वसिष्ठ उवाच सांख्यदर्शनमेतावदुक्तं ते नृपसत्तम। विद्याविद्ये त्विदानी मे त्वं निबोधानुपूर्वशः॥
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.
अविद्यामाहुरव्यक्तं सर्गप्रलयधर्मि वै। सर्गप्रलयनिर्मुक्तां विद्यां वै पञ्चविंशकः॥
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.
परस्परस्य विद्यां वै त्वं नबोधानुपूर्वशः। यथोक्तमृषिभिस्तात सांख्यस्याभिनिदर्शनम्॥
Listen to me first as I Tell you what is Vidya among success sets of other things, as explained in the Sankhya Philosophy. essences
कर्मेन्द्रियाणां सर्वेषां विद्यां बुद्धीन्द्रियं स्मृतम्। बुद्धीन्द्रियाणां च तथा विशेषा इति नः श्रुतम्॥
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.
विशेषाणां मनस्तेषां विद्यामाहुर्मनीषिणः। मनसः पञ्च भूतानि विद्या इत्यभिचक्षते॥
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.
अहङ्कारस्तु भूतानां पञ्चानां नात्र संशयः। अहङ्कारस्य च तथा बुद्धिर्विद्या नरेश्वरा६॥
Of the five subtile and Consciousness, Consciousness forms vidya. Of Consciousness and Greatness the latter O king, is Vidya.
विद्या प्रकृतिरव्यक्तं तत्त्वानां परमेश्वरी। विद्या ज्ञेया नरश्रेष्ठ विधिश्च परमः स्मृतः॥
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.
अव्यक्तस्य परं प्राहुर्विद्यां वै पञ्चविंशकम्। सर्वस्य सर्वमित्युक्तं ज्ञेयं ज्ञानस्य पार्थिव॥
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.
ज्ञानमव्यक्तमित्युक्तं ज्ञेयो वै पञ्चविंशकः। तथैव ज्ञानमव्यक्तं विज्ञाता पञ्चविंशकः॥ विद्याविद्यार्थतत्त्वेन मयोक्ता ते विशेषतः।
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.
अक्षरं च क्षरं चैव यदुक्तं तन्निबोध मे॥ उभावेवाक्षरावुक्तावुभावतानवनक्षरौ।
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.
कारणं तु प्रवक्ष्यामि याथातथ्यं तु ज्ञानतः॥ अनादिनिधनावेतावुभावेवेश्वरौ मतौ।
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.
तत्त्वसंज्ञावुभावेतौ प्रोच्येत ज्ञानचिन्तकैः॥ सर्गप्रलयधर्मत्वादव्यक्तं प्राहुरक्षरम्। तदेतद् गुणसर्गाय विकुर्वाणं पुनः पुनः॥
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.
गुणानां महदादीनामुत्पत्तिश्च परस्परम्। अधिष्ठानात् क्षेत्रमाहुरेतत्तत् पञ्चविंशकम्॥
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.
यदा तु गुणजालं तदव्यक्तात्मनि संक्षिपेत्। तदा सह गुणैस्तैस्तु पञ्चविंशो विलीयते॥
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.
गुणा गुणेषु लीयन्ते तदैका प्रकृतिर्भवेत्। क्षेत्रज्ञोऽपि यदा तात तत्क्षेत्रे सम्प्रलीयते॥ तदा क्षरत्वं प्रकृतिर्गच्छते गुणसंश्रिता! निर्गुणत्वं च वैदेह गुणेष्वप्रतिवर्तनात्॥
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.
एवमेव च क्षेत्रज्ञः क्षेत्रज्ञानपरिक्षये। प्रकृत्या निर्गुणस्त्वेष इत्येवमनुशुश्रुम॥
Thus it is that Soul, when his knowledge of Soil disappears, becomes, by his nature, shorn of qualities. We have heard it.
क्षरो भवत्येष यदा तदा गुणवतीमथ। प्रकृति त्वभिजानाति निर्गुणत्वं तथाऽऽत्मनः॥
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.
तदा विशुद्धो भवति प्रकृतेः परिवर्जनात्। अन्योऽहमन्येयमिति यदा बुध्यति बुद्धिमान्॥
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.
तदैष तत्त्वतामेति न चापि मिश्रतां व्रजेत्। प्रकृत्या चैव राजेन्द्र मिश्रो ह्यन्यश्च दृश्यते॥
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.
यदा तु गुणजालं तत् प्राकृतं वै जुगुप्सते। पश्यते च परं पश्यं तदा पश्यन्न संत्यजेत्॥
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.
किं मया कृतमेतावद् योऽहं कालमिमं जनम्। मत्स्यो जालं हविज्ञानादनुवर्तितवानिह॥
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.
अहमेव हि सम्मोहादन्यमन्यं जनाज्जनम्। मत्स्यो यथोदकज्ञानादनुवर्तितवानहम्॥
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.
मत्स्योऽन्यत्वं यथाज्ञानादुदकान्नाभिमन्यते। आत्मानं तद्वदज्ञानादन्यत्वं नैव वेदम्यहम्॥
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!
ममास्तु धिगबुद्धस्य योऽहं मग्नमिमं पुनः। अनुवर्तितवान् मोहादन्यमन्यं जनाज्जनम्॥
Fie on me that, through ignorance, am repeatedly passing from body to body in forgetfulness.
अयमत्र भवेद् बन्धुरनेन सह मे क्षमम्। साम्यमेकत्वमायातो यादृशस्तादृशस्त्वहम्॥
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.
तुल्यतामिह पश्यामि सदृशोऽहमनेन वै। अयं हि विमलो व्यक्तमहमीदृशकस्तथा॥
I see my similarity with Him. I am, indeed, like Him. He is pure. It is clear that I am of the same nature.
योऽहमज्ञानसम्मोहादज्ञया सम्प्रवृत्तवान्। ससङ्गयाहं नि:सङ्गः स्थितः कालमिमं त्वहम्॥
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.
अनयाहं वशीभूतः कालमेतं न बुद्धवान्। उच्चमध्यमनीचानां तामहं कथमवासे॥
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?
समानयानया चेह सह वासमहं कथम्। गच्छाम्यबुद्धभावत्वादेषेदानीं स्थिरो भवे॥
How shall I live conjointly with her? On account of my ignorance I repair to her companionship. I shall now be fixed.
सहवासं न यास्यामि कालमेतद्धि वञ्चनात्। वञ्चितोऽस्म्यनया यद्धि निर्विकारो विकारया॥
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.
न चायमपराधोऽस्या ह्यपराधो ह्ययं मम। योऽहमत्राभवं सक्तः पराङ्मुखमुपस्थितः॥
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,
ततोऽस्मि बहुरूपासु स्थितो मूर्तिष्वमूर्तिमान्। अमूर्तश्चापि मूर्तात्मा ममत्वेन प्रधर्षितः॥
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.
तासु तास्विह योनिषु। निर्ममस्य ममत्वेन किं कृतं तासु तासु च॥ प्राक् कृतेन ममत्वेन योनीषु वर्तमानेन नष्टसंज्ञेन चेतसा। न ममात्रानया कार्यमहंकारकृतात्मया॥ आत्मानं बहुधा कृत्वा येयं भूयो युनक्ति माम्। इदानीमेघ बुद्धोऽसि निर्ममो निरहंकृतः॥
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.
ममत्वमनया नित्यमहंकारकृतात्मकम्। अपेत्याहमिमां हित्वा संश्रयिष्ये निरामयम्॥
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.
अनेन साम्यं यास्यामि नानयाहमचेतया। क्षेमं मम सहानेन नैकत्वमनया सह॥
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.
एवं परमसम्बोधात् पञ्चविंशोऽनुबुद्धवान्। अक्षरत्वं नियच्छेत त्यक्त्वा क्षरमनामयम्॥
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.
अव्यक्तं व्यक्तधर्माणं सगुणं निर्गुणं तथा। निर्गुणं प्रथमं दृष्टवा तादृग् भवति मैथिल॥
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.
अक्षरक्षरयोरेतदुक्तं तव निदर्शनम्। मयेह ज्ञानसम्पन्नं यथाश्रुतिनिदर्शनात्॥
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.
निःसंदिग्धं च सूक्ष्मं च विबुद्ध विमलं यथा। प्रवक्ष्यामि तु ते भूयस्तन्निबोध यथाश्रुतम्॥
Now I again speak as I heard about that soul which is so tiny, awakened and pure.
सांख्ययोगौ मया प्रोक्तौ शास्त्रद्वयनिदर्शनात्। यदेव शास्त्रं सांख्योक्तं योगदर्शनमेव तत्॥
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.
प्रबोधनकरं ज्ञानं सांख्यानामवनीपते। विस्पष्टं प्रोच्यते तत्र शिष्याणां हितकाम्यया॥
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.
बृहच्चैवमिदं शास्त्रमित्याहुर्विदुषो जनाः। अस्मिश्च शास्त्रे योगानां पुनर्वेदे पुरःसरः॥
The learned say that this Sankhya System is very extensive. Yogins have respect for that System as also for the Vedas.
पञ्चविंशात् परं तत्त्वं पठ्यते न नराधिप। सांख्यानां तु परं तत्त्वं यथावदनुवर्णितम्॥
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).
बुद्धमप्रतिबुद्धत्वाद् बुध्यमानं च तत्त्वतः। बुध्यमानं च बुद्धं च प्राहुर्योगनिदर्शनम्॥
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.