"'"Vasishtha said, 'I have thus far discoursed to thee on the Sankhya
philosophy. Listen now to me as I tell thee what is Vidya (knowledge) and
what is Avidya (Ignorance), one after the other. The learned say that
that Prakriti, which is fraught with the attributes of Creation and
Destruction, is called Avidya; while Purusha, who is freed from the
attributes of Creation and Destruction and who transcends the four and
twenty topics or principles, is called Vidya. Listen to me first as I
tell thee what is Vidya among successive sets of other things, as
expounded in the Sankhya philosophy. Among the senses of knowledge and
those of action, the senses of knowledge are said to constitute what is
known as Vidya. Of the senses of knowledge and their object, the former
constitute Vidya as has been heard by us. Of objects of the senses and
the mind, the wise have said that the mind constitute Vidya. Of mind and
the five subtile essences, the five subtile essences constitutes Vidya.
Of the five subtile essences and Consciousness, Consciousness constitutes
Vidya. Of Consciousness and Mahat, Mahat, O king, is Vidya. Of all the
topics or principles beginning with Mahat, and Prakriti, it is Prakriti,
which is unmanifest and supreme, that is called Vidya. Of Prakriti, and
that called Vidhi which is Supreme, the latter should be known as Vidya.
Transcending Prakriti is the twenty-fifth (called Purusha) who should be
known as Vidya. Of all knowledge that which is the Object of Knowledge
has been said to be the Unmanifest, O king.[1627] Again, Knowledge has
been said to be Unmanifest and the Object of knowledge to be that which
transcends the four and twenty. Once more, Knowledge has been said to be
Unmanifest, and the Knower is that which transcends the four and twenty.
I have now told thee what is truly the import of Vidya and Avidya. Listen
now to me as I tell thee all that has been said about the Indestructible,
and the Destructible. Both Jiva and Prakriti have been said to be
Indestructible, and both of them have been said to be Destructible. I
shall tell thee the reason of this correctly as I have understood it.
Both Prakriti and Jiva are without beginning and without end or
destruction. Both of them are regarded as supreme (in the matter of
Creation). Those that are possessed of knowledge say that both are to be
called topics or principles. In consequence of its attributes of
(repeated) Creation and Destruction, the Unmanifest (or Prakriti) is
called Indestructible. That Unmanifest becomes repeatedly modified for
the purpose of creating the principle. And because the principles
beginning with Mahat are produced by Purusha as well, and because also
Purusha and the Unmanifest are mutually dependant upon each other,
therefore is Purusha also, the twenty-fifth, called Kshetra (and hence
Akshara or Indestructible).[1628] When the Yogin withdraws and merges all
the principles into the Unmanifest Soul (or Brahma) then the twenty-fifth
(viz., Jiva or Purusha) also, with all those principles disappears into
it. When the principles become merged each into its progenitor, then the
one that remains is Prakriti. When Kshetrajna too,[1629] O son, becomes
merged into his own producing cause then (all that remains is Brahma and,
therefore) Prakriti with all the principles in it becomes Kshara (or
meets with destruction), and attains also to the condition of being
without attributes in consequence of her dissociation from all the
principles. Thus it is that Kshetrajna, when his knowledge of Kshetra
disappears, becomes, by his nature, destitute of attributes, as it has
been heard by us. When he becomes Kshara he then assumes attributes.
When, however, he attains to his own real nature, he then succeeds in
understanding his own condition of being really destitute of attributes.
By casting off Prakriti and beginning to realise that he is different
from her, the intelligent Kshetrajna then comes to be regarded as pure
and stainless. When Jiva ceases to exist in a state of union with
Prakriti, then does he become identifiable with Brahma. When, however, he
exists united with Prakriti, he then, O king, seems to be different from
Brahma. Indeed, when Jiva shows no affection for Prakriti and her
principles, he then succeeds in beholding the Supreme and having once
beheld Him wishes not to fall away from that felicity. When the knowledge
of truth dawns upon him, Jiva begins to lament in this strain: "Alas, how
foolishly have I acted by falling through ignorance, into this frame
composed of Prakriti like a fish entangled in a net! Alas, through
ignorance, I have migrated from body to body like a fish from water to
water thinking that water is the element in which alone it can live.
Indeed, like a fish that does not know anything else than water to be its
element, I also have never known anything else than children and spouses
to be my own! Fie on me that through ignorance, I have been repeatedly
migrating from body to body in forgetfulness (of the Supreme Soul)! The
Supreme Soul alone is my friend. I have capacity for friendship with Him.
Whatever be my nature and whoever I may be, I am competent to be like Him
and to attain an identity with Him. I see my similarity with Him. I am
indeed, like Him. He is stainless. It is evident that I am of the same
nature. Through ignorance and stupefaction, I have become associated with
inanimate Prakriti. Though really without attachments, I have passed this
long time in a state of attachment with Prakriti. Alas, by her was I so
long subdued without having been able to know it. Various are the
forms--high, middling, and low, that Prakriti assume. Oh, how shall I
dwell in those forms?[1630] How shall I live conjointly with her? In
consequence only of my ignorance I repair to her companionship. I shall
now be fixed (in Sankhya or Yoga). I shall not longer keep her
companionship. For having passed so long a time with her, I should think
that I was so long deceived by her, for myself being really exempt from
modification, how could I keep company with one that is subject to
modification? She cannot be held to be responsible for this. The
responsibility is mine, since turning away from the Supreme Soul I become
of my own accord attached to her. In consequence of that attachment,
myself, though formless in reality, had to abide in multifarious forms.
Indeed, though formless by nature I become endued with forms in
consequence of my sense of meum, and thereby insulted and distressed. In
consequence of my sense of meum, concerning the result of Prakriti, I am
forced to take birth in diverse orders of Being. Alas, though really
destitute of any sense of meum, yet in consequence of affecting it, what
diverse acts of an evil nature have been committed by me in those orders
which I took birth while I remained in them with a soul that had lost all
knowledge! I have no longer anything to do with him who, with essence
made up of consciousness, divides herself into many fragments and who
seeks to unite me with them. It is only now that I have been awakened and
have understood that I am by nature without any sense of meum and without
that consciousness which creates the forms of Prakriti that invests me
all around. Casting off that sense of meum which I always have with
respect to her and whose essence is made up of consciousness, and casting
off Prakriti herself, I shall take refuge in Him who is auspicious. I
shall be united with Him, and not with Prakriti which is inanimate. If I
unite with Him, it will be productive of my benefit. I have no similarity
of nature with Prakriti!"--The twenty-fifth, (viz., Jiva), when he thus
succeeds in understanding the Supreme, becomes able to cast off the
Destructible and attain to identity with that which is Indestructible and
which is the essence of all that is auspicious. Destitute of attributes
in his true nature and in reality Unmanifest, Jiva becomes invested with
what is Manifest and assumes attributes. When he succeeds in beholding
that which is without attributes and which is the origin of the
Unmanifest, he attains, O ruler of Mithila, to identify the same.
"'"'I have now told thee what the indications are of what is Indestructible
and what is Destructible, according to the best of my knowledge and
according to what has been expounded in the scriptures. I shall now tell
thee, according to what I have heard, as to how Knowledge that is
subtile, stainless, and certain arises. Do thou listen to me. I have
already discoursed to thee what the Sankhya and the Yoga systems are
according to their respective indications as expounded in their
respective scriptures. Verily, the science that has been expounded in
Sankhya treatises is identical with what has been laid down in the Yoga
scriptures. The knowledge, O monarch, which the Sankhya preach, is
capable of awakening every one. In the Sankhya scriptures, that Knowledge
has been inculcated very clearly for the benefit of disciples. The
learned say that this Sankhya system is very extensive. Yogin have great
regard for that system as also for the Vedas. In the Sankhya system no
topic or principle transcending the twenty-fifth is admitted. That which
the Sankhyas regard as their highest topic of principles has been duly
described (by me). In the Yoga philosophy, it is said that Brahma, which
is the essence of knowledge without duality, becomes Jiva only when
invested with Ignorance. In the Yoga scriptures, therefore, both Brahma
and Jiva are spoken of.'"'"