Verses on Sāṃkhya 3.4

3.4

iha --- śrutāv aikāntikam ātyantikaṃ ca phalaṃ śrūyate | atrāsya vyākhyā ---
kadācit kilendro devān upasthitān niśamya ity avocat --- bho bho devatvād anyad api kim apy asti sukham | tatas te devā ūcuḥ --- nāsty anyat sukham | ata evāsmannivāsasya nāka ity abhidhānam | kam iti sukhanāma, tasya niṣedhaḥ akam asukhaṃ tan na iti nākam | kevalaṃ sukham eva | dvau nañau prakṛtam arthaṃ gamayataḥ | tataḥ prāhendraḥ --- katham iti | tatas te ūcuḥ --- anena hetunā apāma pītavantaḥ | somaṃ yajñe somarasaṃ, tena tatpānena amṛtā amarā abhūma sampannāḥ | kiṃ ca aganma prāptavantaḥ jyotiḥ svargam | anyac ca avidāma jānīmo devān | asmin svarge iyanto devā iti vidmaḥ | kim ity ākṣepe | nūnaṃ niścitam | asmān asmākaṃ vibhaktivipariṇāmaḥ | kṛṇavat kartā | arātiḥ śatrur mṛtyuḥ | kiṃ vā dhṛtir jarā asmākaṃ kariṣyati | amṛtamartyasya amṛtapāyināṃ martyānām iti | "bahulaṃ chandasi"[ ] iti vacanavipariṇāmaḥ | evam anyo 'pi yaḥ somaṃ pāsyati tasyaikāntiko 'vaśyam ātyantikaḥ sarvathā duḥkhatrayābhighāto bhaviṣyati | ato brūmaḥ kiṃ pravrajyayā sāṅkhyajñānena vā kāryaṃ vedoktaṃ kariṣyāmaḥ | duḥkhapratīkāraś ca svargo bhāvīti vedavādināṃ vacanam upaśrutya sāṅkhyācāryas tannivāraṇāya svamatapratiṣṭhāyai ca dvitīyām āryām āha ---

Here, in scripture, an invariable and final fruit is heard. In this regard, its explanation is: Once, it is said, Indra, having noticed the gods present, said this: "O gods! Is there any happiness other than godhood?" Then those gods said: "There is no other happiness. For this very reason, our abode is named nāka (heaven). Kam is a name for happiness; the negation of that is akam, unhappiness; that it is not (na akam), hence nāka. It is pure happiness. Two negatives convey the primary meaning." Then Indra said: "How so?" Then they said: "By this cause: we have drunk (apāma), meaning we drank; Soma, meaning Soma juice in the sacrifice; through that drinking, we have become (abhūma) immortal (amṛtāḥ), meaning deathless. Furthermore, we have reached (aganma), meaning attained; the light (jyotiḥ), heaven. Moreover, we have found (avidāma), meaning we know; the gods. We know: 'So many gods are in this heaven.' Kim ('what') is used in objection. Nūnam means certainly. Asmān means of us (asmākam), by change of case ending. Kṛṇavat means he will do. Arātiḥ means an enemy, death. Or what can dhṛtiḥ (malice), meaning old age, do to us? Amṛtamartyasya means of mortals who drink the immortal nectar. The change of number is by the rule 'Variously in the Veda'. In this manner, whoever else drinks Soma will also have an invariable (necessarily) and final (in every way) warding off of the threefold suffering. Therefore we say: what is the use of renunciation or of Sāṅkhya knowledge? We will perform what is spoken of in the Veda, and heaven will be the counteraction of suffering." Having heard this statement of the proponents of the Veda, the teacher of Sāṅkhya speaks the second verse to refute it and to establish his own doctrine: