Sūtra 2.4

Sanskrit text, Unicode transliteration and English translation of Sūtra 2.4:

अविद्या क्षेत्रम् उत्तरेषां प्रसुप्ततनुविच्छिन्नोदाराणाम् ॥ २.४ ॥

avidyā kṣetram uttareṣāṃ prasuptatanuvicchinnodārāṇām || 2.4 ||

avidyā—nescience. kṣetram—field. uttareṣām—for the others. prasupta—dormant. tanu—tenuous, Vicchinna, alternated. udārāṇām—or fully operative, for all these.

4. Nescience is the field for the others, whether dormant, tenuous, alternated or fully operative.—55.

The Sankhya-pravachana commentary of Vyasa

[English translation of the 7th century commentary by Vyāsa called the Sāṅkhya-pravacana, Vyāsabhāṣya or Yogabhāṣya]

[Sanskrit text for commentary available]

Of these, Nescience is the field, the breeding ground for the others that follow, the Egoism, &c., having a four-fold possible mode of their existence, as the dormant, the tenuous, the alternated and the fully operative.

What is dormancy? It is the existence in the mind as power alone in the germinal state. It is awake when it turns its face towards its objects. In the case of him who possesses discriminative knowledge, the germs of the afflictions are singed, and therefore even on the object coming in front, they do not come into operation. How can the burned up seed sprout? Hence, the wise man whose afflictions are gone, is said to have had his last birth. It is in him alone that the afflictions pass into the fifth state, that of the seed being burnt up; inasmuch as the afflictions do exist in that state, although their seed-power has been burnt up. It is for this reason that they do not awaken even when an object comes in front of them. This is the dormancy of those whose seedpower has been burnt up.

Tenuity is now described. The afflictions become tenuous on being cut down by habituation to contraries.

And they are alternated, inasmuch as they disappear and appear over and over again in the same condition. Anger is not observed to be in operation at the time of attachment. Anger does not arise when attachment has its play. Nor does it happen that attachment, while manifesting with reference to one object, has ceased to exist altogether with reference to another object. Because Caitra is attached to one woman, it does not follow that lie is averse to others. The fact is that in the one his attachment has manifested itself, while in others it can be active in the future. It is this that becomes either dormant, tenuous or alternated.

The fully operative is that which has found manifestation in the object.

All these do not pass beyond the sphere of affliction. What is it then that is called an affliction, whether it be the dormant, the alternated or the fully operative? This is true. But they become either alternated or any one else, only when they appear as so qualified. As all are removed by habituation to contraries, all are manifested by the operation of competent causes.

All these afflictions are the modifications of Nescience only. How? It is Nescience alone that is the quickness of their life. The afflictions appear only in the form which is put upon an object by Nescience. They are found existing simultaneously with the cognition of the unreal; and they disappear when Nescience disappears.—55.

The Gloss of Vachaspati Mishra

[English translation of the 9th century Tattvavaiśāradī by Vācaspatimiśra]

The commentator shows that the afflictions which are to be overcome as being painful have their root in Nescience. “Nescience is the field for the others, whether dormant, tenuous, alternated or fully operative.”

What of these is dormancy? The meaning of the questioner is that there is no authority for the existence of the afflictions at a time when they are not in operation with reference to objects. The answer is:—‘In the mind, &c.’ The afflictions of the Videhas and the Prakṛtilayas do not operate with reference to their proper objects; they have gone to the germinal state, and as such do exist only in posse, as curds exist in milk. There is no other means of making them barren besides discriminative knowledge. It is for this reason that the Videhas and the Prakṛtilayas are understood as not possessed of discriminative knowledge. Their afflictions are dormant so long as they do not reach the limit of their time. When they do reach the limit, the afflictions come round again into manifestation and turn towards their various objects. They have existed in the potential state alone. This potency means the power of manifesting. The approach to the germinal state indicates the power of producing the effect.

How is it that the afflictions of him who is possessed of discriminative knowledge are not also dormant? To show this the commentator says:—‘To him who is possessed of discriminative knowledge.’

‘Last birth’ means that he will not be born in another body. There will be no birth after the present one.

‘No where else’ means in the disembodied (the Videhas), &c. But inasmuch as that which is, cannot be entirely destroyed, there is no use in the power of Yoga; the afflictions arise when their objects come in front. For this reason the commentator says:—‘The afflictions do exist, &c.’ The meaning is that although the afflictions exist, yet their seed-power is burnt up.

The contraries of the afflictions are the practices of the Yoga of action. The afflictions become tenuous when they are put down by the Yoga of action. Or, Right knowledge is the contrary of Nescience: the recognition of the distinction is the contrary of egoism: justice is the contrary of attachment and aversion; the removal of. the idea of dependence upon the body, i.e., that the body is the necessary adjunct of the sold, is the opposite of the love of life.

Now he describes alternation ‘Similarly, &c.’ The afflictions are overpowered by another affliction being in operation for the time; or they arise and manifest themselves after alternate cessations on account of excessive enjoyment. Its difference from the dormant is explained by its being dependent for manifestation upon the seed-power and the organs of enjoyment; or by its repeated manifestation and cessation on account of the weakness of other manifestations which tend to overpower it; or by reiterated mainfestations. Further attachment in esse may overpower anger, which belongs to a different class of afflictions. Or, an affliction of the same class, such as attachment to one object may overpower attachment to a different object. For this reason he says:—‘Attachment, &c.’

Now he says that the affliction which is to manifest in the future must be understood to possess a three-fold line of action, whichever it may be at any time:—‘It is at that time, &c.’ The word ‘that’ points only to the affliction which is to manifest in the future, not to the attachment of Caitra, because that is of one of the three classes, i.e., the alternated.

Now he describes the one in full operation:—‘That which is, &c.’ The question is that it is the one in full operation alone that afflicts, and it is therefore proper to call it an affliction; but how is it proper to call the others afflictions? They do not afflict, not being in operation. For this reason he says:—‘All these afflictions, &c.’ The meaning is that they do not pass beyond the sphere of afflictions, and may well be called by that name, because they tend to operation, and for this very reason are to be removed.

Well inasmuch as they are all afflictions, they are one only. Why then are they described as being more than one? The answer is:—‘It is true, &c.’

The question now arises that although it may be that the afflictions take their rise in Nescience, yet why should it be that they should cease to exist when Nescience is destroyed? The cloth is not destroyed with the destruction of the weaver. For this reason he says:—“All these are the forms, &c.” All these are the modifications.

This means that they are different modifications only in appearance, not in reality; because they do not exist as separate from it. Why? The answer is:—‘In all these nescience, &c.’ He explains the same. ‘Whenever, &c.’ The rest is easy. The following is a brief statement. In those that are merged in some principle, the afflictions are dormant. In the Yogīs they are tenuous. In those who are given to enjoyment (the ordinary mortals), they are alternate and operative.