Sāṃkhya Kārikā of Īśvara Kṛṣṇa

Āryā 0:सांख्यकारिका

sāṃkhya-kārikā

Sāṃkhya Kārikā

Āryā 1:दुःखत्रयाभिघाताज्जिज्ञासा तदभिघातके हेतौ । दृष्टे साऽपार्था चेन्नैकान्तात्यन्ततोऽभावात् ॥१ ॥

duḥkha-trayā-abhighātāt-jijñāsā tat-abhighātake hetau | dṛṣṭe sā-apārthā cet na-ekānta-atyantataḥ abhāvāt ||

“Within and around us is an absence
of certainty and permanence.”

Āryā 2:दृष्टवदानुश्रविकः स ह्यविशुद्धिक्षयातिशययुक्तः । तद्विपरीतः श्रेयान् व्यक्ताव्यक्तज्ञविज्ञानात् ॥ २॥

dṛṣṭavat-ānu-śravikaḥ saḥ hi-aviśuddhi-kṣayā-atiśaya-yuktaḥ | tat-viparītaḥ śreyān vyaktāḥ avyakta-jña-vijñānāt ||

“The usual means to reduce suffering are
linked to impurity, decay and excess.”

Āryā 3:मूलप्रकृतिरविकृतिर्महदाद्याः प्रकृतिविकृतयः सप्त । षोडशकस्तु विकारो न प्रकृतिर्न विकृतिः पुरुषः ॥ ३॥

mūla-prakṛtiḥ avikṛtiḥ maha-ādādyāḥ prakṛti-vikṛtayaḥ sapta | ṣoḍaśakaḥ tu vikāraḥ na prakṛtiḥ na vikṛtiḥ puruṣaḥ ||

“Primordial Nature is uncreated
and yet creates.
Awareness is neither.”

Āryā 4:दृष्टमनुमानमाप्तवचनं च सर्वप्रमाणसिद्धत्वात् । त्रिविधं प्रमाणमिष्टं प्रमेयसिद्धिः प्रमाणाद्धि ॥ ४ ॥

dṛṣṭam-anumānam-āpta-vacanaṃ ca sarva-pramāṇa-siddhatvāt | tri-vidhaṃ pramāṇam-iṣṭaṃ prameya-siddhiḥ pramāṇāt-hi ||

“The means to right perception
involves direct observation,
inference and authentic authority.”

Āryā 5:प्रतिविषयाध्यवसायो दृष्टं त्रिविधमनुमानमाख्यातम् । तल्लिङ्गलिङ्गिपूर्वकम् आप्तश्रुतिराप्तवचनं च ॥ ५ ॥

prati-viṣaya-adhyavasāyaḥ dṛṣṭaṃ tri-vidham-anumānam-ākhyātam | tat-liṅga-liṅgi-pūrvakam-āpta-śrutiḥ āpta-vacanaṃ tu ||

“Direct observation involves selective
ascertainment through the senses.
Inference is of three kinds:
– The past shaping the future
– Projecting the whole from the part
– Forming a comparison from a similar.
Authentic authority is trusted words and teachings.”

Āryā 6:सामान्यतस्तु दृष्टादतीन्द्रियाणां प्रसिद्धिरनुमानात् । तस्मादपि चासिद्धं परोक्षमाप्तागमात् सिद्धम् ॥ ६ ॥

sāmānyataḥ tu dṛṣṭāt-atīndriyāṇāṃ pratītiḥ anumānāt | tasmāt-api ca-asiddhaṃ parokṣam-āpta-āgamāt-siddham ||

“But, knowledge of what is beyond the range of the senses
is from inference based on generalised correlation;
and knowledge not attainable even by that is attained
though the eyes of another or authentic texts.”

Āryā 7:अतिदूरात् सामीप्यादिन्द्रियाघातान्मनोऽनवस्थानात् । सौक्ष्म्याद् व्यवधानादभिभवात् समानाभिहाराच्च ॥ ७ ॥

atidūrāt sāmīpyāt-indriya-ghātāt-manas-anavasthānāt | saukṣmyāt-vyavadhānāt-abhibhavāt samāna-abhihārāt-ca ||

“We may not perceive what is within
the range of the senses because we are:
Disinterested or too far from.
Overly interested or too close to.
Blind or deaf to what is in front of us.
Distracted.
Not relating with what is there.
Seeing something between.
Letting something else dominate.
Confusing with something similar.”

Āryā 8:सौक्ष्म्यात्तदनुपलब्धिर्नाभावात् कार्यतस्तदुपलब्धिः । महदादि तच्च कार्यं प्रकृतिविरूपं सरूपं च ॥ ८ ॥

saukṣmyāt-tat-anupalabdhiḥ nā-abhāvāt kāryataḥ tat-upalabdheḥ | mahat-ādi tat-ca kāryaṃ prakṛtisarūpaṃ virūpaṃ ca ||

“Non-perception of Nature is because of subtlety,
not because of non-existence,
since Nature is perceived through its effects.
These effects are intelligence and the rest.
Some are similar to Nature and some dissimilar.”

Commentary from Gaudapādācarya Bhāṣya:
“Even in the world, a son is similar as well as dissimilar to his father.
The causes of similarity and dissimilarity we shall explain later.”

Āryā 9:असदकरणादुपादानग्रहणात् सर्वसम्भवाभावात् । शक्तस्य शक्यकरणात् कारणभावाच्च सत्कार्यम् ॥९ ॥

asat-akaraṇāt-upādãna-grahaṇāt sarva-saṃbhavā-abhāvāt | śaktasya śakyakaraṇāt kāraṇa-bhāvāt-ca sat-kāryam ||

Āryā 10:हेतुमदनित्यमव्यापि सक्रियमनेकमाश्रितं लिङ्गम् । सावयवं परतन्त्रं व्यक्तं विपरीतमव्यक्तम् ॥ १० ॥

hetumat-anityam-avyāpi sakriyam-anekam-āśritaṃ liṅgam | sāvayavaṃ paratantraṃ vyaktaṃ viparītam-avyaktam ||

Āryā 11:

triguṇam-aviveki viṣayaḥ sāmānyam-acetanaṃ prasava-dharmi |
vyaktaṃ tathā pradhānaṃ tat-viparitaḥ tathā ca pumān ||

Āryā 12:

prīti-aprīti-viṣāda-ātmakāḥ prakāśa-pravṛtti-niyamārthāḥ |
anyonya-abhibhava-āśraya-janana-mithuna-vṛttayaḥ ca guṇāḥ ||

Āryā 13:

sattvaṃ laghu prakāśakam-iṣṭam-upaṣṭambhakaṃ calaṃ ca rajaḥ |
guru varaṇakam-eva tamaḥ pradīpavat-ca-arthataḥ vṛttiḥ ||

Āryā 14:

avivekyādiḥ siddhaḥ tri-guṇyāt-tat-viparyaya-abhāvāt |
kāraṇa-guṇa-ātmakatvāt-kāryasya-avyaktam-api siddham ||

Āryā 15:

bhedānāṃ parimāṇāt samanvayāt śaktitaḥ pravṛtteḥ ca |
kāraṇa-kārya-vibhāgāt-avibhāgāt-vaiśvarūpyasya ||

Āryā 16:

kāraṇam-asti-avyaktaṃ pravartate tri-guṇataḥ samdayāt-ca | pariṇmataḥ salilavat prati-prati-guṇa-āśraya-viśeṣāt ||

Āryā 17:

saṅghāta-para-arthatvāt tri-guṇādi-viparyāt-adhiṣṭhānāt |
puruṣaḥ asti bhoktṛbhāvāt kaivalya-arthaṃ pravṛtteḥ ca ||

Āryā 18:

janana-maraṇa-karaṇānāṃ pratiniyamāt-ayugapat-pravṛtteḥ ca |
puruṣa-bahutvaṃ siddhaṃ tri-guṇya-viparyayāt-ca-eva ||

Āryā 19:

tasmāt-ca viparyāsāt siddhaṃ sākṣitvam-asya puruṣasya | kaivalyaṃ mādhyastyaṃ draṣṭṛtvam-akartṛbhāvaḥ ca ||

Āryā 20:

tasmāt-tat-saṃyogāt-acetanaṃ cetanāvat-iva liṅgam |
guṇa-kartṛtve-api tathā karteva bhavati-udāsīnaḥ ||

Āryā 21:

puruṣasya darśana-arthaṃ kaivalya-arthaṃ tathā pradhānasya |
paṅgu-andha-vat-ubhayoḥ api saṃyogaḥ tat-kṛtaḥ sargaḥ ||

Āryā 22:

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

Āryā 23:

adhyavasāyaḥ buddhiḥ dharmaḥ jñānaṃ virāga aiśvaryam | sāttvikam-etad-rūpaṃ tāmasam-asmāt-viparyastam ||

Āryā 24:

abhimānaḥ ahaṃkāraḥ tasmād dvidhaḥ pravartate sargaḥ | ekādaśakaḥ ca gaṇaḥ tanmātraḥ pañcakaḥ ca-eva ||

Āryā 25:

sāttvikaḥ ekādaśakaḥ pravartate vaikṛtād ahaṃkārāt | bhūtādeḥ tanmātraḥ sa tāmasaḥ taijasād ubhayam ||

Āryā 26:

buddhi-indriyaṇi cakṣuḥ srotra-ghrāṇa-rasana-tvak-ākhyāni |
vāk-pāṇi-pāda-pāyū-upastāḥ karma-indriyāṇi-āhuḥ ||

Āryā 27:

ubhaya-ātmakam-atra manaḥ saṃkalpakam-indriyaṃ ca sādharmyāt | guṇa-pariṇāma-viśeṣāt-nānātvaṃ bāhya-bhedāḥ ca ||

Āryā 28:

śabdadiṣu pañcānām ālocana-mātram-iṣyate vṛttiḥ |
vacana-ādāna-viharaṇa-utsarga-ānandāḥ ca pañcānām ||

Āryā 29:

svā-lakṣanyaṃ vṛttiḥ trayasya sā-eṣā bhavati-asāmānya |
sāmānya-karaṇa-vṛttiḥ prāṇa-ādyā vāyavaḥ pañca ||

Āryā 30:

yugapat-catuṣṭayasya tu vṛttiḥ kramaśaś-ca tasya nirdiṣṭā |
dṛṣṭe tathā-api-adṛṣṭe trayasya tat-pūrvikā vṛttiḥ ||

Āryā 31:

svāṃ svāṃ pratipadyante paraspara-ākūta-hetukāṃ vṛttim | puruṣa-artha eva hetuḥ na kenacit kāryate karaṇam ||

Āryā 32:

karaṇaṃ trayodaśavidhaṃ tat āharaṇa dhāraṇa prakāśakaram | kāryaṃ ca tasya daśadha hāryaṃ dhāryaṃ prakāśyaṃ ca ||

Āryā 33:

antaḥ karaṇaṃ trividhaṃ daśadhā bāhyaṃ trayasya viṣayākhyam | sāmpratakālaṃ bāhyaṃ trikālam ābhyantaraṃ karaṇam ||

Āryā 34:

buddhi indriyāṇi teṣāṃ pañca viśeṣa aviśeṣa viṣayāṇi | vāk bhavati śabda viṣayā śeṣāṇi tu pañca viṣayāṇi ||

Āryā 35:

śāntaḥ karaṇaṃ buddhiḥ sarvaṃ viṣayam avagāhate yasmāt | tasmāt trividhaṃ karaṇaṃ dvāri dvārāṇi śeṣāṇi ||

Āryā 36:

ete pradīpa-kalphāḥ paraspara vilakṣaṇāḥ guṇa viśeṣāḥ | kṛtsaṃ puruṣayā arthaṃ prakāśya buddhau prayacchanti ||

Āryā 37:

sarvaṃ prati upabhogaṃ yasmāt puruṣasya sādhayati buddhiḥ | sa eva ca viśinaṣṭi punaḥ pradhāna puruṣa-aṅtaraṃ sūkṣmam ||

Āryā 38:

tanmātrāṇi aviśeṣāḥ tebhyo bhūtāni pañca pañcabhyaḥ | ete smṛtāḥ viśeṣāḥ śāṅtāḥ ghorāḥ ca mūḍhāḥ ca ||

Āryā 39:

sūkṣmāḥ mātāpitṛjāḥ saha prabhūtaiḥ tridhā viśeṣāḥ syuḥ | sūkṣmāḥ teṣāṃ niyatāḥ mātā pitṛjāḥ nivartaṇte ||

Āryā 40:

pūrva-utpannam asaktaṃ niyatam mahat ādi sūkṣma-paryantam | saṃsarati nirupa-bhogaṃ bhāvaiḥ adhivāsitaṃ liṅgam ||

Āryā 41:

citraṃ yathā āśrayam ṛte sthāṇu-ādibhyo vinā yathā chāyā | tadvat vinā viśeṣaiḥ na tiṣṭhati nirāśrayaṃ liṅgam ||

Āryā 42:

puruṣārtha-hetukam idaṃ nimitta naimittika prasaṅgena | prakṛteḥ vibhutva yogat naṭavat vyavatiṣṭhate liṅgam ||

Āryā 43:

sāṃsiddhikāḥ ca bhāvāḥ prakṛtikāḥ vaikṛtikāḥ ca dharmādhāḥ | dṛṣṭāḥ karaṇāśrayiṇaḥ kāryāśrayiṇaḥ ca kalalādyāḥ ||

Āryā 44:

dharmeṇa gamanam ūrdhva gamanam adhastād bhavati adharmeṇa | jñānena ca apavargaḥ viparyayāt iṣyate bandhaḥ ||

Āryā 45:

vairāgyat prakṛtilayaḥ saṃsāro bhavati rājasāt rāgāt | aiśvaryāt avighātaḥ viparyayāt tad viparyāsaḥ ||

Āryā 46:

eṣah pratyayasargaḥ viparyaya-aśakti tuṣṭiḥ siddhi-ākhyaḥ | guṇa-vaiṣamya-vimardāt tasya ca bhedāḥ tu pāñcāśat ||

Āryā 47:

pañca viparyaya bhedāḥ bhavaṅti aśaktiḥ ca karaṇa vaikalyāt | aṣṭāvimśāti bhedāḥ tuṣṭiḥ navadhā aṣṭadhā siddhiḥ ||

Āryā 48:

bhedaḥ tamasaḥ aṣṭavidhaḥ mohasaya ca daśavidhaḥ maha-mohaḥ | tāmisraḥ aṣṭādaśadhā tathā bhavati aṅdhatāmisraḥ ||

Āryā 49:

ekādaśa iṅdriya-vadhāḥ saha buddhi vadhaiḥ aśaktiḥ uddiṣṭā | saptadaśa vadhāḥ buddheḥ viparyayāt tuṣṭi siddhīnām ||

Āryā 50:

ādhyātmikāḥ catasraḥ prakṛti upādāna kāla bhāgya ākhyāḥ | bāhyāḥ viṣaya uparamāt pañca nava tuṣṭayaḥ abhimatāḥ ||

Āryā 51:

ūhaḥ śabdaḥ adhyayanaṃ duhkha-vighātāḥ trayaḥ sukṛt prāptiḥ | dānaṃ ca siddhayaḥ aṣṭau siddheḥ pūrvaḥ aṅkuśaḥ trividhaḥ ||

Āryā 52:

na vinā bhāvaiḥ liṅgaṃ na vinā liṅgena bhāva nirvṛttiḥ | liṅgena bhāva-ākhyaḥ tasmāt dvedhā pravartate sargaḥ ||

Āryā 53:

aṣṭa vikalpaḥ daivaḥ tairyagyonaḥ ca pañcadhā bhavati | mānuṣakaḥ ca ekavidhaḥ samāsataḥ bhautikaḥ sargaḥ ||

Āryā 54:

ūrdhvaṃ sattva-viśālaḥ tamo-viśālaḥ ca mūlataḥ sargaḥ | madhye rajo-viśālaḥ brahma-ādi stamba-paryantaḥ ||

Āryā 55:

tatra jarāmaraṇa kṛtaṃ duḥkhaṃ prāpnoti cetanaḥ puruṣaḥ | liṅgasya avinivṛtteḥ tasmāt duḥkhaṃ svabhāvena ||

Āryā 56:

ityeṣaḥ prakṛti kṛtaḥ mahadādi viśeṣa bhūta paryantaḥ | prati puruṣa vimokṣārthaṃ svārthe iva parārthe ārambhaḥ ||

Āryā 57:

vatsa vivṛddhi nimittaṃ kṣīrasya yathā pravṛttiḥ ajñasya | puruṣa vimokṣa nimittaṃ tathā pravṛttiḥ pradhānasya ||

Āryā 58:

autsukya nivṛtti-arthaṃ yathā kriyasu pravartate lokaḥ | puruṣasya vimokṣa-arthaṃ pravartate tadvat avyaktam ||

Āryā 59:

raṅgasya darśayitvā nivartate nartakī yathā nṛtyāt | puruṣasya tathā ātmānaṃ prakāśya vinivartate prakṛtiḥ ||

Āryā 60:

nanavidhaiḥ upāyaiḥ upakāriṇi anupakāriṇaḥ puṃsaḥ | guṇavati aguṇasya sataḥ tasya artham apārthakaṃ carati ||

Āryā 61:

prakṛteḥ sukumārataraṃ na kiñcit asti iti me matiḥ bhavati | yā dṛṣṭā asmi iti punaḥ na darśanam upaiti puruṣasya ||

Āryā 62:

tasmāt na badhyate addhā na mucyate na api saṃsarati kaścit | saṃsarati badhyate mucyate ca nānā-āśrayā prakṛtiḥ ||

Āryā 63:

rūpaiḥ saptabhiḥ eva tu badhnāti ātmānam ātmanā prakṛtiḥ | sai’va ca puruṣa arthaṃ prati vimocayati eka rūpeṇa ||

Āryā 64:

evaṃ tattvābhyāsāt na asmi na me na aham iti apariśeṣam | aviparyayāt viśuddhaṃ kevalam utpadyate jñānam ||

Āryā 65:

tena nivṛttapraśavā arthavaśāt sapta rūpa vinivṛttām | prakṛtiṃ paśyati puruṣaḥ prekṣakavat avasthitaḥ svacchaḥ ||

Āryā 66:

dṛṣṭā mayā iti upekṣakaḥ ekaḥ dṛṣṭā aham iti uparamati anya | sati saṃyoge-api prayojanaṃ nāsti sargasya ||

Āryā 67:

samyak-jñāna adhigamāt dharmadīnām akāraṇa prāptau | tiṣṭhati saṃskāra vaśāt cakra bhramivat dhṛta śarīraḥ ||

Āryā 68:

prāpte śarīrabhede caritārthatvāt pradhāna vinivṛtteḥ | aikāntikam ātyaṅtikam ubhayaṃ kaivalyaṃ prāpnoti ||

Āryā 69:

puruṣārtha jñānam idaṃ guhyaṃ parama-rṣiṇā samākhyātam | sthiti utpatti pralayaḥ cintyaṅte yatṛa bhūtānām ||

Āryā 70:

etat pavitram agryam muniḥ āsuraye-anukaṃpayā | āsuriḥ api pañcaśikhāya tena ca bahudhā kṛtaṃ tantram ||

Āryā 71:

śiṣya-paraṃparyā-āgatam īśvarakṛṣṇena ca-etad āryābhiḥ | saṃkṣiptam ārya-matinā saṃyak-vijñāya siddhāntam ||

Āryā 72:

saptatyāṃ kila ye arthāḥ te arthāḥ kṛtsnasya ṣaṣṭitantrasya | ākhyāyikā-virahitāḥ paravāda-vivarjitāḥ ca-api ||

Āryā 73:

tasmāt samāsa-dṛṣṭaṃ śāstram idaṃ nā-arthataḥ ca parihīnam | tantrasya ca bṛhan-mūrteḥ darpaṇa-saṅkrāntam-iva bimbam ||

Centre for Yoga Studies

The Art of Personal Sādhana

Sāṃkhya Kārikā of Īśvara Kṛṣṇa