Verse 3.7.16-17

Sanskrit text, Unicode transliteration and English translation of verse 3.7.16-17:

संदर्शनं प्रार्थनायां व्यवसाये त्वनन्तरा ।
व्यवसायस्तथारंभे साधनत्वाय कल्पते ॥ १६ ॥
पूर्वस्मिन् या क्रिया सैव परस्मिन् साधनं मता ।
सन्दर्शने तु चैतन्यं विशिष्टं साधनं विदुः ॥ १७ ॥

saṃdarśanaṃ prārthanāyāṃ vyavasāye tvanantarā |
vyavasāyastathāraṃbhe sādhanatvāya kalpate || 16 ||
pūrvasmin yā kriyā saiva parasmin sādhanaṃ matā |
sandarśane tu caitanyaṃ viśiṣṭaṃ sādhanaṃ viduḥ || 17 ||

16-17. Seeing leads to desire, the latter to decision and decision to effort. That which was action before becomes the means in the next stage. As far as seeing is concerned, it is the self which must be considered to be the special means.

Commentary

The view of the Bhāṣyakāra that action can also become the means in the accomplishment of other actions is now explained.

[Read verse 16-17 above]

[It has been said that whatever helps another is its means or power. It is not merely things which can be means or power for the accomplishment of actions. Action itself can be so. It has been said in the M. Bhā. that, not only that for which the object (Karma) is destined is the recipient (sampradāna) but also that for which action is desined [designed?] as in ‘patye śete’. Somebody sees a thing, then desires it, decides on a course of action, then acts, completes his action and attains the object. Each previous act becomes the means for the accomplishment of the succeeding one. The agent attains each succeeding act by his previous act. By seeing (saṃdarśana) he attains desiring; by desiring (prārthanā) he attains decision (vyavasāya) and so on. Thus each later stage comes under the definition of ‘karma’. That is what the M. Bhā. means by saying: kriyāpi kṛtrimam karma (M. Bhā. I. p. 330. 1.21). Seeing well or seeing all round is what is meant by saṃdarśana. It is a kind of contemplation of the ultimate fruit. It becomes the means for the accomplishment of prārthanā, desire relating to the means of obtaining the fruit. Desire does arise when the object is seen. The next stage is the decision that a particular action will lead to the attainment of the fruit. It is the previous act of desiring which leds to this. Desire leads to decision and the latter to activity, because it is due to decision that one begins Durposeful activity. That which was action in the previous stage becomes the means (sādhana) in the next stage. As far as the action of seeing itself is concerned, it is the self who experiences the objects that is the sādhana, the self that is capable of desiring the fruit. Even though action is a process and not an accomplished thing, yet it becomes a thing as soon as it is completed and so it can be a. sādhana].

It is now stated that the word do-er (kāraka) has been applied to the agent (kartā) etc. in accordance with the true meaning of the root in that word.