Puruṣa in the Śāntiparva

Both Prakṛti and Puruṣa are eternal and indestructible. They cannot be known by their likes either. Both occupy the supreme position, supreme to all. Both are with similarities and dissimilarities. Prakṛti is bestowed with three qualities. Creation is the sole proprietor of creation. The Kṣetrajña attributes which is considered to be true is different. The changes of Prakṛti is conceived by Puruṣa. He takes precedence of all qualities. The comprehension of Puruṣa and supreme soul is difficult. The qualities of both make it difficult to distinguish and it is differentiated from everything else. A turban is wound in three circles on a head. Likewise the soul also has three folds or qualities; Goodness, Darkness and Ignorance. It is amazing to know that even though the soul has three folds or qualities, it is not identical. As man is united with Nature, he too has been bestowed with the attributes of birth and death. Though he perceives all these attributes, yet he is devoid of all these but is still an object of perception. The reality is that he is devoid of all these attributes. On account of his birth and death originating from the fact of his living in union with Nature, he thinks himself to be no other than what he apparently is knowing himself as this or that, he follows the qualities of Goodness, Darkness and Ignorance. Ignorance leads to hell. Darkness leads to the status of humanity. Goodness leads people to the regions of the Gods and great happiness is attained^[1]. In this way the twenty fifth viz., the wise say by union with the unmanifest, becomes changed into destructible. By means of knowledge, however, the indestructible appears in his true nature. A male and female are complementary. A female cannot conceive without a male and so also a male cannot be a creator.^[2] On account of their union with each other and each depending upon the qualities of the other, forms are seen to spring up. This is the case with all orders of being.

Avidyā is that which is subjected to creation and destruction. Vidyā is the Puruṣa which is above the attributes of creation and destruction. This is superior to all the twenty four principles. The sense of knowledge and action is called Vidyā. Vidyā is also the object of the knowledge. Vidyā is sense of knowledge, its objects are Mind, five subtle essence, consciousness, Greateness, the unmanifest nature, creator and the soul. Vidyā can also be said as the unmanifest knowledge and above the four and twenty. Nature and individual soul are eternal and is supreme. Some are of the view that both Nature and individual soul are principles and beyond destruction. Puruṣa, the twenty fifth is called Kṣetra because Puruṣa and the unmanifest depend mutually; Puruṣa is also the producer of the principles of beginning with greateness, which is the modification of unmanifest. Being destructible, he assumes attributes. By gaining the real nature, he is successful in understanding the condition of showing all attributes. Then Nature differs from soul and starts realising it. Then the soul is the purest of all, without any stains. When the union of co individual soul and Nature breaks up, he unites with Brahma. But when there is any relation with Nature, he is separated from Brahma. In the ocean of Ignorance, he migrates like a fish from water to water thinking of nothing else but only the element of water. Man too is like a fish not knowing anything else, but the material life as an element.

Unmanifest Nature is Ignorant. Whereas Puruṣa is empowered with knowledge and it is his nature. The soul is always conscious of its supreme position. The unmanifest Nature combined with soul loses its inanimate and unintelligent character and becomes the most animate, intelligent and Eternal. Here the union with soul makes the unmanifest Nature imbibe the qualities attributed to soul. Liberation is not acquired due to Ignorance and by not understanding the own nature of the soul. The supremacy of the soul makes him accept the principles of Nature. The matter of creation-agency makes him possess the quality of creation. He partakes the seeds of creation and is subject to decay and destruction. He being the witness and he being the lone is freed from everything which is unmanifest and unstable. Nature is one but souls are many, these are called the Sāṃkhyas.

Soul is entirely different from nature. It is unstable but is seen as stable. It is compared to the reed as different from its outer cover, so is the soul. The lotus leaf lies afloat on as a separate entity on water but does not become one with water. Puruṣa is called by different names in the Mahābhārata Three qualities are bestowed to it on the basis of producing principles. The non-universe is said to be the Puruṣa without attributes. Aśva is female and male, Mitra is Soul, Varuṇa is nature and ‘Kah’ is answered as soul^[3]. Nature is subjected to change whereas soul is unchangeable and the knowable is soul and the unknowable is Nature. Nature is something which keeps on moving and results in the process of creation and destruction. The soul which is rigid helps in this process. In the process of creation Nature cannot be destroyed. So Prakṛti which unborn is not subject to destruction. The soul can never be destroyed or changed.^[4] The one who enquires about Nature will come to know of its diverse forms. It is at the time of Destruction, Nature takes unity and at the time of creation diversity. In short, Nature takes the form of Diversity and Unity.

The human body is affected by five frailties’. They are Desire, Anger, Fear, Sleep and Breath. This can be seen in all living creatures. The wise one who has realised the self can overcome these faults. They cut off desire with renouncement, anger with forgiveness, sleep is conquered with good deeds; carefulness overrules fear and by practising abstemious diet breath can be erased.^[5] The soul which is free from all, especially merits and demerits, enters the supreme one and is void of all attributes and becomes blessed. The soul will never return from there. It can be found only in the mind along with sense. At the great master’s command they come again to satisfy this command. One must not crave for liberation without knowledge. Yati has knowledge and desire so he will succeed in attaining liberation of peace.^[6] The soul is invisible.

The senses will never help seeing the soul. The senses are not stagnant but always wandering. The wise who has erased desire sees the soul. But the evil, vicious mind desirous all ephemeral pleasures will never see the soul. Those who have understood Nature, that is everything even its changes, the Puruṣa and Prakṛti and free from desire is sure to attain the Liberation.^[7]

Pluralism of Puruṣa

In the 350^th chapter of the Śāntiparva the question whether the Puruṣa is one or many is being asked. In the Sāṃkhya and the Yoga systems the Puruṣa is said to be many. Many are of the view, that is those who follow this system consider that there is many Puruṣa. The scriptures have described many souls but these are from the supreme soul and the universe with all its paraphernalia belongs to that soul which is supreme.^[8] The many souls are of the one who is supposed to be self-created. Brahma is the self-created and creator of many souls. The one and single soul is nothing else other than the infinite soul. That infinity supports the many souls by acting as a base. This is so because from the base sprouts up branches and so also the souls. If the many souls make themselves free from all attributes and be qualified to enter into that one competent soul, which is free from all attributes and which is the supreme of the supremes and which is the one with the universe. So individual souls are inseperable from the infinite supreme soul.^[9]

Footnotes and references:

[1]:

tāmasānirayaṃyāṃtirājasāmānuṣānatha |
sātvikādevalokāyagacchaṃtisukhabhāginaḥ || Mahābhārata XII, 302-47.

[2]:

ṛte tu puruṣaṃ nehastrī garbhadhārayatyuta |
ṛtestriyaṃnapuruṣorūpaṃnirvartayettathā || Mahābhārata XII, 305-2.

[3]:

Mahābhārata XII, 318–38, 39.

[4]:

calāṃ tu prakṛtiṃ prāhuḥ kāraṇaṃ kṣaya sargayoḥ |
ākṣepasargayoḥ kartā niścalaḥ puruṣaḥ smṛtaḥ || Śāntiparva , XII, 318–43.

[5]:

Śāntiparva , 301, 55–57.

[6]:

Śāntiparva , 301-99.

[7]:

vikāraṃ prakṛtiṃ caiva puruṣaṃ ca sanātanam
yo yathāvad vijānāti sa vitṛṣṇo vimuṭacyate || Śāntiparva , 217-37.

[8]:

bahavaḥ puruṣā lokesāṃkhyayogavicāraṇe |
naitadicchanti puruṣamekaṃ kurukulodvaha || Śāntiparva , 350–2.

[9]:

ādhāraṃ tu pravakṣyāmi ekasya puruṣasya te |
bahūnāṃ puruṣāṇāṃ sa yathaikāyonirucyate ||
tathā taṃ puruṣaṃ viśvaṃ paramaṃ sumahattamam |
nirguṇaṃ nirguṇā bhūtvā praviśanti sanātanam || Mahābhārata XII. 350 -26, 27.