Sūtra 1.15

Sanskrit text, Unicode transliteration and English translation of Sūtra 1.15:

दृष्टानुश्रविकविषयवितृष्णस्य वशीकारसंज्ञा वैराग्यम् ॥ १.१५ ॥

dṛṣṭānuśravikaviṣayavitṛṣṇasya vaśīkārasaṃjñā vairāgyam || 1.15 ||

dṛṣṭa—perceptible. anuśravika—scriptural. viṣaya—enjoyments. vitṛṣṇasya—in him or of him who is free from thirst for. vaśīkāra—supremacy, sañjñā—consciousness. vairāgyam—desirelessness.

15. Desirelessness is the consciousness of supremacy in him who is free from thirst for perceptible and scriptural enjoyments.

The Sankhya-pravachana commentary of Vyasa

[English translation of the 7th century commentary by Vyāsa called the Sāṅkhya-pravacana, Vyāsabhāṣya or Yogabhāṣya]

[Sanskrit text for commentary available]

A mind free from attachment to perceptible enjoyments, such as women, foods, drinks, and power, and having no thirst for scriptural enjoyables, such as heaven and the attainment of the states of the Videha and the Prakṛtilaya, has, when it comes into contact with such divine and worldly objects, a consciousness of its supremacy, due to an understanding of the defects of the objects, brought about by virtue of intellectual illumination. This consciousness of power is the same as the consciousness of indifference to their enjoyment, and is devoid of all desirable and undesirable objects as such. This mental state is desirelessness (vairāgya).

The Gloss of Vachaspati Mishra

[English translation of the 9th century Tattvavaiśāradī by Vācaspatimiśra]

The author describes desirelessness:—“Desirelessness is the consciousness of supremacy in him who is freed from thirst for perceptible and scriptural enjoyments.”

He describes the freedom from thirst for intelligent and non-intelligent perceptible objects:—‘women, &c.’

Power is lordship. Scripture is the Veda. Those that are known from the Veda are scriptural enjoyments, such as heaven, &c. He speaks of desire for them too: such as “heaven, &c.”

The Videhas are the disembodied, who live only in the vehicles which serve as instruments (of knowledge and action.) The state of the disembodied (vaidehya) is their state of existence.

Others believe the Prakṛti only to be the self. They meditate upon the Prakṛti, They are merged in the functional Prakṛti alone. (The functional Prakṛti is that in which the state of the equipoise has been disturbed, i.e., not the Mūlaprakṛti). The state of the Prakṛtilaya is their state of existence.

Scriptural enjoyments consist of the attainment of these states. He who is free from thirst for scriptural objects, is the same who is free from the desire of attaining heaven &c.

The question arises that inasmuch as there is absence of desire even for objects that have never been possessed, such absence too would be desirelessness if desirelessness signified only absence of desire. Therefore the commentator says:—‘when it comes into contact with such divine and worldly objects. Desirelessness is not the mere absence of desire. On the contrary, it is the consciousness of indifference to enjoyment, even though divine and, worldly objects be in contact. He renders the same plainer: ‘Is devoid of all desirable and undesirable objects as such.’

Consciousness of supremacy is the consciousness of indifference, freedom from attachment or aversion.

But then whence does it come? He explains:—‘By virtue of intellectual illumination.’

The defect of objects is contained in their being surrounded by three-fold pain. Intellectual illumination is the full recognition of this fact with the object of removing them. By virtue thereof is the understanding of the defects brought about.

The authorities speak of four stages in the unfoldment of consciousness:—The consciousness of endeavour, the consciousness of difference, the consciousness of one faculty and the consciousness of supremacy.

Attachment, &c, are the impurities of the mind. The powers of sensation, action, and thought are led by these to work up their several objects. Endeavour is the putting in of effort for burning them, so that the powers may not incline to work upon their several objects. This is the consciousness of endeavour.

When the endeavour has begun, some of the impurities are found to be ripe; others are being ripened; and others again are going to be ripened. The consciousness of difference consists in differentiating the ripe and the ripening.

When the powers become incapable of action, the wish alone remains in the mind, so far as the ripe ones are concerned. The consciousness of this state is called ‘the consciousness of the one faculty.’

When physical and ultra-physical objects of enjoyment take up the position of receding, the position of indifference even to the wish, is beyond the three stages of consciousness, and is called the consciousness of supremacy. The object of the first three having been fulfilled by this alone, they have not been mentioned separately. Thus all is plain.