58
Sāṅkhya Kārikā / Verses 56–68, the end / 58
औत्सुक्यनिवृत्त्यर्थं यथा क्रियासु प्रवर्तते लोकः पुरुषस्य विमोक्षार्थं प्रवर्तते तद्वदव्यक्तम्
autsukyanivṛttyarthaṃ yathā kriyāsu pravartate lokaḥ puruṣasya vimokṣārthaṃ pravartate tadvad avyaktam
The line
As people set about actions to quiet a longing, so the unmanifest sets about its work to release the person.
नेपालीमा
जसरी मानिस चाहना शान्त पार्न काममा लाग्छन्, त्यसरी अव्यक्त पुरुषलाई छुटाउन आफ्नो काममा लाग्छ।
Where it sits
Two pictures of unknowing purpose are enough. The third picture, verse 59, is about stopping.
Split: autsukya-nivṛtti-artham (औत्सुक्य-निवृत्ति-अर्थम्) + yathā (यथा) + kriyāsu (क्रियासु) + pravartate (प्रवर्तते) + lokaḥ (लोकः) + puruṣasya (पुरुषस्य) + vimokṣa-artham (विमोक्ष-अर्थम्) + pravartate (प्रवर्तते) + tadvat (तद्वत्) + avyaktam (अव्यक्तम्)
Sanskrit, in depth
The words
| Word | Grammar | Sense |
|---|---|---|
| autsukya-nivṛtti-artham (औत्सुक्य-निवृत्ति-अर्थम्) | accusative of purpose | for the sake of the quieting of eagerness. autsukya (औत्सुक्य) is the restless wish. |
| kriyāsu (क्रियासु) | locative plural, feminine | in actions. |
| pravartate (प्रवर्तते) | present | sets about. |
| lokaḥ (लोकः) | nominative singular, masculine | people, the world of persons. |
| puruṣasya vimokṣa-artham (पुरुषस्य विमोक्ष-अर्थम्) | purpose | for the release of the person. |
| tadvat (तद्वत्) | indeclinable | like that. |
| avyaktam (अव्यक्तम्) | nominative singular, neuter | the unmanifest. |
The phrases
A second likeness. People act because a pressure is there, and the action is to end the pressure. Nature acts because the person is not yet free, and the action is to end that.
Do not hear this as nature having a feeling. autsukya (औत्सुक्य) is the person's side of the picture. The tadvat (तद्वत्) carries only the structure: activity for the sake of a quieting.
Sanskrit in this line
Locative kriyāsu (क्रियासु) is 'in the matter of actions,' the field one enters. artham (अर्थम्) is the purpose, as in verse 21.
Say it back
What is the longing an image of, on nature's side?