136 -  Dialogue between Vasiştha & Janaka (contd.)

Vasiştha said: 

1. The Sāṁkhya school of philosophy has so far been recounted unto you, O excellent king. Now listen to me and understand Vidya and Avidyā in the proper order. 

2. They say that Avyakta is non-differentiated during creation and annihilation. Twenty principles are called Vidya and Avidya, and they are characterized by creation and annihilation. 

3. Some principles are Vidyas and some are Avidyas; understand them in their proper order. O dear one, understand the recapitulation of the school of Samkhya, as mentioned by the sages. 

4. The sense-organs are Vidya of the organs of action. Similarly (Tanmåtras?) are the Vidyā of the sense-organs. 

5. Learned men say that the mind is Vidya of the objects of pleasure. They say that the five elements are the Vidya of the mind. 

6. Ahamkára is the Vidya of five elements. So, o lord of men, Ahamkāra is Vidya and Buddhi is also Vidya. 

7. Prakruti is the Vidya of Buddhi. Avyakta, the Unmanifest, is the Vidyā of principles. O excellent one among men, Vidhi is also Vidya. 

8. They say that Avyakta is Apara (having nothing greater than it). It is the twenty-fifth principle and it is Vidya. Everything is mentioned as the Vidyå of Jñeya (which should be known) and Jñana (knowledge). 

9. Avyakta is mentioned by the word Jñāna while the Jñeya is the twenty-fifth principle. Similarly, Jñāna is Avyakta and the twenty-fifth principle is Vijñātr (knower). 

10. Vidya and Avidyā have been briefly mentioned by me. What is known as Aksara and Kshara, understand that from me. 

11. Both of these are called Ksara. Both of these are Anaksara. I shall mention the reason thereof in relation to knowledge. 

12. Both of them are without beginning and without end. Both of them are supreme. Both of them are known as Tattva by persons who think about Jñana. 

13. Due to the function of creation and annihilation they call Avyakta as unchanging. For the creation of Gunas it undergoes change again and again. 

14. The origin of Guņas and Mahat etc. is mutual. They call Adhişthäna (basis) the Kșhetra (field). This is the twentyfifth principle. 

15. One shall reduce the cluster of Gunas within, into the manifest Ātman. Therefore the ego gets dissolved in the twentyfifth principle along with its Guņas. 

16. Guņas get dissolved in Guņas. Therefore, Prakruti shall be one. Even the Kșhetrajña is made Kșhetrajña (i.e. the individual soul). 

17. When Prakruti characterised by Guņas gets into the Aksara there is Nirgunatva (state of being devoid of Guņas) in the body because of alteration in Guņas. 

18. It is in this very same way that Kşhetrajña (gets disolved) by the decrease of the knowledge of Kşhetra. We have heard that it is naturally devoid of Gunas. 

19. When this becomes Kşhara it knows Prakruti possessed of Guņas, among Gunas and also Prakruti devoid of Gunas of the Atman. 

20. Morever, he becomes pure avoiding Prakruti and realising "I am different from Prakruti”. 

21. Then he attains freedom from pain. It does not mixed with Prakruti, O great king. It is quite a different one that is mixed and that is seen by others. 

22. When he treats with contempt the Gunas, pertaining to Prakruti, he sees the great one. 

23-25. “What has been done by me so far? I have been immersed in the ocean of time. Just as the fish in the sea identifies itself with the water and adapts itself to it, so also I identify myself with the different persons due to delusion. The fish does not understand its difference from water due to ignorance. Since I slight the Atman I do not understand it or anything else. 

26. Fie upon me whose intellect has become vitiated and who have become immersed in this. Due to delusion I have followed it up, I have followed different persons (?) 

27-30. This fellow is my relative. He may experience my decline in strength. I have attained similarity and identity with this fellow. I am of the same type as this fellow. I perceive equality here. I am like him. Indeed this fellow is free from impurities. It is clear. I am also like this then. Due to ignorance and delusion I have acted like this along with the ignorant Prakruti. I have remained all this due to this contact. So I have been captivated by it and I did not become enlightened so far with regard to persons of noble nature, middlings or lowly ones. How can I associate with it? .

31. Due to the state of not being enlightened I had associated with Māya. Now I have become free. 

32-33. Now I shall not associate with it. The fact that I who am free from aberrations have been deceived by Maya which is an aberration, is not its fault. It is my fault for I had been attached to it and I had been approached by it with face turned away. 

34. Therefore, I have been stationed in this in multifarious forms. Though, really I am devoid of form I assume forms. Though devoid of form, though actually unembodied, I have been overwhelmed by my-ness. 

35-36. Therefore aberrations have been created by that Prakruti in the course of different births. Though I am devoid of my-ness (actually) aberrations have been created by the same my-ness. I have been born in various wombs and while  remaining there, my mind had been devoid of consciousness, Equality has not been achieved by me due to Ahamkāra (Ego). 

37. After splitting itself into many he joins me once again. Now I am enlightened. I am devoid of my-ness. I am devoid of egoism, 

38. The evil quality of my-ness is always generated in the mind and caused by Ego. After abandoning this which has clung to me I shall resort to the state free from ailment. 

39. I shall identify myself with this (i.e. the soul) and not with Prakruti which often misleads. My welfare is with the soul and not with Prakruti." 

40. Thus by addressing the greatest, the twenty-fifth principle is awakened. After abandoning the Kshara he attains the state of Akşhara devoid of ailment. 

41. (He attains the state Akşhara that is Avyakta (unmanifest) and Nirguna (devoid of Guņas) after abandoning the Kșhara that is Vyaktadharma (whose attributes are manifest) and Saguna (possessed of Guņas). After seeing the Nirguna first, О king of Mithila, he becomes similar to it. 

42. Thus the example of Aksara and Kșhara has been ex- plained to you by me as it has been expounded in the Vedas. It is richly endowed with knowledge. 

43. It is free from doubts. It is subtle, pure and free from impurities. I shall explain it once again in the manner heard by me. Understand it. 

44. The philosophy of the schools of Samkhya and Yoga has been recounted by me with examples from the two systems. What is stated in the Samkhya is the same which is stated in the Yoga system. 

45-48. The Jñana of the Samkhyas, O ruler of the Earth, is conducive to the awakening (of the soul). It is clearly explained with a desire for the welfare of disciples. 

Moreover, scholars say that this system is very comprehend- sive. In this system, O lord of men, a principle other than the twenty-five, viz. Rebirth is included. 

The greatest principle of the Samkhyas has been duly des- cribed. That is Buddha (enlightened), Apratibuddha (un- enlightened), and Budhyamăna (that is being enlightened). 

They say that Budhyamăna Buddhatva (the state of being enlightened that is being understood) is the Yogic principle.