What has been said--the Sânkhya rejoins--as to the impossibility of the
Pradhâna not guided by an intelligent principle constructing this
variously constituted world, is unfounded; for the Pradhâna may be
supposed to act in the same way as milk and water do. Milk, when turning
into sour milk, is capable of going by itself through a series of
changes: it does not therefore depend on anything else. In the same way
we observe that the homogeneous water discharged from the clouds
spontaneously proceeds to transform itself into the various saps and
juices of different plants, such as palm trees, mango trees, wood-apple
trees, lime trees, tamarind trees, and so on. In the same way the
Pradhâna, of whose essential nature it is to change, may, without being
guided by another agent, abide in the interval between two creations in
a state of homogeneousness, and then when the time for creation comes
modify itself into many various effects due to the loss of equilibrium
on the part of the gunas. As has been said '(the Pradhâna acts), owing
to modification, as water according to the difference of the abodes of
the several gunas' (Sânkhya Kâ. I, 16). In this way the Unevolved acts
independently of anything else.
To this reasoning the Sûtra replies 'there also.' Also, in the instances
of milk and water, activity is not possible in the absence of an
intelligent principle, for these very cases have already been referred
to as proving our position. The Sûtra II, 1, 24 (where the change of
milk into sour milk is instanced) meant to prove only that a being
destitute of other visible instruments of action is able to produce its
own special effect, but not to disprove the view of all agency
presupposing an intelligent principle. That even in water and so on an
intelligent principle is present is proved by scriptural texts, 'he who
dwells in water' and so on.
3. And because from the independence (of the Pradhâna) there would
follow the non-existence of what is different (from creation, i.e. of
the pralaya condition).
That the Pradhâna which is not guided by an intelligent principle is not
the universal cause is proved also by the fact that, if we ascribe to it
a power for change independent of the guidance of a Lord capable of
realising all his purposes, it would follow that the pralaya state,
which is different from the state of creation, would not exist; while on
the other hand the guidance of the Pradhâna by a Lord explains the
alternating states of creation and pralaya as the effects of his
purposes. Nor can the Sânkhya retort that our view gives rise to similar
difficulties in so far, namely, as the Lord, all whose wishes are
eternally accomplished, who is free from all imperfection, &c. &c.,
cannot be the originator of either creation or pralaya, and as the
creation of an unequal world would lay him open to the charge of
mercilessness. For, as explained before, even a being perfect and
complete may enter on activity for the sake of sport; and as the reason
for a particular creation on the part of an all-knowing Lord may be his
recognition of Prakriti having reached a certain special state, it is
the deeds of the individual souls which bring about the inequalities in
the new creation.--But if this is so, all difference of states is caused
exclusively by the good and evil deeds of the individual souls; and what
position remains then for a ruling Lord? Prakriti, impressed by the good
and evil deeds of the souls, will by herself modify herself on such
lines as correspond to the deserts of the individual souls; in the same
way as we observe that food and drink, if either vitiated by poison or
reinforced by medicinal herbs and juices, enter into new states which
render them the causes of either pleasure or pain. Hence all the
differences between states of creation and pralaya, as also the
inequalities among created beings such as gods, men, and so on, and
finally the souls reaching the condition of Release, may be credited to
the Pradhâna, possessing as it does the capability of modifying itself
into all possible forms!--You do not, we reply, appear to know anything
about the nature of good and evil works; for this is a matter to be
learned from the Sastra. The Sastra is constituted by the aggregate of
words called Veda, which is handed on by an endless unbroken succession
of pupils learning from qualified teachers, and raised above all
suspicion of imperfections such as spring from mistake and the like. It
is the Veda which gives information as to good and evil deeds, the
essence of which consists in their pleasing or displeasing the Supreme
Person, and as to their results, viz. pleasure and pain, which depend on
the grace or wrath of the Lord. In agreement herewith the Dramidâkârya
says, 'From the wish of giving rise to fruits they seek to please the
Self with works; he being pleased is able to bestow fruits, this is the
purport of the Sâstra.' Thus Sruti also says, 'Sacrifices and pious
works which are performed in many forms, all that he bears (i.e. he
takes to himself); be the navel of the Universe' (Mahânâr. Up. I, 6).
And in the same spirit the Lord himself declares,'From whom there
proceed all beings, by whom all this is pervaded--worshipping him with
the proper works man attains to perfection' (Bha. Gî. XVIII, 46); and
'These evil and malign haters, lowest of men, I hurl perpetually into
transmigrations and into demoniac wombs' (Bha. Gî. XVI, 19). The divine
Supreme Person, all whose wishes are eternally fulfilled, who is all-
knowing and the ruler of all, whose every purpose is immediately
realised, having engaged in sport befitting his might and greatness and
having settled that work is of a twofold nature, such and such works
being good and such and such being evil, and having bestowed on all
individual souls bodies and sense-organs capacitating them for entering
on such work and the power of ruling those bodies and organs; and having
himself entered into those souls as their inner Self abides within them,
controlling them as an animating and cheering principle. The souls, on
their side, endowed with all the powers imparted to them by the Lord and
with bodies and organs bestowed by him, and forming abodes in which he
dwells, apply themselves on their own part, and in accordance with their
own wishes, to works either good or evil. The Lord, then, recognising
him who performs good actions as one who obeys his commands, blesses him
with piety, riches, worldly pleasures, and final release; while him who
transgresses his commands he causes to experience the opposites of all
these. There is thus no room whatever for objections founded on
deficiency, on the Lord's part, of independence in his dealings with men,
and the like. Nor can he be arraigned with being pitiless or merciless.
For by pity we understand the inability, on somebody's part, to bear the
pain of others, coupled with a disregard of his own advantage. When pity
has the effect of bringing about the transgression of law on the part of
the pitying person, it is in no way to his credit; it rather implies the
charge of unmanliness (weakness), and it is creditable to control and
subdue it. For otherwise it would follow that to subdue and chastise
one's enemies is something to be blamed. What the Lord himself aims at
is ever to increase happiness to the highest degree, and to this end it
is instrumental that he should reprove and reject the infinite and
intolerable mass of sins which accumulates in the course of beginning
and endless aeons, and thus check the tendency on the part of individual
beings to transgress his laws. For thus he says: 'To them ever devoted,
worshipping me in love, I give that means of wisdom by which they attain
to me. In mercy only to them, dwelling in their hearts, do I destroy the
darkness born of ignorance with the brilliant light of knowledge' (Bha.
Gî. X, 10, 11).--It thus remains a settled conclusion that the Pradhâna,
which is not guided by an intelligent principle, cannot be the general
cause.--Here a further objection is raised. Although Prakriti, as not
being ruled by an intelligent principle, is not capable of that kind of
activity which springs from effort, she may yet be capable of that kind
of activity which consists in mere transformation. For we observe
parallel cases; the grass and water e.g. which are consumed by a cow
change on their own account into milk. In the same way, then, Prakriti
may on her own account transform herself into the world.--To this the
next Sûtra replies.