Verse 3.9.16-17

Sanskrit text, Unicode transliteration and English translation of verse 3.9.16:

विशिष्टकालसंबन्धाल्लब्धपाकासु शक्तिषु ।
क्रियाभिव्यज्यते नित्या प्रयोगाख्येन कर्मणा ॥ १६ ॥
जातिप्रयुक्ता तस्यां तु फलव्यक्तिः प्रतीयते ।
कुतोऽप्यद्भुतया वृत्त्या शक्तिभिः सा नियम्यते ॥ १७ ॥

viśiṣṭakālasaṃbandhāllabdhapākāsu śaktiṣu |
kriyābhivyajyate nityā prayogākhyena karmaṇā || 16 ||
jātiprayuktā tasyāṃ tu phalavyaktiḥ pratīyate |
kuto'pyadbhutayā vṛttyā śaktibhiḥ sā niyamyate || 17 ||

16. When the powers become mature due to association with a particular time, eternal activity is produced in them due to an inner urge.

17. In it, urged on by the universal, the manifestation of the particular takes place. By some wonderful activity, it is regulated by the powers.

Commentary

[The world is created for the experience of the creatures. At the time of Dissolution, the seeds of the next creation arc already sown. Certain forces leading to the next creation become manifest in the atoms, according to the Vaiśeṣikas or in the prakṛti according to the Sāṅkhyas. When the eternal causes of products thus become endowed with the Powers leading to creation, there takes place in them a certain urge for mutual contact. It is this urge which is called pravṛtti. It is eternal action nityā kriyā. It is through this urge that the causes become active, enter into contact with one another and produce the effects. When this primitive urge becomes manifest, it is guided by the universals which seek an abode for themselves. Thus it is that particular effects are produced, possessing some universal or other. That is why the universal is said to be the prompter (prayojaka) of the primitive urge.]

What happens next is now stated.