Shloka 15
Sāṅkhya: Categories of the Absolute Truth and the Unfolding of Creation
Tattva-vicāra
एतावानेव सङ्ख्यातो ब्रह्मण: सगुणस्य ह । सन्निवेशो मया प्रोक्तो य: काल: पञ्चविंशक: ॥ १५ ॥
etāvān eva saṅkhyāto brahmaṇaḥ sa-guṇasya ha sanniveśo mayā prokto yaḥ kālaḥ pañca-viṁśakaḥ
Tout cela est compté comme le Brahman qualifié (saguna). Le principe qui en opère la combinaison, appelé Temps (kāla), est compté comme le vingt-cinquième élément, ainsi que je l’ai dit.
According to the Vedic version there is no existence beyond Brahman. Sarvaṁ khalv idaṁ brahma ( Chāndogya Upaniṣad 3.14.1). It is stated also in the Viṣṇu Purāṇa that whatever we see is parasya brahmaṇaḥ śaktiḥ; everything is an expansion of the energy of the Supreme Absolute Truth, Brahman. When Brahman is mixed with the three qualities goodness, passion and ignorance, there results the material expansion, which is sometimes called saguṇa Brahman and which consists of these twenty-five elements. In the nirguṇa Brahman, where there is no material contamination, or in the spiritual world, the three modes — goodness, passion and ignorance — are not present. Where nirguṇa Brahman is found, simple unalloyed goodness prevails. Saguṇa Brahman is described by the Sāṅkhya system of philosophy as consisting of twenty-five elements, including the time factor (past, present and future).
FAQs
In this verse, Kapila explains that the cosmic arrangement he has enumerated is identified with kāla—the time-factor—described as the twenty-fifth principle in the analysis of reality.
Kapila is teaching Devahuti Sāṅkhya—an analytical path that distinguishes spirit from matter—so she can understand how the guṇas and time govern material manifestation and thereby cultivate detachment and devotion.
Remembering time as a governing force helps one prioritize sādhana, reduce attachment to temporary gains, and turn daily life toward lasting spiritual goals like bhakti and liberation.