Sūtra 2.34

Sanskrit text, Unicode transliteration and English translation of Sūtra 2.34:

वितर्का हिंसादयः कृतकारितानुमोदिता लोभक्रोधमोहपूर्वका मृदुमध्याधिमात्रा दुःखाज्ञानानन्तफला इति प्रतिपक्षभावनम् ॥ २.३४ ॥

vitarkā hiṃsādayaḥ kṛtakāritānumoditā lobhakrodhamohapūrvakā mṛdumadhyādhimātrā duḥkhājñānānantaphalā iti pratipakṣabhāvanam || 2.34 ||

vitarkāḥ—the thoughts of sin are. hiṃsādayaḥ—the causing of injury to others and the rest, kṛta—done, Kārita, caused to be done. anumoditāḥ—and permitted to be done, lobha—desire. krodha—anger, moha—ignorance. pūrvakāḥ—preceded by. mṛdu—slight, madhya—middling. adhimātrāḥ—and intense. duḥkha—pain, ajñāna—unwisdom. ananta—infinite. phala—result, fruit. Resulting in an infinity of pain and unwisdom, thus, pratipakṣa—to the contrary, bhāvanam—thinking.

34. The sins are the causing of injury to others and the rest. They are done, caused to be done and permitted

to be done; they are preceded by desire, anger and ignorance; they are slight, middling and intense; their result is an infinity of pain and unwisdom; thus comes the habit-of-thinking to the contrary.—85.

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]

Of these the causing of injury to others:—It is of three descriptions, that which is done, that which is caused to be done and that which is permitted to be done. Each again is three-fold. Prompted by desire of gain, as in the case of one who desires to obtain flesh and skin; prompted by anger as in the case of a man who has received some injury; done through ignorance of the real nature of an act, under the impression that the act proposed is a virtue.

Desire, anger and ignorance are again three-fold, slight, middling and intense. Thus there are twenty-seven modifications of injury caused to others.

Mild, middling and intense are again three-fold each; Mild-mild, Middling-mild, and Mild-intense. Also Middling-mild, Middling-middling, and Middling-intense. Also Intense-mild, Intense-middling, and Intense-intense. Thus injury is of eighty-one descriptions.

This again becomes infinite on account of rule (niyama), option (vikalpa) and conjunction (samuccaya). Similarly should this be applied to untruthfulness, &c.

The contrary tendency consists in the notion that these immoral tendencies cause an infinity of pain and untrue cognition. This means that pain and unwisdom are the unending fruits of these immoralities, arid that in this idea lies the power which causes the habit of the contrary trend of thought.

Further more the injurer first overpowers the strengths of the victim; then gives him pain by blows from weapons; then takes his life even.

Now as a consequence of overpowering strength, his intelligent and non-intelligent means of enjoyment lose the power of causing enjoyment. By causing pain he suffers pain among animals, earth-bound disembodied spirits, &c., and in hell. By taking life he lives every moment in a state of waning life. He is so much troubled that he prefers and longs for death; and yet, inasmuch as the effects of pain must run their course, he somehow lives on. And if somehow these acts of injury be mixed up with virtue, he is full of enjoyment but short-lived.

These observations may also be applied to untruthfulness, &c., as far as may be. Thus making himself familiar with the undesirable consequences of these sins, he no longer allows his mind to rest over evil acts. The habituation to the contrary tendencies becomes the cause of removing the sins. When these become characterised by non-productivity, then power caused by them becomes, to the Yogī, the indication of his success.—85.

The Gloss of Vachaspati Mishra

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

These sins having different natures, modes, characteristics and fruits, and each of these being an object of habituation to the contrary tendency, he now describes them by the aphorism, with the object of describing the nature of the contrary tendency:—‘The sins are the causing of injury to others, &c.’ Explains:—‘Now as the injury, &c.’ Rule (niyama) and untrue cognition and their combinations co-exist with the sins of injury, &c., on account of the infinity of differentiation among living beings. Then, vice causing the intensification of inertia, arises unwisdom also, which is nothing more than the four classes of untrue cognition. For this reason they fructify as unwisdom also. Thus the thought of their fruition as an immensity of pain and unwisdom is also an habituation to the contrary tendency. The author renders the same contrary tendency clearer. ‘First overpowers the strength, i.e., his activity, the free motions of the body of the victim, that is the animal, Ac., to be killed.’ By binding to the sacrificial pillar the animal loses the light of his life. The rest is very plain.

The restraints and observances have been described. The removal of their tendencies by means of the habituation to the contrary tendency has also been described. There being thus no obstacles left, now he describes the indications of the success of these practices. By knowing these the Yogī having attained what he has undertaken, turns towards the work which is yet to be done. For this reason he says ‘When these become characterized, &c.’—34.