Atomic thoughts

Also the all-pervading ‘mahat’ (the ‘great’ principle of intelligence); as also all those things that consist of the three constituent attributes, and in due course, also the five organs of sensation which apprehend objects.—(15)

महान् इति संज्ञया सांख्यानां तत्त्वं प्रसिद्धम् । आत्मानम् इति महता सामानाधिकरण्यम् । सर्वपिण्डसृष्टौ च महत्तयानुस्यूतम्¹ अत आत्मव्यवहारः । अहंकारात् पूर्वं पूर्वेण न्यायेन ससर्ज । सर्वाणि त्रिगुणानि च । यथानुक्रान्तं यथानुक्रम्यते तत् सर्वं त्रिगुण । सत्वरजस्तमांसि गुणाः । क्षेत्रज्ञाः केवलं निर्गुणाः । प्राकृतो भागः सर्वः सत्त्वरजस्तमोमयः । पञ्चेन्द्रियाणि तेषां निर्देशविषयाणां रूपरसादीनां यथास्वं ग्रहीतॄणि विज्ञानजनकानि । पञ्च “श्रोत्रं त्वग्” इत्यादिना वक्ष्यन्ते (म्ध् २.९०) विशेषनामानि² । चसब्देन विषयांश् च शब्दस्पर्शरूपरसगन्धान् पृथिव्यादीनि च ॥ १.१५ ॥

M G 1st ed.: nāma

M G 1st ed.: -ānurūpam

The creation of the Elemental Principles is now described. What forms the constituent factor of what, and in what manner, has been already explained by implication.

‘From out of himself’—i.e., from out of Primordial Matter, which forms his body, ‘he brought forth Mind.’ The creation of the Elemental Principles is set forth here in the reverse order; the meaning thus is that ‘before the mind he brought up the Principle of Egoism, whose function consists in self-consciousness’; the consciousness of self, appearing in the form of the notion of ‘I,’ is a function of the Principle of Egoism; it is called all-powerful in the sense that it is capable of accomplishing its work.—(14)

> Sanskrit text, Unicode transliteration and English translation by > Ganganath Jha: > > महान्तमेव चात्मानं सर्वाणि त्रिगुणानि च ।
> विषयाणां ग्रहीतॄणि शनैः पञ्चैन्द्रियाणि च ॥ १५ ॥ > > mahāntameva cātmānaṃ sarvāṇi triguṇāni ca | * > viṣayāṇāṃ grahītṝṇi śanaiḥ pañcaindriyāṇi ca* || 15 || > > Also the all-pervading ‘mahat’ (the ‘great’ principle of > intelligence); as also all those things that consist of the three > constituent attributes, and in due course, also the five organs of > sensation which apprehend objects.—(15)

(verse xiv-xv)

The confusion regarding the account of the process of creation contained in Manu is best exemplified by these two verses. The names of the various evolutes have been so promiscuously used, that the commentators have been led to have recourse to various forced interpretations, with a view to bring the statement herein contained into line with their own philosophical predilections. Medhātithi, Kullūka, Govinda and Rāghavānanda take it as describing the three principles of the Sāṅkhya—Mahat, Ahaṅkāra and Manas; but finding that the production of Ahaṅkāra from Manas, or of Mahat (which is what they understand by the term ‘mahāntam ātmānam’) is not in conformity with the Sāṅkhya doctrine,—they assert that the three evolutes have been mentioned here ‘in the inverted order’. Even, so, how they can get over the statement that ‘Ahaṅkāra’ was produced ‘from Manas’ (‘manasaḥ’) it is not easy to see. Similarly, the ‘ātman’ from which Manas is described as being produced, Medhātithi explains as the Sāṅkhya ‘Pradhāna’, and Kullūka as the Vedantic¹ Supreme Soul’.

Buhler remarks that according to Medhātithi by the particle ‘ca’ ‘the subtile elements alone are to he understood.’

This does not represent Medhātithi correctly; his words being—‘caśabdena viṣayāṃśca śabdasparśarūparasagandhān pṛthivyādīni ca’.

In order to escape from the above difficulties, Nandana has recourse to another method of interpretation,—no less forced than the former. He takes ‘manas’ as standing for Mahat, and ‘mahāntam ātmānam’ as the Manas.

Not satisfied with all this, Nandana remarks that the two verses are not meant to provide an accurate account of the precise order of creation; all that is meant to be shown is that all things were produced out of parts of the body of the Creator himself.

015 Moreover, the great one, the soul, and all (products) affected by the three qualities, and, in their order, the five organs which perceive the objects of sensation.

Having combined the subtile components of the said six principles of illimitable potency with their own evolutes, he created even all beings.—(16)

तेषां षण्णां या आत्ममात्रास् तासु सूक्ष्मान् अवयवान् संनिवेश्य सर्वभूतानि निर्ममे । तत्र षट्संख्यया वक्ष्यमाणानि पञ्च तन्मात्राणि अतिक्रान्तश् चाहंकारः प्रतिनिर्दिश्यते । आत्ममात्रास् तेषां स्वविकाराः । तन्मात्राणां भूतानि, अहंकारस्येन्द्रियाणि । पृथिव्यादिषु भूतेषु शरीररूपतया तिष्ठत्सु सूक्ष्मान् अवयवांस् तन्मात्राहंकारान् संनिवेश्य यथास्थानं योजनं कृत्वा सर्वभूतानि देवमनुष्यतिर्यक्पक्षिस्थावरादीनि निर्ममे । एतद् उक्तं भवति । षड् अविशेषा अवयवा एकदेशारम्भकाः सर्वस्य जगतस् तस्य तदारब्धत्वात् । सूक्ष्मत्वं तन्मात्रसंज्ञयैव सिद्धम् । तानि संनिवेश्य संनिहत्य³ तेषाम् एवात्ममात्रांस् तद्विकारान्⁴ भूतेन्द्रियाणि निर्ममे । तैश् च पिण्डसृष्टिं चकारात् । “मात्रासु” इत्य् अत्र “मात्राभिः” इति युक्तः पाठः ॥ १.१६ ॥

M G: evātmamātrās tadvikārāḥ

J: saṃhatya

The said six principles of their own respective evolutes,—to these he joined their subtile components, and thus created all beings.

The number ‘six,’ (mentioned in connection with the Principles) is made up of the five ‘Rudimentary Substances,’ to be described later on, and the ‘Principle of Egoism’ already described.

The ‘own envolutes’ of these Principles, are their respective products; i.e., the elemental substances, which are the products of the‘Rudimentary Substances,’ the Sense-organs which are the products of the ‘Principle of Egoism.’ The Eaṛth and the other Elemental Substances being present, like so many ‘bodies,’ he joined to them the ‘subtile components’; i.e., the Rudimentary Substances and the Principle of Egoism; that is, he placed them in their proper places, and thus ‘created all beings,’—Gods, men, animals, birds, trees and so forth.

The meaning is as follows:—The six subtile components are productive of one portion of the entire world, the whole of which is evolved out of them; that they are ‘subtile’ is proved by the fact of their being ‘rudimentary’ in their character;—these he ‘combined,’ i.e., brought together, with their own envolutes,’ i.e., their respective products; he produced the material substances and the organs (of action), and through these, the entire material world; these latter being indicated by the word ‘even.’

In place of ‘mātrāsu’ it is better to rend ‘mātrābhiḥ’.—(16)

Six elements—The five Rudimentary Substances and the Principle of Egoism.

Here also, and for reasons similar to the above, there is a difference of opinion among commentators.

Nandana, and Rāghavānanda take the verse as describing the creation of the bodies of things from the body of the Creator, and that of their souls from His Soul.

The ‘six’, Rāghavānanda takes as standing for the six sense-organs, and Nandana as for the six tattvas—

1. Mahat,
2. Ahaṅkāra,
3. Manas,
4. Subtile Elements,
5. Organs, of Action
6. and Organs of Sensation.

Medhātithi takes the verse simply as describing how the Creator created all beings by combining ‘the subtile components of the said six principles’ with ‘their own evolutes.’

Hopkins remarks that ‘ātmamātrā’ stands for ‘the spiritual atom as opposed to the elementary,—not reflexive elements of himself.’

016 But, joining minute particles even of those six, which possess measureless power, with particles of himself, he created all beings.

Because the six subtile components of the frame (of primordial matter) enter into (produce) these, therefore the wise ones have described the frame of that (primordial matter) as ‘body.’—(17)

मूर्तिः शरीरम् । तदर्थास् तत्सम्पादका अवयवाः । सूक्ष्माः षड् उक्तस्वरूपाश् च अविशेषाख्याः । तानीमानि इन्द्रियाणि वक्ष्यमाणानि च भूतान्य् आश्रयन्ति । तस्योत्पत्तेर् भूतान्य् आश्रयन्तीत्य् उच्यते । तदाश्रयोत्पत्तिस् तेषाम् । पठितं च “पञ्चभ्यः पञ्च भूतानि” इति (साम्क् २२) । यद् येन कारणेनाश्रयन्ति तस्मात् कारणात् शरीरं तस्य प्रधानस्य येयं मूर्तिः शरीरम् इत्य् उच्यते । मनीषिणः । मनीषा बुद्धिस् तद्वन्तः पण्डीताः । अथ वा विपरीतः कर्तृभावः । सूक्ष्माः कर्तार इन्द्रियाणि कर्म । अवयवाश् चेन्द्रियाणाम् आश्रयभावं प्रतिपद्यमाना आश्रयन्तीत्य् उच्यते । यथा “बहुभिर् भुक्तः” इति भोजयन् भुक्त इत्य् उच्यते । अथ वानेकार्थत्वाद् धातूनां आश्रयन्ति जनयतीत्य् अर्थः ॥ १.१७ ॥

‘Frame’—body; the ‘components’ of it are those things that constitute it; these are ‘subtile,’ the ‘six’ already described (viz.,the five Rudimentary Substances and the Principle of Egoism), which are called ‘aviśeṣa,’ the undifferentiated. —Tāni āśrayanti—i.e., the organs and the elemental substances going to be described ‘enter into’ the said components; which means that they are evolved out of them; i.e., the evolution of the organs &c., has for its substratum the six subtile components; this is what has been described in the words ‘the five elemental substances are produced out of the five Rudimentary Substances’ (Sāṅkhya-Kārikā, 22). Because they enter into them, therefore the ‘frame of that,’ i.e., of Primordial Matter,—has been described as ‘Body.’

Manasviṇaḥ, ‘maṇīṣā’ is wisdom; those possessed of wisdom are ‘manasvins,’ i.e., the wise ones.

[The above explanation makes ‘tainīmāni,’ the organs and substances, the nominative, and the ‘components’ the objective;—this construction is found to be incompatible with the nominative ending in ‘avayavāḥ,’ ‘components’; hence the Bhāṣya puts forward another construction, which has been adopted in the rendering of the text.]—Or, the relation of the ‘nominative’ and ‘objective’ may be reversed: the ‘subtile components’ being the nominative, and the ‘organs’ the objective (of the verb ‘āśrayanti,’); the meaning of ‘āśrayanti,’ ‘enter into,’ being that the subtile components serve as the substratum—‘āśraya’—of the organs; just as in the phrase ‘he has been fed (upon) by many men,’ the man doing the feeding is spoken of as ‘fed.’—Or, since verbal roots may have several meanings, ‘enter in’ may be explained as ‘produce.’—(17)

Nandana explains the verse to mean that ‘the body of Hiraṇyagarbha is called Śarīra, body, because it enters all things mentioned in the preceding verses by means of its portions’; according to Medhātithi on the other hand, it means that—the body of Pradhāna is called Śarīra, because its six components enter into these things,—viz., the organs and the elemental substances. Kullūka refers it to the body of Brahman.

The only important points of difference are—(1) while Medhātithi takes it as referring to the body of Pradhāna, others take it as refering to that of Hiraṇyagarbha or Brahmā; and (2) while according to Medhātithi the evolutes entering into that Body are the organs and the gross elemental subtances, according to Nandana, they are only the six principles named in verses 14-15.

The natural construction of the verse appears to be yat (yasmāt kāraṇāṭ) sūr?yacayacāḥ sūkṣmāḥ tāni imāni ṣaṭ āśrayanti tasmāt——as set forth by Medhātithi But if tāni imāni refers to indriyāṇi then there should be an accusative ending in in order to make it the object of āśrayanti. It is in view of this difficulty that the Bhāṣya has put forward another construction by which sūkṣmāḥ is the nominative and tānīmāni the objective of the verb āśrayanti,

017 Because those six (kinds of) minute particles, which form the (creator’s) frame, enter (a-sri) these (creatures), therefore the wise call his frame sarira, (the body.)

The great elemental substances, along with their functions, as also the mind, along with its subtile components, enter into that which (on that account) is the generator of all things and imperishable.—(18)

तद् एतत् प्रधानं सर्वभूतकृद् भवति । अव्ययम् अविनाशं कारणात्मना । कथं सर्वाणि भूतानि करोति । यतस् तद् आविशन्तीमानि । कानि पुनस् तानि । **मनः सूक्ष्मैर् अवयवैः **सह तन्मात्रैर् बुद्ध्यहंकारेन्दियलक्षणैः । अनन्तरं महान्ति भूतानि पृथिव्यप्तेजोवाय्वाकाशाख्यानि । सह कर्मभिः । धृतिसंहननपक्तिव्यूहावकाशाः पृथिव्यादीनां यथाक्रमं कर्माणि । तत्र धृतिः धारणं सरणपतनधर्मकस्य एकत्रावस्थानम् । संग्राहकाद् विकीर्णस्य संहननम् । यथा पांसवो विकीर्णा उदकेन संहन्यन्ते पिण्डीक्रियन्ते । पक्तिर् अन्नौषधतृणादेस् तेजसः कार्यतया प्रसिद्धा । व्यूहो विन्यासः संनिवेशः । अवकाशो मूर्त्यन्तरेणाप्रतिबन्धः । न हि यस्मिन् देशे मूर्तिर् एका स्थिता तत्र मूर्त्यन्तरस्य स्थानम् । सुवर्णपिण्डे न कस्यचिद् अन्तःसंभवः । मनोग्रहणं सर्वेन्द्रियप्रदर्शनार्थम् । कर्मग्रहणेन च कर्मेन्द्रियाणि वा गृह्यन्ते । अथ वा तत्कार्यं सूक्ष्मैर् अवयवैर् युक्तं महान्ति भूतान्य् अधितिष्ठति पश्चाद् इत्य् एवं योजना । इन्द्रियाणि च मनःशब्दस्य प्रदर्शनार्थत्वात् ॥ १.१८ ॥

‘That,’ ‘Primordial Matter—is ‘the generator of all things’:—it is ‘imperishable,’ i.e., in its original (causal) form it is indestructible.

“In what way does Primordial Matter generate all things?”

Because all these enter into it.

“What are all these that enter into it?”

First of all ‘the Mind along with its subtile components,’—i.e., along with the Rudimentary Substances, the Principle of Intelligence, the Principle of Egoism and the Sense-organs;—and then, the Great Elemental Substances—called ‘Earth,’ ‘Water,’ ‘Fire,’ ‘Wind,’ and ‘Ākāśa;’—‘along with their functions;—

1. sustaining,
2. conglutination,
3. cooking,
4. configuration
5. and making room (unobstruction) respectively are the ‘functions’ of Earth, &c.

Of these

1. ‘sustaining’ means upholding, keeping in their places, things that are prone to falling;
2. ‘conglutination’ means bringing together things that are loose and disjointed; e.g., loose and disjointed dust-particles are brought togther, cemented into, a mass by means of water;—
3. ‘Cooking’ is the well-known effect produced by fire upon such tilings as medicine and herbs, &c.
4. ‘Configuration’ means conformation, shaping;—
5. ‘making room’ means non-obstruction by another body; in a point in space where one body is already present, there can be no room for another body; e.g., no object can find room within a piece of gold.

‘Mind’—is meant to indicate all the organs of sensation; and the term ‘Karma’ may be taken as referring to the organs of action; or again, in the first line of the text, the term ‘Karma’ may be taken to mean the ‘products’ of the elementary substances; the sense of the passage being that ‘subsequently the products of the elemental substances, along with the subtile components, enter into the great elemental substances’—‘as also do the organs of sensation,’ this latter being indicated by the word ‘Mind.’—(18)

Buhler supplies the translation of the verse according to the five interpretations offered by the commentators.

1. The text here represents the explanation given by Medhātithi:—
2. According to Govinda and Kullūka the verse means—‘From Brahman are produced the gross elements, together with their functions, and the Mind, which is the producer of all beings through its minute portions, and imperishable’.—
3. According to Rāghavānanda—‘That gross body the gross elements enter, and the Mind, which is the producer of all beings and imperishable, together with the actions and with the limbs.’—
4. According to Nandana—‘As that body of Hiraṇyagarbha, though through its small portions it produces all beings, ye tis imperishable,—even thus the Great Beings and the Mind, with the actions enter it.’—
5. According to Nārāyana—‘That subtile body the gross elements enter, together with the Karma and the Mind, the producer of all beings and imperishable, together with its minute portions.’

Dr. Buhler’s rendering of this verse is not approved by Hopkins. The construction of the sentence is the same in all cases—mahānti bhūtāni karmabhiḥ saha—manaśca sūkṣmaiḥ avayavaiḥ.

Medhātithi himself offers a second explanation.

Mahābhārata, 12.232.12.—(First half is the same as Manu.)

018 That the great elements enter, together with their functions and the mind, through its minute parts the framer of all beings, the imperishable one.

From out of the Subtile constituents of the frames of the said exceedingly potent principles is produced this (Gross Body)—the perishable proceeding from the imperishable.—(19)

सूक्ष्मात् स्थूलम् उत्पद्यते संभवति । अव्ययाद् व्ययम् इत्य् एतावति तात्पर्यम् । न तु षण्णां सप्तानां वा तत्त्वानां मात्राभ्य इति । चतुर्विंशतितत्त्वानि । तानि सृष्टौ सर्वेषां निमित्तम् । अथ वा पिण्डसृष्टौ सप्तैव प्रधानं कारणम्, षडविशेषाः सप्तमो महान् । तेभ्यो भूतेन्द्रियाण्य् उत्पद्यन्ते । तेषु चोत्पन्नेषु पिण्डीभवति शरीरम् ।

• अव्ययात्⁵ प्रधानाद् उपसंभृतसर्वविकाराद् एकीभूताद् इदं बहुधा विप्रकीर्णं विश्वरूपं जगद् उत्पद्यते । किं युगपद् एव समस्तैर् विकारैः स्थूलरूपैः प्रधानं विक्रियते । नेत्य् आह । तेषाम् इदम् इति । यादृशः प्राग् उक्तः क्रमस् तेनैव । “प्रकृतेर् महांस् ततो ऽहंकारस् तस्माद् गुणस् तु षोडशकः” इति (सांक् २२) । पुरुषशब्दस् तत्त्वे पुरुषार्थत्वात् प्रयुक्तः । महौजसां स्वकार्ये वीर्यवताम् । अपरिमितविकारहेतुत्वान् महत्वम् । तेषां याः सूक्ष्मा मूर्तिमात्रा मूर्तिः शरीरम्, तदर्था मात्रास्, ताभ्य इदं भवति । अत उच्यते । अव्ययाद् व्ययम् इति । काः पुनस् तेषां सूक्ष्मा मात्राः । न हि तन्मात्राणाम् अन्या मात्राः संभवन्ति येन तेषां सूक्ष्मा मात्रा इति व्यतिरेक उपपद्यते । न तेषां स्वागतमात्रापेक्षत्वम् । किं तर्हि । तन्मात्रेभ्यः सूक्ष्मो महान् महतः प्रभूर्⁶ इति ॥ १.१९ ॥

J: prakṛtir

M G 1st ed.: atha yāvat

All that is meant by saying that ‘the perishable proceeds from the imperishable’ is that the Gross is produced out of the Subtile; and it is not meant to emphasise whether it is produced out of the particles of six or seven Principles; in fact there are twenty-four Principles, all of which form the cause of the origin of all things. Or, the meaning may be that in the production of the gross oḥjeot only seven Principles form the principal cause, e.g., the six non-differentiated Principles (the live Rudimentary Substances and the principle of Egoism) and the seventh, the Great Principle of Intelligence. Out of these (seven) are produced the Elemental Substances and the Organs; and when these latter have been produced, the gross body becomes formed.

[It has been said that] from out of the imperishable Primordial Matter,—which in its unified form, contains within itself the possibilities of all its evolutes,—is produced this world, which is multifarious in its character and appears in all possible forms.

Now the question arises—Docs the Primordial Matter become modified into all its gross evolutes at one and the same time? And the answer to this is ‘No;’ what really happens is described in the present verse—‘From out of the subtile, &c., &c.,’ The order in which the things are produced is the same as that which has been described before: that is, from out of Primordial Matter is produced the Great Principle of Intelligence;—from this latter the Principle of Egoism; and from this latter again the ‘group of sixteen’ (kārikā, 22).

The term ‘Puruṣa’ has been used in the sense of the Principles, on the ground that these latter subserve the purposes of the Puruṣa (Soul).

‘Exceedingly potent’—capable of producing their effects; it is because they are the cause of innumerable products that they have been called ‘exceedingly.’

The said principles have certain ‘subtile constituents of their frames’;—‘mūrti’ is frame; the constituents that go to form that frame are called ‘constituents of the frame’; from out of these is born ‘this’ (the gross Body). It is in reference to this that it is added—‘the perishable proceeding out of the imperishable.’

Question—“What are the ‘subtile constituents’ of the said Principles? Certainly the Rudimentary Substances have no other ‘constituents’ (save those that are subtile), in reference to (for the exclusion of) which such specification could be possible (as that intended by the epithet ‘subtile’).”

Answer—The qualification ‘subtile’ is not in relation to the constituents of any single Principle itself; what is meant is that (one principle is ‘subtile’ in relation to, in comparison to, another, i.e.) the Great Principle of Intelligence is subtile as compared to the Rudimentary Substances, and the Root Evolvent (Primordial Matter) is ‘subtile’ as compared to the Great Principle.

[Another explanation of the verse is given below, in the form of an introduction to verse 20].—19

The ‘seven’ are made up of—

(1) Egoism, the five subtile elements and the Mahat (Medhātithi, Govinda and Kullūka);—(2) Ātman instead of Mahat (Nārāyana and Nandana). Medhātithi notes another enumeration suggested by ‘others’—(1) The five organs of Perception, (2) the five organs of Action and (3), (4), (5), (6) and, (7) the five grogs elemental substances.’

The name ‘puruṣa’ has been applied to the Tattvas, Principles,—because ‘they serve the purposes of the, soul’ (Medhātithi),—or because ‘they are produced by the Puruṣa, Ātman,’

019 But from minute body (-framing) particles of these seven very powerful Purushas springs this (world), the perishable from the imperishable.

Among these (Elementary Substances), each succeeding one acquires the quality of what precedes it; and each elemental substance is endowed with as many qualities as the place it occupies (in the order in which the said substances are set forth).—(20)

“Why does the Author use the form ‘ādyādyasya’? The correct form should be ‘ādyasyādyasya’, the repetition of the term ‘ādyasya’ being necessitated by Pāṇini’s Sūtra 8.1.4; just as we have in such expressions as ‘paraḥ paraḥ.’”

पूर्वश्लोके केचिद् अन्यथा सप्तसंख्या परिकल्पयन्ति । पञ्चेन्द्रियाणि चक्षुरादीनि वर्गीकृतान्य् एकीभवन्ति । बोधहेतुतयैकेन धर्मेण योगाद् एकत्वेन निर्दिश्यन्ते । एवं कर्मेन्द्रियाणि । तौ च वर्गद्वित्वाद् द्वौ पुरुषौ भवतः । पञ्चभूतानि भेदेनैव निर्दिष्टानि कर्यवैलक्षण्यात् । तद् एवं सप्तपुरुषास् तेषां या मूर्त्यर्थाः सूक्ष्मा मात्रा निर्माणकार्याणि तन्मात्राण्य् अहंकारश् च । अन्यत् समानम् ।

• अतश् च भूतानां पूर्वश्लोके संनिधानाद् एषाम् इति तेषाम् प्रतिनिर्देशः । यद्य् अपि च व्यवहिते बहूनि वचनानि⁷ संनिहितानि तथापि य इहार्थः प्रतिपाद्यते विशिष्टसंख्याकर्तृगुणवत्त्वं तद् भूतानाम् एव संभवति नान्येषां, प्रकृतत्वे सत्य् अपि ।

M G 1st ed.: ca tāni

• अतो ऽयं श्लोकार्थः । एषां भूतानां यद् यत आद्यं⁸ तस्य यद्रूपं ततो ऽनन्तरं पठितं तत् तत् पूर्वस्य संबन्धेन गुणं गृह्णाति । गुणशब्देन शब्दादयः पञ्चोच्यन्ते । आद्यत्वं चात्र वक्ष्यमाणया व्यवस्थया “आकाशं जायते” (म्ध् १.७५) इति । गुणत्वं च शब्दादीनां तत्रैव वक्ष्यति । यो य आकाशादिलक्षणो ऽर्थो यावतिथः यावतां पूरणः । “वतोर् इथुक्” (पाण् ५.२.५३) । द्वितीये तृतीये ऽवस्थाने स्थितः स तावद्गुणः । तावन्तो गुणास् तस्य भवन्ति । द्वितीयस्थाने स्थितो द्विगुण इत्यादि । परस्पराद्याद्यगुणसंबन्धित्वं प्रथमे ऽर्धश्लोक उक्तम् । तत्र यः स्वशब्देन यस्यैव यो गुणो ऽभिहितः “तस्य शब्दगुणं विदुः,” (म्ध् १.७५) “तद् रूपगुणम् उच्यते” (म्ध् १.७७) इत्यादि । ततश् च पूर्वगुणावाप्तौ द्वैगुण्यम् आकाशं वर्जयित्वा भूतानां प्राप्तम् । अत उक्तम् यो यो यावतिथ इति । तेन द्विगुणो वायुस् त्रिगुणं तेजस् चतुर्गुणा आपः पञ्चगुणा भूमिर् इति । आद्याद्यस्येति कथम् । आद्यस्याद्यस्येह भवितव्यम् । नित्यवीप्सयोर् इति द्विवचनेन । यथा परः पर इति । छन्दोभिर् अविशेषात् स्मृतीनां लुग्वृत्तानुरोधाच् चैवं पठितम् ॥ १.२० ॥

M G 1st ed.: yadādyantavat

In the preceding verse some people offer a different explanation of the number ‘seven’:—(1) The five organs of sensation, the Eye and the rest, taken together from a single group; they are regarded as ‘one’ on account of their possessing the common character of being the instruments of perception;—(2) similarly the five organs of action; these two, forming two groups, are ‘two principles’;—(3-7) the five elemental substances, being treated individually, by reason of their functions being distinct from one another, are the ‘seven principles’; and the five Rudimentary Substances and the principle of Egoism are the ‘subtile constituents’ that go to make up the ‘bodies’ of the said seven;—i.e., these seven are the products of evolution from the said six.—The rest of the verse is explained in the same manner as set forth above.

Thus, in accordance with this explanation, the Elemental Substances having been spoken of in the preceding verse (19), the pronoun ‘eṣām,’ ‘among these,’ refers to those same substances. Though there are several words intervening (between the mention of Elemental Substances in verse (19) and the pronoun ‘among these’ in the present verse), which are in closer proximity to the pronoun, yet, as a matter of fact, what Is described in the present verse,—the fact of ‘these’ being endowed with a particular number of qualities derived from well-defined sources—is applicable only to the Elementary Substances, and not to other things; even though these latter may form the subject-matter of the context (and may as such, be capable of being referred to by the pronoun in question).

The meaning of the verse thus comes to this:—‘Among these’ Elemental Substances,—which are set out (later on) in a definite order of sequence, one preceding the other—the ‘succeeding one’ acquires the quality of the preceding one, through its connection with it.—The term ‘quality’ here stands for the five, Sound and the rest;—the ‘preceding’ (and ‘succeeding’) is in reference to the order in which the names of the Elemental Substances are set forth in verse 75 below, where it is said that ‘first of all Ākāśa is produced &c., &c.’ The fact of sound &c., being the qualities of these substances will also bo described in that same verse.—Among Ākāśa and the rest, each one occupies a definite place in the order in which they are set forth; the term ‘yāvatithaḥ’ means the number of the place occupied by it; the word being formed by the adding of the affix ‘ithuk,’ by Pāṇini’s Sūtra 5.2.53. The meaning is that each substance becomes endowed with as many qualities as the place, second or third, &c., occupied by it; that is, the substance occupying the second place in the order of sequence has two qualities, that occupying the third place has three, and so on.

The first half of the verse means that among the Elemental Substances, each succeeding one acquires the quality of its predecessor; and each of them is later on (under verses 75 &c.) described has having one quality inherent in itself; for instance, ‘Ākāśa is known as possessing the quality of sound’ (verse 75); ‘Fire is described as possessing the quality of colour’ (verse 77), and so forth; so that acquiring one quality from its predecessor (and having one inherent in itself) each substance would appear to be endowed with only two qualities,—with the sole exception of Ākāśa (which, having no substance ‘preceding’ it, would have the single quality of Sound, which is inherent in itself); hence with a view to preclude such an idea, the author has added the the second half of the verse—Each Elemental Substance being endowed with as many qualities &c. &c.,—which means that Wind has two qualities, Fire has three, Water has four, and Earth has five.

> “Why does the Author use the form ‘ādyādyasya’? The correct form > should be ‘ādyasyādyasya’, the repetition of the term ‘ādyasya’ > being necessitated by Pāṇini’s Sūtra 8.1.4; just as we have in such > expressions as ‘paraḥ paraḥ.’”

The form used is due to the exigencies of metre; and exigencies of metre justify the non-observance of rules.—(20)

Nandana places verse 27 before 20. There appears to be no justification for deviating from the order adopted by all other commentators.

Mahābhārata, 12.232.8.—‘The qualities of the preceding go over to the succeeding and whatever it is and in whatever form and place, so many qualities it is declared to possess.’

020 Among them each succeeding (element) acquires the quality of the preceding one, and whatever place (in the sequence) each of them occupies, even so many qualities it is declared to possess.