Sūtra 2.19

Sanskrit text, Unicode transliteration and English translation of Sūtra 2.19:

विशेषाविशेषलिङ्गमात्रालिङ्गानि गुणपर्वाणि ॥ २.१९ ॥

viśeṣāviśeṣaliṅgamātrāliṅgāni guṇaparvāṇi || 2.19 ||

viśeṣa—specialised, aviśeṣa—unspecialised. liṅga-mātra—undifferentiated phenomenal. āliṅgāni—and the noumenal. guṇa—of the qualities, parvāṇi—stages.

19. The Specialised, the Unspecialized the Undifferentiated phenomenal and the noumenal are the stages of “the qualities.”—70.

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]

This is composed for the purpose of ascertaining the differences of nature shown by ‘the qualities’ which constitute the ‘knowable.’ The Specialized, the Unspecialized, the Undifferentiated Phenomenal and the Noumenal are the stages of ‘the qualities.’

Here the elements known as Ākāśa (ether), Vāyu (Invisible gas), Tejas (Steam or visible gas), Apas (liquid) and Pṛthvī (solid) are the specialized modifications of the unspecialized soniferous, tangiferous, lumniferous, gustiferous and odoriferous measures thereof (the tanmātras, the subtle elements).

Similarly are the powers of sensation (hearing, touch, sight, taste and smell), the powers of action (speech, grasp, position, execution and generation), the eleventh Manas, which has all these as its sphere, the specialized modification of the unspecialized modification of the principle of egoism. Thus sixteen-fold is the specialized modifications of the qualities. Six are the unspecialized modifications and these are soniferous, the tangiferous, the lumniferous, the gustiferous and the odoriferous ‘ultimates’ the tanmātras. These five unspecialized modifications, the soniferous and the others, possess respectively one, two, three, four and five of the qualities of sound, &c. The sixth unspecialized modification is the Pure Egoism.

These six are the unspecialized modifications of Pure Be-ness, the Great Principle, the Mahā Ātmā. This Great Reality is the Undifferentiated Phenomenal Stage beyond the Unspecialized. In the Great Principle of Pure Be-ness do these live and grow up to their highest capacity. On involution they pass back into that state of Pure Be-ness, the great principle; and thence they pass into the state which neither IS, nor yet IS NOT, that in which it exists and yet does not; that which is Real, the Unmanifested, the noumenon, the background of all. This is their undifferentiated phenomenal modification and that which neither IS nor yet IS NOT, is the noumenal modification. The objects of the Puruṣa are no cause of the noumenal state. That is to say, the fulfilment of the objects of the Puruṣa does not act as the cause of manifestation with reference to the noumenal state, in the beginning. The fulfilment of the objeets of the Puruṣa is not, therefore, the reason of the existence of the cause. For the reason that it is nöt brought into existence by the Puruṣa’s objects it is said to be eternal. As to the three specialized states, the fulfilment of the objects of the Puruṣa becomes the cause of their manifestation in the beginning. And because the objects of the Puruṣa become the cause of their manifestation, they are said to be non-eternal. The ‘qualities,’ however follow, up all these characteristics. They are, therefore, neither born nor disappear at each stage. They only appear as it were possessed of the characteristics of birth and death, because their individual phenomena in which they of course are present, are possessed of the characteristics of dissolution and birth with reference to their past and present, &c. As (when we say) “Devadatta has become poor,” Why? Because all his cattle are dead. The death of his cattle has caused his poverty and not the destruction of his own substance. This is an analogous conception.

The Undifferentiated phenomenal (liṅga) is the next after the Noumenal (aliṅga). It exists therein as the same substance, and is distinguished from that, because the law of the order of appearance is invisible.

Similarly, the six unspecialised modifications have their being in the undifferentiated phenomenal and are distinguished from that by the order of evolution being inviolable.

Similarly are the elements and the power of sensation having their being in these unspecialized modifications, distinguished from them. And it has been said before that there is no other tattva appearing in succession after the specialized modifications. Their modifications consist of the characteristic (dharma) the secondary quality (lakṣaṇa) and condition (avasthā, accident), They will be described.—70.

The Gloss of Vachaspati Mishra

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

It is for ascertaining the different modification? of the ‘qualities’ that go to make up the knowable that this is composed

“The specialized, the unspecilized, the undifferentiated phenomenal and the noumenal are the stages of qualities.”

“The specialized”:—The unspecialized modifications are those that are free from the specialities which may be described as the quiscent, the disturbed and the forgetful. The specialized modifications are their outcomes only. They do not evolve further tatvas.

He describes them:—“Here the elements found, &c.” They are enumerated here in the order of their manifestation.

The powers of sensation and thought are the specialized modifications of the unspecialized principle of egoism, with the quality of essentiality (sattva) as the principal factor. The powers of action are the modifications of the Rājasic form of that principle. The Manas is of the nature of both and should be considered as possessing both of these as the principal factors. Here the five Tanmātras are the effects of the Will-to-be (buddhi), because they are the unspecialized modifications, just like the principle of egoism. Non-specialization consists in being the cause of further modifications.

Having enumerated the tanmātras and the principle of egoism as the unspecialized modifications, now he enumerates the specialized:—‘This is the sixteenfold, &c.’ Then he enumerates the upspecialized:—“Six, etc.” Next he illustrates by putting them together:—“And these are, &c.” The latter is in each case qualified by the former. The ‘smell vibration’ has by nature five secondary qualities. The taste vibration has by nature four; the lumniferous three, the tangiferous two, and the soniferous has but one secondary quality, namely, the sound.

Well of what are these six modifications or effects? He says:—‘They are the modifications of PURE BE-NESS.’ That which is capable of fulfilling the objects of the Puruṣa IS. Its state is signified by BE-NESS, Pure means limited by that alone. This is the Great Principle, the Mahattattva. The meaning is that whatever of work is there for fulfilling the objects of the Puruṣa, whether it appears in the shape of the enjoyables of sound, or in the shape of the discrimination of the distinction between the Puruṣa and Sattva (consciousness and the Essence of Objective matter), all has its end in the shape of the discrimination of the distinction between the Puruṣa and Sattva (consciousness and the Essence of Objective matter), all has its end in the Great Principle of the Will-to-be. This is described as the Átmā, with the object of denying its smallness by showing that it constitutes the very nature, the very being of all modifications. This is the first modification of the Prakṛti. It is a real modification, not a mere unfoldment thereof.

“Beyond the undifferentiated means divided off from it in time with reference to the other objects which are nearer to it in time, i.e., the unspecialized. This is the Maha-tattva, the Great Principle of the undifferentiated Phenomenal. In that Great Principle of Pure Be-ness lives the determining energy of all further phenomenal modifications, that is the unspecialized phenomena, because it is proved that they possess the capacity of effecting the fulfilment of the objects of the Puruṣa, possessed as they are of real existence. There they grow to their highest capacity of growth, i.e., reach that state. As to the modifications in succession of the specialized modifications of the unspecialized ones, these further modifications are characteristic secondary quality and condition. This is the end of their growth, i.e., of their further modifications.

Having thus described the order of evolution, now he describes the order of involution.

Involution means passing into latency into the antecedent modification, the determining cause of its existence, its Atmā (self). The Unspecialized modifications into which the Specialized ones have already become latent, pass back in their turn into the Pure Be-ness, the Great Mahatattva. Thence the Unspecialized modifications along with their Mahat modification pass back into the Unmanifested. It is called Aliṅga, the Noumenal, because beyond this do the phenomena pass into latency. This is the final state of latency of the phenomenal world. “That which neither IS nor yet IS NOT” is a description of this state. Its existence consists in its possessing the capacity of effecting the fulfilment of the objects of the Puruṣa. Non-existence means want of capacity to be taken into account, to force itself upon attention. It is so described, as, being beyond both thêse states of existence and non-existence. This is the meaning. The state of the equipoise of the three qualities of Essence, Inertia, and Energy is nowhere of use in fulfilling the objects of the Puruṣa. It, therefore, does not exist as such. On the other hand, it does not admit of being rejected as non-existent, like the lotus of the sky. It is, therefore, not non-existent.

Grant that. But the principles of Mahat, &c., exist as such in the state of the unmanifested also, because nothing that exists can be destroyed; and if it is destroyed it cannot be born again, because nothing that does not exist can be born. It follows, therefore, that the principles of Mahat, &c., existing in the state of the unmanifested, that state also can effect the fulfilment of the objects of the Puruṣa. How then can it be said that the unmanifested is not possessed of existence? For this reason he says:—‘That in which it exists and yet does not exist.’ This means that the cause exists in that state but not the effect as such. Although the effect exists in the cause in posse, yet it is incapable of performing its function of fulfilling the object of the Puruṣa. It is, therefore, said to be non-existent as such.

Further he says that this cause is not of the nature of a hare’s horn:—“That which is real (not asat, non-existent).” It is beyond the state of non-existence, that is, of the existence of the effect only as such. If it were like that, then it would be like the lotus of the sky and no effect would follow from that.

Having described what takes place in the case of every manifestation, now he summarizes ‘This is their undifferentiated, &c.’ ‘This’ refers to what has gone immediately before. The states of existence from the undifferentiated Phenomenal downwards are impermanent, because they have been brought into manifestation by virtue of the objects of the Puruṣa having to be fulfilled. The noumenon, however, is permanent, because it has not been brought into being by the objects of the Puruṣa. The author describes the cause:—‘The objects of the Puruṣa are no cause, &c,’

How is it, however, that the objects of the Puruṣa are no cause? He says ‘That is to say, &c.’ By using the words, ‘does not act as the cause,’ he indicates, the knowledge of the nature of the principle under discussion. This is the meaning. The fulfilment of the objects of the Puruṣa may be understood to be the cause with reference to the noumenal state, if that state bring about the enjoyment of sound, &c., or manifest the discrimination f the distinction between consciousness and Objective Existence. If, however, it did that there would be no equipoise. For this reason the objects of the Puruṣa are not understood to be the cause of the noumenal state. Hence the fulfilment of the objects of the Puruṣa is not the cause of the noumenal state. This he summarizes ‘For the reason that it is not brought into existence, &c.’ The word ITI in the text means, ‘for the reason that.’ He describes non-eternity As the three states, i.e., the undifferentiated phenomenal, the unspecialized and the specialized.”

Having described the nature of the stages, now he describes the nature of the ‘qualities,’ ‘The qualities, however, &c.’ Then he gives an illustration:—‘As for example, Devadatta becomes poor.’

The meaning is that when the entirely different phenomena of the rise, increase and decrease of his bovine wealth cause the rise and fall of Devadatta to be inferred, what need then be said of the appearance and disappearance of individual phenomena which although different from the “qualified” themselves, are yet of their very nature and not altogether different from them.

The question now is whether the order of manifestation is alterable. The answer is, ‘It is not.’ ‘The undifferentiated phenomenal is the next after, &c.’ The seeds of Nyagrodha are not certainly capable of putting forth at once the full-grown, thickly-set tree of Nyagrodha capable of protecting from the fierce heat of the sun with, the thick setting of its leaves, twigs, branches and body. The tree comes out only gradually in the ordered appearance of shoots, leaves, body and branches, brought about by contact with earth, water and heat. Here too must, therefore, be established an order of appearance proved to exist both by reason and authority.

How have the elements and the powers of sensation and action their origin in the unspecialised modifications? It has been said before in the Commentary to this very aphorism.

Now he says why the further modification of the specialized modifications into other principles has not been spoken of. ‘There is no other appearance in succession after, &c.’ Are the specialized modifications then quite unchangeable? If so, they must be permanent. For this reason he says ‘Their modifications consist of the characteristic, &c.’—19.