The Bhagavata Purana

by G. V. Tagare | 1950 | 780,972 words | ISBN-10: 8120838203 | ISBN-13: 9788120838208

This page describes Elucidation of Samkhya Yoga which is chapter 24 of the English translation of the Bhagavata Purana, one of the eighteen major puranas containing roughly 18,000 metrical verses. Topics include ancient Indian history, religion, philosophy, geography, mythology, etc. The text has been interpreted by various schools of philosophy. This is the twenty-fourth chapter of the Eleventh Skandha of the Bhagavatapurana.

Chapter 24 - Elucidation of Sāṃkhya Yoga

[Sanskrit text for this chapter is available]

The Lord continued:

1.[1] Now, I shall elucidate to you fully the Sāṃkhya[2] doctrine as definitely and conclusively ascertained by ancient sages (like Kapila and others). Having realized this (philosophy) thoroughly, a man can immediately shed off the illusion[3] (in the form of duality like pleasure-pain, etc.) caused by the erroneous notion of difference (between oneself and others, etc.)

2.[4] In the beginning, during the Pralaya stage (when the universe did not exist and), before the Yuga—period—(began to run its course), in the first Yuga called Kṛta when people were accurate in discriminating between the reality and its semblance or illusion, the seer (or the subjective conciousness) and the totality of the objective existence were identical (one only) undifferentiated substance completely absorbed in Brahman.

3. That entire undifferentiated Reality, viz. the Brahman is beyond the reach of speech and the mind. It (the Brahman) became (as if) dual[5] in the form of Māyā or objective existence and that which is reflected in it, viz. the Jīva.

4. Out of the two, one is Prakṛti possessing two aspects[6] (viz. the cause and effect), and the other aspect is Knowledge (Jñāna) and it designated as Puruṣa.

5.[7] From Prakṛti which was being powerfully agitated by me and by the glance of the Lord in the Puruṣa form (or by the unseen destiny of Jīva), were evolved the guṇas, viz. Sattva, Rajas and Tamas.

6. From the three guṇas was evolved the Sūtra[8]—the first modification characterised by the (cosmic) activity and then (was evolved) the Mahat (The Cosmic intelligence). The Mahat in conjunction with Sūtra underwent modification and Ahaṃkāra (Ego) was evolved therefrom. It deludes the Jīvas.

7. Ahaṃkāra[9] (egotism) is of three types: Sāttvika (or Vaikārika), Rājasa (or Taijasa) and Tāmasa. It is both intelligent and non-intelligent or material by nature and is the cause of Tan-mātrās (the subtle objects, of sound, touch etc.) cognitive senses, conative organs and the mind.

8. From the Tāmasa (type of) Ahaṃkāra, the evolutes of which are the (five) Tanmātrās, came into existence the (five) gross elements (like the sky, air, wind, etc.) From the Taijasa (or Rājasa) type came into being the (ten cognitive and conative) sense-organs. From Vaikṛta (or Sāttvika Ahaṃkāra) were evolved the eleven deities[10] (presiding over the sense-organs and the mind).

9. All these principles were impelled by me (with my energy) and were made to work conjointly. They created the egg of the universe which to me—(The Inner Controller of this Vairāja) became an excellent dwelling place.

10. In that egg laid on cosmic waters, I manifested myself (and lay as Nārāyaṇa on the sheet of that water). From my navel sprouted forth a lotus called Viśva (as it was the cause of the universe). And the ‘self-born’ god Brahmā appeared there (thus Vairāja re-manifested himself as a god with four faces).

11. Endowed with the principle of energy (rajas) and equipped with penance (and knowledge) and through my grace, god Brahmā, the Soul of the universe, created the worlds with their protecting deities, consisting of three regions, viz. Bhūr-loka (the earth with seven subterranean regions like Atala, Vitala and others), Bhuvar-loka (the aerial region above the earth) and Svar-loka (consisting of Mahar, Jana, Tapas and Satya lokas)

12. Svar-loka or heaven is the abode of gods. Bhūloka (the terrestrial globe) that of all mortal beings including men. Beyond these three regions (in maharloka, Janaloka, etc.) lies the abode of Siddhas.

13. Below our sphere of the earth, god Brahmā created the subterranean regions (known as Atala, Vitala, etc.) as the abodes of Asuras and Nāgas. All the fruits of karmas performed by those who are under the influence of three guṇas are enjoyed in the (above-mentioned) three spheres.

14. Mahar-loka, Jana-Ioka and Tapo-loka are regions free from all impurities. These are the destinations of those who practice Yoga, perform austerities or become sannyāsins. But my region, Vaikuṇṭha is the destination of those who practice the Yoga of devotion (Bhaktki).

1.

15.[11] By me, the Almighty creator in the form of time- spirit which apportions the fruits of Karmas, this world which is bound up with karmas, is made to go up (to Satya-loka) or down to the insentient stage in this stream of guṇas (according to the nature of Karmas done by these beings).

16. All beings (or objects) whether minute or big, thin or stout which are in existence, are constituted by the pair, Prakṛti and Puruṣa.

17. Whatever forms the beginning as well as the end of a thing, certainly constitutes its middle also. It is the real entity (as it pervades all the states). Modifications have been only perceptual and of practical nature, as the ornaments arc of gold or pots, of the earth.

18. The real entity at the basis of the product is that which the earlier existence adopts as the material to evolve the latter existence or that which is, in a given case, considered to be the beginning and the end of a certain effect.

19. Prakṛti is the material cause of what is regarded as sat (real existence from the practical point of view or mentioned in the previous verse). The Supreme Person is its support (presiding authority). And the Time-Spirit is the revealer of it (which does so by disturbing the equilibrium of guṇas). And I, the Brahman, constitute this triad (of Prakṛti, Puruṣa and Kāla).

20.[12] (He proves the reality of Brahman due to his persistence before, during and after the existence of the universe—). As long as my glance (the Divine Will) is there, this enormous process of creation proceeds in due order from cause to effect (or father to son) continuously. It continues for the enjoyment of the jīva (who, due to the influence of three guṇas takes birth in various species for enjoying the fruits of his Karmas) upto the end of the universe (till the glance of the Lord lasts).

21.[13] This universe (virāṭ) in which the creation (subsistence) and dissolution of the worlds (along with creatures inhabiting them) take place is pervaded by me. It (with all the fourteen spheres—bhuvanas arranged in it) becomes eligible for dissolution into its five components (the elements).

22.[14] (Here the process of involution of the universe is described).

(At the time of the dissolution of the universe due to a severe drought of one hundred years) the (bodies of I the mortal (creation) are withdrawn into the food, and the food, into the food-grains, the seeds, into the earth (which being burnt down by the solar heat from above and the poison-fire of Saṅkarṣaṇa from below) is reduced to its subtle state of smell.

23. Smell gets absorbed into waters and the waters into its essential characteristic Rasa (taste). Rasa gets dissolved into the (elemental) fire or light which (in its turn) is merged into (its essential characteristic) colour.

24. Colour is withdrawn into the element—air which is reduced to its essential property Touch. Touch gets dissolved into the ether (sky) which is reduced to its subtle state sound. The cognitive senses and conative organs get merged into their own sources (viz. their presiding deities like the Sun. Indra, Varuṇa etc.)

25. The causes (or deities presiding over senses ) get dissolved into their controller; the mind along with the deities gets merged into Sāttvika Ahaṃkāra. Sound (the essential characteristic of the ether) is dissolved into Tāmasa Ahaṃkāra and that powerful Ahaṃkāra (which includes Sāttvika, Rājasa and Tāmasa types) is withdrawn into Mahat.

26. That great and mighty principle Mahat (which possesses the potencies of knowledge and actions) highly endowed as it is with guṇas is withdrawn into its cause the three guṇas which in turn get dissolved into the Unmanifest (Prakṛti) And that Unmanifest Prakṛti becomes merged with the Time- Spirit which has ceased to function.

27. The (operation-less) Time-Spirit becomes one with the jīva, the Maker of the Universe who directs Māyā (and is full of knowledge. The jīva gets integrated with me, the birth- less (eternal) Ātman. The absolute Ātman who is to be inferred from the process of evolution and involution of the universe abides (eternally) by himself.

28. How can any illusion or misapprehension caused lay the (wrong) notion of difference, arise at all in the mind of a person who makes searching enquiries about the Ātman and how can any misconception (if arisen at all) continue (to linger) just as darkness would, after the rise of the Sun in the sky?

29. This is the process known as Sāṃkhya. This (differentiation between what is Ātman and what is Not-Ātman) cuts the knots of all doubts in one’s heart. This has been explained to you by me. The omniscient one knows all tilings great and small, or he knows the truth about cause and effect or the past, present and future, from the point of evolution and involution.

Footnotes and references:

[1]:

Bhāvāratha Dīpikā: Though the Supreme Soul is one without a second, all the quality arises through Prakṛtī and Puruṣa due to Māyā, and it (the quality) dissolves into him again. A person who realizes this after close enquiry and contemplation, becomes free from the delusion of quality.

[2]:

Sāṃkhya—(i) correct knowledge about the Prakṛti, Puruṣa and Īśvara as being distinct from one another—Bhāgavata Candrikā

(ii) Correct knowledge of the Truth (‘as it is in reality’)—Padaratnāvalī

(iii) The discriminative knowledge of what is the Soul and the nonSoul—VC.

[3]:

bhrama—The illusion in regarding one’s body as the Soul or an absolute being—Bhāgavata Candrikā

Vikalpa—(i) The body and the illusory super-impositions caused thereby—VC.

(ii) Illusions regarding one’s body, household, etc,—Siddhāntapradīpa

vide supra III Chapters 26-27.

[4]:

(1) Bhāgavata Candrikā: (i) In the Pralaya stage, before the creation of the universe, at the beginning of the creation during the incomparable Kṛta-Yuga (the first Yuga period) and in the case of persons who could discriminate between the triad of the principles called cid, acid and Īśvara, Knowledge i.e. essential nature of the Supreme Soul (Paramātman) was but one—the total identity between knowledge and its object being absolutely undifferentiated by name and form.

or (ii) Both knowledge (i.e. the essential nature or jīva) and its object (viz. Prakṛti) were entirely one, undifferentiated by name and form.

(2) Padaratnāvalī: At the beginning of the creation, in the Kṛta Yuga knowledge and its object were one (factually real). There was no scope for doubt or mistake in the correct comprehension of the objective reality.

(3) Siddhāntapradīpa: Brahman was possessed of the potencies of Prakṛti, Puruṣa etc. The Jīva (individual soul, the objective reality, Prakṛti were undifferentiated from Brahman as their cause

cf. sad eva saumya idam agra āsīt /—Chāndogya 6.2.1.

[5]:

Bhāgavata Candrikā: Assumed two forms viz. Māyā and phala (the final goal) but Kramasandarbha. takes phala as the Prakāśa viśeṣa of Brahman. According to Padaratnāvalī: In the Kṛta age, knowledge was one with reality and hence pure. In the Tretā age, it became divided and gave rise to doubt and in the Dvāpara age, it developed into perversity.

[6]:

Ubhayātmika: (i) Being of the nature of cause and effect: Bhāvāratha Dīpikā

(ii) EK. Being of a nature of both-ness, one essential Reality constituting of Śiva and Śakti aspects, both of which are non-dual—EB. 24.97-101.

[7]:

Padaratnāvalī uses mythological terminology all through. At the beginning of evolution through me were born out of Lakṣmī, Brahmā (Puruṣa) and Gāyatrī (Prakṛti). Through Lakṣmī and myself, Prakṛti evolved three forms viz. Gāyatrī, Sāvitrī and Sarasvatī presiding respectively over the guṇaṣ, Tamas, Rajat and Sattva.

[8]:

The concept of Sūtra as an evolute of guṇas and as a predecessor of Mahat is the contribution of the Bhāgavata Purāṇa. and is not found in the Classical Sāṅkhya. EK. faithfully follows the text of the Bhāgavata Purāṇa.

[9]:

Though usually translated as ‘egotism’ which is a later semantic development, its original connotation evades translation. G. J. Larsen (in his classical Sāṅkhya), suggests ‘Self-awareness’, ‘I-ness’. The latter appears to me more appropriate.

[10]:

Bhāvāratha Dīpikā enumerates them as follows: Deities presiding over quarters, the wind-god, the Sun-god, Pracetas (Varuṇa), two Aśvinīkumāras, the Fire god Indra, Upendra (God Viṣṇu), Mitra (Prajāpati) and the Moon-god. They are refulgent with their splendour and hence called devas (Prakāśa- svabhāvāt).

[11]:

Bhāvāratha Dīpikā: All destinations except the Lord’s region Vaikuṇṭha, are of short duration. A jīva can rest eternally in Vaikuṇṭha. One should give up the path of Karma and take to Bhaktiyoga. The verse thus preaches renunciation.

[12]:

Bhāgavata Candrikā The creation of the universe consisting of categories like Mahat and others, continues to proceed while I will it. The universe has two aspects—intelligent (cid) and Non-intelligent (acid) and is invested with three guṇas. As I will it, the universe exists and gets dissolved.

[13]:

Bhāgavata Candrikā: When I, through Time, will like to destroy the Brahmāṇḍa consisting of various bhuvanas or spheres for the enjoyment of jīvas, il becomes fit to disintegrate into five (gross) elements.

[14]:

Padaratnāvalī states that here the categories and their presiding deities are spoken of in the same words. (We should understand that) the deity presiding over food is absorbed in the deity presiding over seeds or food grains.

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