It has unity and diversity in the same manner as in the case of Prakrti. It has unity at the time of annihilation, and multiplicity owing to activity.
The Atman evolves Prakrti at the time of creation in various ways. The great Atman, the twenty-fifth principle, presides over the entire group (of principles).
It is called the Presiding Deity by ascetics. It is so because It presides over the group.
It knows the Kshetra or the Avyakta. Hence It is called Kshetrajna. It lies in the Pura (city or abode) of Avyakta. Therefore It is called Purusa.
The Kshetra is separate (apart) from Kshetrajna. The Kshetra is called Avyakta, and the Jnaatr (Knower) is Purusa.
Jnaana (Knowledge) is separate from Jneya (that which should be known). Jnaana is Avyakta; Jneya is Purusa.
The Avyakta is Kshetra, Sattva, etc. Purusa is Aneesvara (having no other master) and Atattva (devoid of tattva or principle).
In the school of Saamkhya there is no fixed number (of principles). The Saamkhyas explain Prakrti only.
Some Saamkhyas say that the number (of principles) is forty; some say twenty-four. After enumerating factually, (the principles are to be understood). The Saamkhya has a thousand processes (of understanding them). The twenty-firth principle is beyond the other principles.
The twenty-firth principle is mentioned in the Veda as the Enlightened Soul and the All-knowing One. When a seeker realizes the Atman, he becomes Kevala (the single
One, one with the Atman).
Thus the Saamkhya philosophy has been described to you briefly. Those who know this attain to liberation.
What is called perfect Knowledge is the perception of Atman (What is meant is that perfect Knowledge is perception of Non-dualism – Advaita darsanam Jnanam). It has
been already explained how that which possesses gunas could be evolved out of Nirguna (that which is devoid of gunas).
There is no return to this world to those who realize this. Nor do they ever turn to the state of mortality. Those who are non-intelligent do not perceive the distinction between the changeable and the unchangeable. For them, the perception is not perfect. O King! They are born again and again.
The Avyakta is called ‘Sarva’ (the Whole). The twenty-fifth principle is the part thereof. People comprehend Sarva not by Sarva. They comprehend Sarva by following Asarva.
Those who know thus have no fear.
O excellent King! I have so far recounted unto you the essence of the philosophy of Saamkhya. Now listen to me, and understand Vidya and Avidya in the proper order.
They say that Avyakta is non-differentiated during creation and annihilation. Twenty principles are called Vidyaa and Avidyaa, and they are characterized by creation and
annihilation.
Some principles are Vidyaas and some are Avidyaas; understand them in their proper order. O dear One! Recapitulate and understand what the sages of Saamkhya
philosophy have said.
The sense-organs are the Vidyaa of the organs of action. Similarly (Tanmatras) are the Vidyaa of the sense-organs.
Learned men say that the mind is Vidyaa of the objects of pleasure. They say that the five elements are the Vidyaa of the mind.
Ahmkara is the Vidyaa of the five elements. So, O Lord of men, Ahamkaara is Vidyaa and Buddhi is also Vidyaa.
Prakrti is the Vidyaa of Buddhi. Avyakta, the Un-manifest, is the Vidyaa of principles. O excellent One among men! Vidhi is also Vidyaa.
They say that Avyakta is Apara (having nothing greater than it). It is the twenty-fifth principle and it is Vidyaa. Everything is mentioned as the Vidyaa of Jneya (which should be known) and Jnana (Knowledge).
Avyakta is mentioned by the word Jnana while the Jneya is the twenty-fifth principle. Similarly, Jnana is Avyakta and the twenty-fifth principle is Vijnaatr (Knower).
Vidyaa and Avidyaa have been briefly mentioned to you. Also understand from me what is known as Akshara and Kshara.
Both of these are called Kshara. Both of these are Anakshara. I shall mention the reason thereof in relation to knowledge.
Both of them are without beginning and without end. Both of them are supreme. Both of them are known as tattva (principles) by persons who think about Jnana.
Owing to the function of creation and annihilation, they call Avyakta as unchanging. For the creation of gunas, It undergoes change again and again.
The origin of gunas, Mahat, etc is mutual. They call the Kshetra (field) Adhisthaana (abode). This is the twenty-fifth principle.
One shall dissolve the gunas in the embodied atman. Therefore, the ego, too, gets dissolved in the twenty-fifth principle along with its gunas.
Gunas get dissolved in Guna. Therefore, Purusa and Prakrti shall be one. Even the kshetrajna (the individual soul) dissolves into Kshetrajna (the Supreme Soul).
When Prakrti characterized by gunas gets into the Akshara, there is Nirgunatva (devoid of gunas) because of cessation of gunas.
It is in the same way that Kshetrajna (gets dissolved) by the decrease of the knowledge of Kshetra. We have heard that It (Kshetra) is naturally devoid of gunas.
When It is considered Kshara, it means that Prakrti is possessed of gunas; when It is considered Akshara, it means that Prakrti is devoid of gunas and is the Atman.
Moreover, the seeker becomes pure avoiding Prakrti and realizing ‘I am different from Prakrti’.
Then he attains to freedom from pain. He does not get mixed with Prakrti, O great King! He is quite a different one that is seen by others.
When he treats with contempt the gunas pertaining to Prakrti, he sees the great One. He contemplates thus:
‘What have I done so far? I have been immersed in the ocean of time. Just as the fish in the sea identifies itself with water and adapts itself to it, so also I have identified
myself with different persons owing to delusion. The fish does not understand its being different from water owing to ignorance. As I slight the atman, I do not understand it or
anything else.
Fie upon me whose intellect has become vitiated, and who have become immersed in this (world). Owing to delusion, I have followed it up; I have followed different persons.
This fellow is my relative. He may experience my decline in strength. I have attained similarity and identity with this fellow. I am of the same type as this fellow. I perceive
equality here. I am like him.
