Sūtra 1.25

Sanskrit text, Unicode transliteration and English translation of Sūtra 1.25:

तत्र निरतिशयं सार्वज्ञ्यबीजम् ॥ १.२५ ॥

tatra niratiśayaṃ sārvajñyabījam || 1.25 ||

25. In Him the seed of the omniscient attains infinity.

The Rajamartanda commentary by King Bhoja:

[English translation of the 11th century commentary by Bhoja called the Rājamārtaṇḍa]

[Sanskrit text for commentary available]

Having described the identity of God, the author next produces a proof that such a being exists.

[Read Sūtra 1.25]

In that God the seed of omniscience, as also of parvitude and magnitude and of knowledge of the knowers of the past, the future &c., attains its “infinity,” (niratiśaya)^[1] or highest perfection. Being the source like a seed it is called seed (vīja). It is well known that of the qualities of parvitude and magnitude, which have degrees, there is an absolute perfection. Thus, the perfection of parvitude is seen in atoms, and that of magnitude in the sky. In a similar manner knowledge and other manifest attributes of the thinking principle compared with each other must somewhere attain the highest perfection, and wherever they are in the highest perfection, that is God. Although from the general character of this inference no precise being is proved, yet in the Śāstras His omniscience and other qualities may be precisely learnt.

But how does He, without any impulse of His own,cause the union and separation of Prakṛti and Puruṣa? Such a doubt should not be entertained. Being merciful, He finds in His mercy to creation the impulse. His impulse is the wish “I shall rescue all creation (from pain) at the periodical minor and great pralayas.” What ever is desirable to one, is his impulse.

Notes and Extracts

[Notes and comparative extracts from other commentaries on the Yogasūtra]

[The logical force of this aphorism is not apparent. It is a mere assertion, and can scarcely be taken as a proof, as the Commentator puts it forward to be. He himself felt the difficulty, and escaped out of it by appealing to the authority of the Śāstra.

The Śāstra here referred to is the Sāṅkhya, and the Pātañjala Bhāṣya quotes a passage from the work of Pañchaśikha which shows that:

“The first knower, lord, and great sage, with a view to creation, in his mercy taught this science to the enquirer Suri.”—

ādividvānnirmāṇacittamadhiṣṭhāya kāruṇyāt bhagavān paramarṣi rāsuraye jijñāsumānāya tantram pravāceti.

The first knower is Kapila, who, being an incarnation of Viṣṇu, obtained the science from Sayambhu or Maheśvara.]

Having thus described the identity and proof of the existence of God, the author refers to His greatness.

Footnotes and references:

[1]:

Niratiśaya, limitness, greatness, or infinity.