मोक्षधर्म पर्व

I have thus described you the Sankhya Philosophy. Listen now to me as I tell you what is Vidya (Knowledge) and what is Avidya (Nescience), one after the other.

The learned say that that Nature which is subject to Creation and Destruction, is called Avidya; while Purusha (Soul), who is freed from the attributes of Creation and Destruction and who is above the twenty-four topics or principles, is called Vidya.

Listen to me first as I Tell you what is Vidya among success sets of other things, as explained in the Sankhya Philosophy. essences

Among the senses of knowledge and those of action, the senses of knowledge are said to from what is known as Vidya. Of the senses of knowledge and their objects, the former form Vidya.

Of objects of the senses and the mind, the wise have said that the mind forms Vidya. Of mind and the five subtile essences, the five subtile essences form Vidya.

Of the five subtile and Consciousness, Consciousness forms vidya. Of Consciousness and Greatness the latter O king, is Vidya.

Of all the principles beginning with Greatness, and Nature, it is Nature, which is unmanifest and supreme, that is called Vidya. Of Nature, and that called Creator which is Supreme, the latter should be known as Vidya.

Above Nature is the twenty-fifth (Soul) 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.

Again, Knowledge has been said to be Unmanifest, and the Object of knowledge to be what is above the four and twenty. Once more, Knowledge has been said to be Unmanifest, and the Knower is what is above the four and twenty. I have now told you what is truly the meaning of Vidya and Avidya.

Listen now to me as I tell you that has been said about the Indestructible and the Destructible. Both Individual Soul and Nature have been said to be Indestructible, and both of them have been said to be Destructible.

I shall tell you the reason of this correctly as I have understood it. Both Nature and Individual Soul are without beginning and without end. Both of them are considered as supreme.

Those who are endued with knowledge say that both are to be called principles. On account of its attributes of Creation and Destruction, the Unmanifest is called Indestructible. That Unmanifest becomes repeatedly modified for the purpose of creating the principles.

And because the principles beginning with Greatness are produced by Purusha (Soul) as well, and because also Purusha and the Unmanifest mutually depend upon each other, therefore is Purusha also, the twenty-fifth, called Kshetra.

When the Yogin withdraws and merges all the principles into the Unmanifest Soul (or Brahma), then the twenty-fifth (viz., Soul or Purusha) also, with all those principles, disappears into it.

When the principles become merged each into its creator, then the one that remains is Nature. When Soul, too, O son, becomes merged into his own producing cause, then Nature with all the principles in it becomes subject to destruction and attains also to the condition of being without attributes on account of her dissociation from all principles.

Thus it is that Soul, when his knowledge of Soil disappears, becomes, by his nature, shorn of qualities. We have heard it.

We he becomes destructible he then assurnes attributes. When, however, he gains his own real nature, he then succeeds in understanding his own condition of being really shorn of qualities.

By shaking off Nature and beginning to realise that he is different from her, the intelligent Soul then comes to be regarded as pure and stainless.

When Individual Soul ceases to exist in a state of union with Nature, then does he become at one with Brahima. When however, he exists united with Nature, he then, O king, seems to be different from Brahma.

Indeed, when Individual Soul shows no affection for Nature and her principles, he then succeeds in seeing the Supreme and having once seen Him wishes not to lose that happiness.

When the Knowledge of truth comes to him, Individual Soul begins to lament thus:-Alas, how foolishly have I acted by falling through ignorance into this frame composed of nature like a fish entangled in a net.

Alas, through Ignorance, I have inigrated from body to body like a fish from water to water thinking that water along is the element in which it can dwell.

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 wives to be my own!

Fie on me that, through ignorance, am repeatedly passing from body to body in forgetfulness.

The Supreme Soul alone is my friend. I can make friendship with Him. Whatever be my nature and whoever I may be, I am capable to be like Him and can become at one with Him.

I see my similarity with Him. I am, indeed, like Him. He is pure. It is clear that I am of the same nature.

Through Ignorance and stupefaction, I have becoine associated with Inanimate Nature. Though really shorn of attachments, I have passed this long time in a state of attachment with Nature.

Alas, by her was I so long controlled without having been able to know it. Various are the forms,-high, middling, and low,-that Nature assumes. Oh, how shall I like in those forms?

How shall I live conjointly with her? On account of my ignorance I repair to her companionship. I shall now be fixed.

I shall no longer keep her company. For having passed so long a time with her, I should think that I was so long imposed on by her, for myself being really freed form change, how could I keep company with one who is subject to change.

She cannot be held responsible for this. The responsibility is mine, since turning away from the Supreme Soul became of my own accord attached to her,

On account of that attachment, myself, though without form in reality, had to live in various forms. Indeed, though without forın by nature I become endued with forms on account of my notion of Egoism, and thereby insulted and distressed.

On account of my idea of mineness concerning the results of Nature, I am forced to take birth in various orders of Being. Alas, though really shorn of Egoism, yet on account of affecting it, what various evil acts have been perpetrated by me in those orders in which I was born while I remained in them with a soul that had lost all knowledge! I have nothing to do with him who, with essence made up of consciousness, divides himself into many pieces and who tries to unite me with them. It is only now that I have been awakened and have understood that I am by nature without egoism and without that consciousness which creates the forms of Nature that invest me all around.

Renouncing Egoism which I always have regarding her and whose essence is made up of consciousness, and leaving Nature herself, I shall take refuge in Him, who is auspicious.

I shall be united with Him, and not will Nature which is inanimate. If I unite with Hiin, it will do me good. I have no similarity of nature with Nature.

The twenty-fifth (viz., Individual Soul), when he thus succeeds in understanding the Supreme, becomes able to able to cast off the Destructible and at one with the Indestructible and which is the essence of all that is auspicious.

Shorn of qualities in his true nature and in reality Unmanifest, Individual Soul becomes invested with what is Manifest and assumes qualities. When he succeeds in seeing what is without qualities, and which is the origin of the Unmanifest, he becomes, O king of Mithila, at one with the same.

I have now told you according to what I have heard, as to how knowledge that is subtile, pure and certain, originates. Do you listen to me.

Now I again speak as I heard about that soul which is so tiny, awakened and pure.

I have already described to you, what the Sankhya and the Yoga Systems are as expounded in their respective scriptures. Verily, the science that has been explained in Sankhya treatises is at one with what has been laid down in the Yoga scriptures.

The knowledge, 0 king, which the Sankhyas preach, is capable of awakening every one. In the Sankhya scriptures, that Knowledge has been explained very clearly for the behoof of disciples.

The learned say that this Sankhya System is very extensive. Yogins have respect for that System as also for the Vedas.

In the Sankhya System no topic or principle above the twenty-fifth is admitted. That which the Sankhyas consider as their highest principle has been duly described (by me).

In the Yoga philosophy, it is said that Brahma, which is the essence of knowledge without the second, becomes the Individual Soul only when invested with Ignorance. In the Yoga Scriptures, therefore, both Brahma and Individual Soul are spoken of.