69
Sāṅkhya Kārikā / Verses 69–72, who passed it on / 69
पुरुषार्थज्ञानमिदं गुह्यं परमर्षिणा समाख्यातम् स्थित्युत्पत्तिप्रलयाश् चिन्त्यन्ते यत्र भूतानाम्
puruṣārthajñānam idaṃ guhyaṃ paramarṣiṇā samākhyātam sthityutpattipralayāś cintyante yatra bhūtānām
The line
This secret knowledge of the person's purpose was declared by the great seer. In it are considered the staying, the arising, and the dissolution of beings.
नेपालीमा
पुरुषको प्रयोजनको यो गोप्य ज्ञान महान् ऋषिले बताए। यसमा प्राणीहरूको स्थिति, उत्पत्ति र लय विचार गरिन्छ।
Where it sits
Verse 70 names the first students. Verse 71 names Īśvarakṛṣṇa (ईश्वरकृष्ण). Verse 72 says the seventy verses hold the substance of an older, larger book.
Split: puruṣa-artha-jñānam (पुरुष-अर्थ-ज्ञानम्) + idam (इदम्) + guhyam (गुह्यम्) + parama-ṛṣiṇā (परम-ऋषिणा) + samākhyātam (समाख्यातम्) + sthiti-utpatti-pralayāḥ (स्थिति-उत्पत्ति-प्रलयाः) + cintyante (चिन्त्यन्ते) + yatra (यत्र) + bhūtānām (भूतानाम्)
Sanskrit, in depth
The words
| Word | Grammar | Sense |
|---|---|---|
| puruṣa-artha-jñānam (पुरुष-अर्थ-ज्ञानम्) | nominative singular, neuter | the knowledge of the person's purpose. The book you have just read. |
| idam (इदम्) | nominative singular, neuter | this. |
| guhyam (गुह्यम्) | nominative singular, neuter | secret. Not hidden as a trick. Held close, because it is not the rite-path of verse 2. |
| parama-ṛṣiṇā (परम-ऋषिणा) | instrumental singular | by the supreme seer. Kapila, in the tradition's telling. |
| samākhyātam (समाख्यातम्) | nominative singular, neuter | fully declared. |
| sthiti-utpatti-pralayāḥ (स्थिति-उत्पत्ति-प्रलयाः) | nominative plural | staying, arising, and dissolution. |
| cintyante (चिन्त्यन्ते) | present passive, plural | are considered, are thought through. |
| yatra (यत्र) | indeclinable | where, in which teaching. |
| bhūtānām (भूतानाम्) | genitive plural | of beings. |
The phrases
The verse steps back and names the book as a received teaching. paramarṣi (परमर्षि) is not argued. It is the line of authority verse 6 left room for, āptāgama (आप्तागम).
What the teaching considers is the whole career of beings: arising, staying, dissolving. That was verses 22 through 68.
Sanskrit in this line
Instrumental paramarṣiṇā (परमर्षिणा) is 'by' the seer, the agent of a passive participle samākhyātam (समाख्यातम्). yatra (यत्र) is 'in which,' referring to jñānam (ज्ञानम्).
Say it back
Who is the paramarṣi (परमर्षि) in the tradition's telling of this school?