॥ ॐ नमो भगवते वासुदेवाय ॥
Tuesday, 18 October 2022 III.26 - In this chapter, Bhagavan Kapila explains the nature of creation which is an interplay of Purusha (Spirit) and Prakriti (Matter). This is a cardinal concept of Sankhya Yoga (pronounced as saankhya yoga).
The word Sankhya means number. In Sankhya, it states that Ourusha is one. Prakriti coexists with 24 components in a hierarchical creation through the interplay of Gunas. Kala or Time is an expression of Purusha Himself to be a controller of experiences.
Purusha allows Himself, although beyond Prakriti or Maya, to become a part of her play and becomes the conditioned soul or Jiva, experiencing everything with a sense of "I" and "Mine."
There are 72 shlokas and make heavy reading in terms of detail. For those interested, I have created a PDF and embedded it here for easy reading of the original. I shall satisfy myself by quoting and translating some key verses below.
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Bhagavan Kapila now expounded on the detailed components of creation and experience. A knowledge of this would surely liberate the knower.
स एष प्रकृतिं सूक्ष्मां दैवीं गुणमयीं विभु: । यदृच्छयैवोपगतामभ्यपद्यत लीलया ॥
T: "As a sport, Purusha, the Supreme Being, accepted Prakriti, the subtle material energy, which is invested with three Gunas, and is nothing but an expression of Vishnu Maya."
"Continuing the sport, the Purusha forgot His immutable nature, embedded Himself in Prakriti's living entities, and experienced a conditioned existence as Jiva."
Devahuti wanted to know more about Purusha and His energy, Prakriti, as they both account for the manifest and unmanifest creation.
"The Unmaifest Prakriti is called Pradhana. When manifested, it has 24 components. namely the five gross elements, the five subtle elements, the four internal senses, the five senses for gathering knowledge and the five outward organs of action.
The four internal senses are Manas, Buddhi, Chitta and Ahankara, making up what we loosely call Mind.
Manas helps in identifying experiences of the senses, Buddhi is the decision-making power, Chitta is the sum total of collective impressions that form a personality with likes and dislikes, and Ahankara is the sense of "I" and "Mine."
Bhagavan Kapila then explains in detail the elements of Mahattatva, the original golden egg, how the Lord entered into it and enlivened it, how it then became the Virat Purusha, and extended the creation.
Kala is the catalyst that enables the combination of Purusha with Prakriti for carrying on this experiential existence.
Thereafter, great detail is provided about each sense experience, its presiding deity and so on. For example, Fire is appreciated by its light and by its ability to cook, digest, destroy cold, evaporate, and give rise to hunger, thirst, eating and drinking. Fire and sight give rise to the subtle element taste which then evolves under a superior arrangement. From taste, water is produced, and the tongue, which perceives taste, is also manifested. Although originally one, taste becomes manifold as astringent, sweet, bitter, pungent, sour and salty due to contact with other substances. Similarly, odour becomes variegated as mixed, offensive, fragrant, mild, strong, acidic and so on — according to the proportions of associated substances.
Human emotions like passion, lust, desire and so on all have their basis in the hierarchical interaction of Prakriti and Purusha, the Eternal Experiencer.
I am leaving out a lot of detail which can be read by anyone interested in the referenced books mentioned at the beginning of the readings.
यथा प्रसुप्तं पुरुषं प्राणेन्द्रियमनोधिय: । प्रभवन्ति विना येन नोत्थापयितुमोजसा ॥
T: To understand how all creation functions only under the direction of Bhagavan, Kapila says that
when a man (Jiva) is sleeping, all his material assets — namely the vital energy Prana, the senses for recording knowledge Jnanendriyas, the senses for working Karmendriyas, the mind Manas and the intelligence Buddhi — all these cannot arouse him. He can be aroused only when Bhagavan or Paramatma helps him!
तमस्मिन्प्रत्यगात्मानं धिया योगप्रवृत्तया । भक्त्या विरक्त्या ज्ञानेन विविच्यात्मनि चिन्तयेत् ॥
T:"Therefore, oh Mother, that Paramatma or Bhagavan has to be worshipped with one's intelligence and devotion constantly, taking advantage of the knowledge I have imparted. That constant meditation within one's own being is the key to liberation."
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॥ ॐ नमो भगवते वासुदेवाय ॥
