25
Sāṅkhya Kārikā / Verses 22–55, the world / 25
सात्त्विक एकादशकः प्रवर्तते वैकृतादहङ्कारात् भूतादेस् तन्मात्रः स तामसस् तैजसादुभयम्
sāttvika ekādaśakaḥ pravartate vaikṛtād ahaṅkārāt bhūtādes tanmātraḥ sa tāmasas taijasād ubhayam
The line
The group of eleven proceeds from the sattva I-maker. The subtle elements proceed from the tamas I-maker, called the source of elements. From the fiery I-maker come both.
नेपालीमा
एघारको समूह सत्त्व अहङ्कारबाट निस्कन्छ, र सूक्ष्म भूत तमस् अहङ्कारबाट निस्कन्छन्, जसलाई भूतको मूल भनिन्छ। तैजस अहङ्कारबाट दुवै आउँछन्।
Where it sits
You can now draw the tree. Nature, intellect, I-maker, then a fork. One fork is mind and senses. The other is the subtle elements, and from those, by verse 22, the gross elements. Verse 38 will say the gross elements again.
Split: sāttvikaḥ (सात्त्विकः) + ekādaśakaḥ (एकादशकः) + pravartate (प्रवर्तते) + vaikṛtāt (वैकृतात्) + ahaṅkārāt (अहङ्कारात्) + bhūta-ādeḥ (भूत-आदेः) + tanmātraḥ (तन्मात्रः) + saḥ (सः) + tāmasaḥ (तामसः) + taijasāt (तैजसात्) + ubhayam (उभयम्)
Sanskrit, in depth
The words
| Word | Grammar | Sense |
|---|---|---|
| sāttvikaḥ (सात्त्विकः) | nominative singular, masculine | belonging to sattva (सत्त्व). |
| ekādaśakaḥ (एकादशकः) | nominative singular, masculine | the elevenfold. |
| vaikṛtāt ahaṅkārāt (वैकृतातहङ्कारात्) | ablative singular | from the I-maker that is vaikṛta (वैकृत), the modified, the sattva side. vaikṛta (वैकृत) is 'come from a vikṛti (विकृति), a transformation.' |
| bhūta-ādeḥ (भूत-आदेः) | ablative singular | from the origin of the elements. The name for the tamas side of the I-maker. |
| tanmātraḥ (तन्मात्रः) | nominative singular | the subtle-element group. The commentaries read a plural sense, the set. |
| tāmasaḥ (तामसः) | nominative singular, masculine | belonging to tamas (तम). saḥ (सः) points at bhūtādi (भूतादि). |
| taijasāt (तैजसात्) | ablative singular | from the fiery, the rajas (रज) side. tejas (तेज) is brightness, here rajas (रज) as the spark. |
| ubhayam (उभयम्) | nominative singular, neuter | both. The eleven and the subtle elements need rajas (रज) as the driving strand, or both products are traced to the fiery I-maker as well. |
The phrases
Three names for one I-maker, by which strand leads: vaikṛta (वैकृत) when sattva (सत्त्व) leads, bhūtādi (भूतादि) when tamas (तम) leads, taijasa (तैजस) when rajas (रज) leads.
The eleven instruments are a sattva product. The subtle elements are a tamas product. rajas (रज) is in both, because nothing proceeds without the stirring strand. The last word ubhayam (उभयम्) is the verse's way of not leaving rajas (रज) out.
Sanskrit in this line
Three ablatives, three sources, and they are one tattva under three conditions. Do not draw three I-makers. Draw one, with a strand in front.
Say it back
Name the fork: eleven from sattva, subtle elements from tamas.