Sāṃkhya Kārikā verse 22

प्रकृतेर्महान्, ततोऽहङ्कारः, तस्माद्गणश्च षोडशकः । तस्मादपि षोडशकात् पञ्चभ्यः पञ्च भूतानि ॥ २२ ॥

prakṛteḥ mahāṃ tataḥ ahaṃkāraḥ tasmāt-gaṇaḥ ca ṣoḍaśakaḥ |
tasmāt-api ṣoḍaśakāḥ pañcabhyaḥ pañca-bhūtāni ||

prakṛti - the original producer of the material world; nature or process of matter; nature, character, constitution, temper, dispositionmahat - great principle; intellectual principletatas - hence, from thatahaṃkāra - individuation; conception of individuality; the making of selftasmāt - from that, on that account, thereforegaṇa - a number; a flock, troop, multitude, number, tribe, series, classca - andṣoḍaśaka - consisting of sixteen, aggregate of sixteenapi - even, also, although; very; something more; moreoverpañca - fivebhūta - material element, one of the 5 elements; that which is or exists, any living being; being or being like anything, consisting of, mixed or joined with
<<< >>>

Commentaries and Reflections

Commentary by S Ramaswami:

prakṛteḥ- Out of or from Prakṛti
mahām- The greatest Principle (Bhuddhi)
tatah-Out of that
ahaṃkāraḥ- ‘I’ am the doer.
tasmāt -Out of that or those
gaṇaḥ ca ṣoḍaśakaḥ- Sixteen further principles (11 Indriya, 5 Tanmātra)
tasmāt- Out of that or those
api ṣoḍaśakāt- Sixteen principles
pañcabhyaḥ- Five produce
pañcabhūtāni- The five gross elements
—
Often because of our limitations Puruṣa is often recognised or identified with Ahaṃkāra as the ‘I’ am principle. This is why Buddhi is regarded as the highest principle as one needs Buddhi or the discriminative ability to recognise this and see beyond it to Puruṣa.

Next comes a definition of intellect.