Verses on Sāṃkhya 15.2

15.2

yo 'py ayam avivekyādir gaṇaḥ prasavadharmyantaḥ sa vyakte 'pi siddho 'vyakte 'pi siddhaḥ | kathaṃ gamyate | traiguṇyāt | yat triguṇaṃ tad aviviktam, yad aviviktaṃ tad viṣayaṃ, yad viṣayaṃ tat sāmānyaṃ, yat sāmānyaṃ tad acetanam, yad acetanaṃ tat prasavadharmi | tasmād avivekyādir guṇas traiguṇyād eva siddhaḥ | tadviparyayābhāvāt | iha hi yatra tantavas tatraiva paṭaḥ yatra paṭas tatraiva tantavaḥ, yas tantūn paśyati sa paṭaṃ paśyati, yo vā paṭaṃ paśyati sa tantūn paśyati | evam eva tantupaṭayor iva vyaktāvyaktayoḥ sambandhaḥ | dūre hi pradhānaṃ sannikṛṣṭe vyaktam | yo hi vyaktaṃ paśyati sa cāvyaktam api paśyati | yo vā yogī pradhānaṃ paśyati sa vyaktam api paśyati | tasmād viparyayābhāvād avivekyādigaṇena siddham avyaktam | itaś ca siddham | kāraṇaguṇātmakatvāt kāryasyāvyaktam api siddham | kāraṇasya guṇāḥ kāraṇaguṇās te ātmā svabhāvo yasya tadbhāvaḥ kāraṇaguṇātmakatvam | ātmaśabdaḥ svabhāve vartate | kāraṇaguṇasvabhāvatvāt kāryasya | iha loke yadātmakaṃ karaṇaṃ tadātmakam eva kāryam api bhavati | kāraṇānugatatvāt kāryasya | yathā kaṭunimbavṛkṣāt kaṭur eva raso bhavati madhurāc ca madhuro drākṣādirasaḥ | tasmād avivekyādigaṇena siddham avyaktam | tatra yad uktaṃ bhavatā tat katham evaṃ jñāyate avyaktam avivekyādigaṇena yuktam iti tad evam eva tribhir hetubhiḥ pratipāditam | atrāha --- iha loke yan na vidyate tan nāsti | yathā dvitīyam anīśvaraśiraḥ, tṛtīyaḥ pāṇiḥ, śaśaviṣāṇaṃ, vandhyāputrikābhrūvilāsādayo vā | naiva tāvat pradhānapuruṣāv upalabhyete, tau kathaṃ hi sta iti gamyate | himavata upalagaṇaparimāṇaṃ nopalabhyate | kiṃ tan nāsti? evaṃ pradhānapuruṣāv anupalabhyamānāv apy upalabhyete hetubhiḥ | tāṃś ca hetūn upariṣṭād vakṣyāmaḥ //

Even this group, beginning with 'undiscriminating' and ending with 'productive of offspring', is established in the manifest and established in the unmanifest as well. How is this understood? 'From possessing the three constituents.' That which possesses the three constituents is undiscriminating; that which is undiscriminating is an object; that which is an object is common; that which is common is insentient; that which is insentient is productive of offspring. Therefore, the property beginning with 'undiscriminating' is established precisely from possessing the three constituents. 'From the absence of contrary nature between them.' For in this world, where the threads are, right there is the cloth; where the cloth is, right there are the threads; he who sees the threads sees the cloth, or he who sees the cloth sees the threads. Just like this is the relation between the manifest and the unmanifest, like that of threads and cloth. For primordial matter is distant, while the manifest is near. He who sees the manifest sees also the unmanifest. Or the yogin who sees primordial matter sees also the manifest. Therefore, from the absence of contrary nature, the unmanifest is established as having the group beginning with 'undiscriminating'. And it is established from this as well: 'Because the effect possesses the nature of the causes' constituents, the unmanifest also is established.' The constituents of the cause are the cause-constituents; that which has them as its self (ātman), its intrinsic nature—the condition of that is 'possessing the nature of the causes' constituents'. The word 'self' (ātman) occurs in the sense of intrinsic nature. Because the effect has the intrinsic nature of the constituents of its cause. In this world, of whatever nature the cause is, of that very nature the effect also is, because the effect follows the cause. Just as from the bitter neem tree only bitter juice comes, and from sweet [vines] sweet juice of grapes and so forth. Therefore, the unmanifest is established as possessing the group beginning with 'undiscriminating'. As for what was said by you there: 'Then how is it known that the unmanifest is endowed with the group beginning with "undiscriminating"?', that is demonstrated in this very way by three reasons. Here someone says: 'In this world, that which is not found does not exist, like a second head of someone who is not Śiva, a third hand, the horn of a hare, or the playful movements of the eyebrows of a barren woman's daughter. Primordial matter and spirit are simply not perceived; how then is it understood that the two exist?' The measure of the number of stones of the Himālaya is not perceived. Does it not exist? In this way, primordial matter and spirit, even though not being perceived, are perceived through reasons. And those reasons we shall state further on.