Pramāṇa · Search · About · API

Matharavritti 44

English (machine translation) 44

Language
English

44.1

Here [an opponent] asks: It was previously said that the subtle body transmigrates perfumed by conditions. What then are these conditions? To this it is said:

44.2

Inherent, natural, and acquired conditions such as virtue and the rest
are seen to reside in the instrument, while those beginning with the uterine germ reside in the effect. //

44.3

Three kinds of conditions are considered. Among them, some are inherent, some natural, and some acquired. Among these, first, as for the inherent ones: as in the case of the lord Kapila, the supreme sage, when he was born at the primal creation, these four conditions were born along with him: virtue, knowledge, dispassion, and lordship. These are called inherent. As for those called natural: the sons of Brahmā, namely Sanaka and the others, were born. For them, when their effects and instruments had arisen, being embodied, at just sixteen years of age these four conditions arose suddenly, like finding a treasure. And these are called natural conditions. As for the acquired ones: those that arise with reference to the form of a teacher and so on are called acquired. Making the teacher the cause, knowledge arises; from knowledge, dispassion; from dispassion, virtue; from virtue, lordship. In this way, these four conditions also occur in people like us. Just those are called acquired. Thus these conditions have been explained as threefold, perfumed by which the subtle body, beginning with the great one, transmigrates. Here [the opponent] asks: Virtue, knowledge, dispassion, lordship; vice, ignorance, lack of dispassion, lack of lordship—where do these eight conditions reside? They have been seen by ancient sages to reside in the instrument. The instruments are said to be thirteen, by virtue of the division into sensory, motor, and internal instruments. Resting upon them, the eight conditions operate. For it has been said: "Determination is the intellect; virtue, knowledge, dispassion, lordship..." and so on. What is more: "while those beginning with the uterine germ reside in the effect." Just as the subtle body enters the womb of the mother at the time of conception, the mother's blood and the father's semen cause the growth of that subtle body. The uterine germ, the vesicle, the lump of flesh, the embryo, childhood, youth, old age, and the rest arise caused by the essence of food and drink. With respect to that it is said: "while those beginning with the uterine germ reside in the effect." The mention of the uterine germ is for the purpose of dispassion. //