Author: Randeep Singh / go to all Samkhya Karikas
Samkhya Karika 58 Text:
Autsukyanivrityartham yatha kriyaasu pravartate lokah |
Purushasya vimokshaartham pravartate tadvad avyaktam ||
Autsukyanivrityartham – for the purpose of staisfying desires
Yatha – just as
Kriyaasu – in actions
Pravartate – acts, engages
Lokah – people, humans
Purushasya – for the sake of the Purusha
Vimokshaartham – for attaining liberation
Pravartate – energises, activates
Tadvad – similarly, likewise
Avyaktam – the unmanifest (Mula Prakriti)
Samkhya karika 58 attempts to explain the intensity of the inherent urge within Prakriti to act for the emancipation of the Purusha. This urge is being compared to the urge humans possess for fulling their desires.
The human urge is more self-centered than being self-less like of Prakriti. This urge to fulfill one’s heariest desires is dependednt on the Buddhi, its a longing which emerges from the intellect and is not just a biological pull.
Humans, being a component of Prakriti (matter) themselves possess a natural biological urge to carry out certain activities. Animals also possess this natural biological urge, but the urge for desires which emerge from within the intellect itself is much more strong and intense.
Such desires may carrry varying degress of intensities depending upon what dimension Buddhi is existing in then. Accordingly, these desires can be strongly negative or positive by nature.
Samkhya Karika 58, Actions of Prakriti and Human Desire
SAmkhya karika 58 equates the actions which Prakriti takes for the emancipation of Purusha to the actions humans take to fulfill their desires. Desires which are the products of Buddhi (intellect), in case the Buddhi is in possession of negative bhavas the emerged desires from there would be negative too.
The actions which humans take for fulfilling these desires are selfish in nature, they work towards their own satisfaction. This is different from the natural, inherent desire within the Unmanifest Prakriti to selflessly work for fulfilling the purpose of liberation of Purusha. One is selfish, the other is selfless by nature.
The comparison here within these two types of actions is in intensity of urgency with which they work and not within in their nature. Human desires can be very strong in their pull and require equal intensity of action to be satiated.
Nature of Human Desire and Emancipation
Even as people engage in actions to relieve desires so also the unmanifest Prakriti engages in activity for the sake of emancipation of the Purusha
When an embryo gets conceived in the womb, it doesn’t know and in the womb it gets nourished and protected. In 3 to 4 months it takes a little shape and within 6-7 months it takes clear form. In 9 months it is ready to be born into the world. In the womb, it has no desire for emancipation. But after coming to the world and experiencing pleasure and pain, it longs for peace. Prakriti is a teacher and it teaches well. Why have we come to learning Yoga h? Why have we not gone elsewhere? Prakriti wanted us to come and here and learn to sit in Sukhasana. With peace comes understanding. Sometimes we experience but we soon forget and get stuck in petty things.
There is a story of robbers and Saint. In each situation he used to say- Great. Can we say like that?
The world and all its objects hold a great attraction for us. Therefore, desires keep increasing and when we don’t get something we shed tears but never make efforts. We decide on certain goals but then we do not persevere enough.
If we want to create impression on others, it brings loss and misery.
In us foolishness abound. However, if we were wise, we would be peaceful and determinative. There are many compelling circumstances in life and would continue to be in future. We have to remain focussed and concentrate on our work.