriyāṇi svaviṣayagrahaṇasamarthāni bhavanti | tadā mantavyam adya me sattvam utkaṭatvena vartate | iṣṭaṃ ca svarūpasādhanahetutvāt | upaṣṭambhakaṃ calaṃ ca rajaḥ | upaṣṭambhakaṃ prerakamunnāḍir ity arthaḥ | yathā mattavṛṣo vṛṣaṃ dṛṣṭvā uddhato bhavati tadvat | athavā garvaś calā kriyety arthaḥ | evaṃ yasmin devadatte yajñadatte vā raja utkaṭaṃ bhavati sa kalahaṃ mṛgayate | kiṃ cānyat calacittaś ca bhavati grāmaṃ gacchāmi striyaṃ kāmaye tapaḥ karomi ityādi | evaṃ nityam utsukamanā bhavati | etad rajolakṣaṇam | tama āha --- guru varaṇakam eva tamaḥ | yad gurutvam āvaraṇatvaṃ cāsti tat tamaḥ | yadā gurūṇy aṅgāni bhavanti | indriyāṇy alasāni svaviṣayagrahaṇāsamarthāni bhavanti | tadānīṃ mantavyam etat tama utkaṭatvena vartata iti | tasmāj jātyantarāṇy eva sattvarajastamāṃsi | yat punar abhyadhāyi --- strī kṣatriyā meghaś ceti | atra traye 'pi brūmaḥ | sattvaṃ rajastamasī āśritya svena rūpeṇāṅgāṅgibhāvaṃ gacchati | tasyāpakārād duḥkham utpadyate | evaṃ rajastamasī yojye | parasparaviruddhānāṃ guṇānāṃ katham ekā vṛttir bhavatīty atrāha --- parasparaviruddhāḥ śatravo na hy ekam arthaṃ kurvanti | ime ca guṇāḥ parasparaviruddhā api puruṣārthaṃ kurvanti | kutaḥ | pradīpavac cārthato vṛttiḥ | pradīpena tulyaṃ pradīpavat | arthataḥ kāryavaśāt | parasparaviruddhānām apy amīṣāṃ vṛttir dṛṣṭā | yathā tailāgnivarttikāsaṃyogāt parasparaviruddhā api padārthāḥ saṃhatya ekam arthaṃ prakāśarūpaṃ niṣpādayanty evaṃ guṇā api parasparaviruddhāḥ saṃhatya puruṣārthaṃ kurvanti //

Here, the characteristic of sattva stated in the previous verse is that its characteristic is buoyancy and illumination. When sattva becomes dominant in Devadatta, then his limbs are buoyant, and his sense faculties are purified and capable of grasping their own objects. At that time, it should be understood: 'Today my sattva is present in a dominant state.' And it is 'held to be' [such] because it is the cause of accomplishing its own nature. 'Rajas is stimulating and active': 'stimulating' means prompting, haughty, this is the meaning. Just as an intoxicated bull, having seen another bull, becomes belligerent, so it is. Or else, arrogance, [meaning] restless activity, is the meaning. Thus, in whichever Devadatta or Yajñadatta rajas becomes dominant, he seeks a fight. Moreover, he also becomes restless in mind: 'I will go to the village, I will desire a woman, I will perform austerities,' and so forth. Thus he is always anxious-minded. This is the characteristic of rajas. Regarding tamas, he says: 'Tamas is indeed heavy and obscuring.' That which has heaviness and obscuration is tamas. When the limbs become heavy, and the sense faculties are sluggish and incapable of grasping their own objects, at that time it should be understood that this tamas is present in a dominant state. Therefore, sattva, rajas, and tamas are indeed of different kinds. As for what was said before: 'A woman, a warrior woman, and a cloud'—to this threefold [argument] we reply: Sattva, having relied on rajas and tamas, goes into a relation of principal and subordinate through its own form. Suffering arises from its injury. In the same way, rajas and tamas are to be applied. If it is asked here: How does a single functioning belong to constituents that are mutually contradictory? [We reply:] Enemies who are mutually opposed do not accomplish a single purpose. Yet these constituents, even though mutually contradictory, accomplish the purpose of the spirit. Why? 'And like a lamp, their functioning is for the purpose [of spirit].' 'Like a lamp' means similar to a lamp. 'For the purpose' means on account of the effect. Their functioning is observed even though they are mutually contradictory. Just as from the combination of oil, fire, and wick, even items that are mutually opposed unite to accomplish a single purpose in the form of light, so too the constituents, even though mutually opposed, unite to accomplish the purpose of the spirit.