Sūtra 2.12

Sanskrit text, Unicode transliteration and English translation of Sūtra 2.12:

क्लेशमूलः कर्माशयो दृष्टादृष्टजन्मवेदनीयः ॥ २.१२ ॥

kleśamūlaḥ karmāśayo dṛṣṭādṛṣṭajanmavedanīyaḥ || 2.12 ||

12. The residua of works have affliction for their root, and are felt (either) in (his manifest birth, (or) in the unmanifest one.

The Rajamartanda commentary by King Bhoja:

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

[Sanskrit text for commentary available]

Having thus defined the true character of the afflictions he, with a view to explain the residua of works, says:

[Read Sūtra 2.12]

By the term “residua of works” (karmāśaya) the nature of the residua is explained, for all works are of the form of residua. By (the phrase) Have affliction for their root” (kleśamūlaḥ) their cause is indicated, for of good or evil works the afflictions are the cause. By (the phrase) “felt in this manifest birth, or in the unmanifest one,” the fruition is described. What is felt in the present existence is called “felt in this manifest birth” (dṛṣṭajanma-vedanīyaḥ); that which is to be felt in another existence is called “felt in an unmanifest one,” (adṛṣṭajanma-vedanīyaḥ). Thus, some virtuous actions, such as the worship of the gods and the like performed with excessive ardour, produce fruits even in this life in the form of kind, age, or experience. Thus, to Nandīśvara, through the influence of bis worshipping the lord Maheśvara, change of kind was secured even in this life. Similarly to Viśvāmitra and others kind and age accrued through the force of penance. In the case of some kind alone is changed. Thus in the case of Nahusa [Nahuṣa?] and others performing vicious acts with excessive ardour kind alone was changed. So Urvaśī was metamorphosed into a creeper in the garden of Kārtikeya. Thus is the rule to be explained distributively or collectively.

Notes and Extracts

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

[The leading word in this aphorism is karmāśaya. Formed of karma “works” and āśaya “virtue and vice,” it implies the results which follow from the performances of works. The word āśaya has been accepted in aphorism 24, chapter I, to be the equivalent of vāsanā and saṃskāra, and for the sake of concordance, and in accordance with the commentators, I render it here in that sense, inasmuch as the results do not manifest immediately, but remain latent to even a second or subsequent life in the form of residua.

The works are described to have afflictions for their root, because all works proceed from ignorance, egoism, desire, aversion, and tenacity for life, technically called the five afflictions, (II, III). No work can be performed unless impelled by one or other of these five, and so they are the roots of the residua that are left behind. The fruits of these residua are borne either collectively or singly, and at different times, either in this life or in a subsequent one, and the commentator cites instances to prove this. The story of Nandīśvara becoming a demigod occurs in the Vṛhannandikeśvara [Bṛhannandikeśvara] Purāṇa. The Rāmāyaṇa and some of the Purāṇas give the story of Viśvāmitra, a Kṣatriya by birth, becoming a Brāhmaṇa. The Mabābhārata relates the story of Nahusa [Nahuṣa] being changed into a snake by a curse. The story of Urvaśī’s becoming, like another Daphne, a creeper, occurs in the drama of Vikramorvaśī.]

Now he describes the varieties and distinctions of the residua of works with their fruits.