Author: Randeep Singh / go to all Samkhya Karikas
Samkhya Karika 76 text:
Samyag jnaana adhigamaad dharmaadeenaam akaarana praaptau |
Tishthati samskaar vashaacha chakra bhramivad dhrta shareerah ||
Samyag – ultimate, impeccable
Jnaana – wisdom, knowledge
Adhigamaad – attainment
Dharmaadeenaam – dharma and the other bhavas
Akaarana praaptau – loss of being the casual factors
Tishthati – remains
Samskaar vashaacha – because of the momentum of past samskaras
Chakra bhramivad – like the cyclic movement of the potter’s wheel
Dhrta shareerah – possesses a body
Samkhya karika 67 carries forward. from the previous karika, the thought of the body and soul association continuing after the Prakriti (entire material creation) has been released from all bondages of Purusha and vice versa.
Though the material body (Prakriti) and the associated spirit have no more business left with each other they still continue existing together because the backlog of the samskaras (marks of karma) is still not clear.
The entire impressions of all the actions (karmas) that had been undertaken by the embodied soul ( when it existed as a bound individual) needs to be expunged before Prakriti and Purusha can be separated from each other.
Samkhya Karika 67, Bhavas help reach Jivan Mukta Stage
Samkhya karika 67 indirectly stresses on the significance of bhavas in releasing oneself from the seemngly never ending cycle of suffering birth after birth.
The cycle of creation of new karmas and their staorage in the form of samskaras moves like a potter’s wheel. Even when the Prakriti has gained the ultimate wisdom and with its aid has released itself from all bondages with Purusha (compulsion of exhibiting itself before it) the hoard of samskaras pending to be still expunged keep the individual (spirit and the body) together and alive.
This is very similar to when the potter’s wheel continue spinning even when the potter has ceased applying the thrust for pushing it to movement. This happens because the whell is still under the influence of the previously applied thrust on it.
The thrust applied by the samskaras of karmas had kept the activities of Prakriti in motion before it ceased its activities owing to the gaining of the ultimate wisdom and releaing itself from keeping itself exhibiting to the Purusha.
Once the Prakriti is released from Purusha the body (component of Prakriti) and the spirit (Purusha) must separate out as a result of which the individual being must cease to exist. But, after the Prakriti is released (unbound) its association with Purusha continues because their are still some Samskaras left which need to be expunged.
The momentum available from these pending samskara keep the individual together (alive) up till all of the samskaras are expunged off.
The samskaras can only be expunged by the practice of the four positive bhavas. The four positive bhavas work as breaks to the spinning wheel of creation of the newer samskaras as newer karmas keep adding up.
The karma creation cycle (karmic cycle) is slowed down to the minimum and finally come to a halt within one’s lifetime. This stage is tantamount to being liberated but still existing as a physical body. That is why it is also known as the stage of ‘jivan mukta,’ or being liberated within this very life.
In this stage one remains unaffected by worldly affairs and happening around one.
There are some in this world who to do good work. But since they are only a few of them, progress is retarded. Great saints were seen to be engaged in petty pursuits but were always engaged in the welfare of the masses. This world, deeply stuck in materialism, had never been seen by them.
In a higher order of Samadhi- asamprajnata, when the mind is totally concentrated and is devoid of any thoughts – a liberation like stage develops. When there are no desires or thoughts – such a stage is called dharmamega –cloud of virtue. At this stage, all modifications of the mind stop; all good things happen just like clouds pour rain. Going ahead, a stage comes when the yogi, due to the momentum of past impulses, just goes on living his life and doing good for the society.