Verses on Sāṃkhya 43.3

43.3

puruṣārthaḥ kartavya iti pradhānasya tāvat pravṛttiḥ | sa cārtho dvividhaḥ | śabdādyupalabdhilakṣaṇo guṇapuruṣāntaropalabdhilakṣaṇaś ca | śabdādyupalabdhir brahmalokādiṣu bhogāvāptir guṇapuruṣāntaropalabdhir mokṣa iti | tasmād uktam --- puruṣārthahetukam idaṃ sūkṣmaśarīram iti | kiṃ cānyat --- nimittanaimittikaprasaṅgena | tatra nimittaṃ dharmādyaṣṭavidham | tat purastāt vakṣyāmaḥ "dharmeṇa gamanam ūrdhvam" ityādi | prakṛtiḥ pradhānam | vibhutvaṃ prabhutvaṃ tasya yogāt(tadvibhutvayogāt) | yathā kaścid rājā prabhutvayogena svarāṣṭre yad yad icchati tat tat karoti | evaṃ pradhānam api prabhutvayogena mānuṣyaṃ vā daivaṃ vā tairyagyonyaṃ vā kurute | evaṃ sūkṣmaśarīraṃ trayodaśavidhena karaṇena saṃyuktaṃ hastinyā udara praviśya hastī bhavati | strīśarīraṃ praviśya manuṣyo bhavati | paśur bhavati | tasmāt naṭavad vyavatiṣṭhate liṅgam //

The activity of primordial matter is for the sake of fulfilling the purpose of the spirit. And that purpose is twofold: characterized by the experience of sound and other [objects], and characterized by the perception of the difference between the constituents and the spirit. The experience of sound and other [objects] is the attainment of enjoyment in the worlds of Brahmā and others; the perception of the difference between the constituents and the spirit is liberation. Therefore it is said: this subtle body is caused by the purpose of the spirit. What is more: "through the connection of cause and effect." There, cause is eightfold, beginning with virtue. We will state that further on: "By virtue there is upward motion," and so forth. Nature is primordial matter. Pervasive power is lordship; through connection with it (through connection with its pervasive power) [it acts]. Just as a king, through connection with lordship, does whatever he desires within his kingdom, so primordial matter too, through connection with lordship, makes [a rebirth] human, divine, or animal. Thus the subtle body, joined with the thirteenfold instrument, entering the belly of an elephant becomes an elephant; entering the body of a woman becomes a human; it becomes a beast. Therefore, the subtle body acts like an actor. //