Previous Verse
Next Verse

Shloka 33

अव्यक्त-गुण-पुरुषविवेकः | Avyakta, Guṇas, and Discrimination of Puruṣa

एवमेतां विकुर्वाण: सर्गप्रलयधर्मिणीम्‌

evam etāṃ vikurvāṇaḥ sarga-pralaya-dharmiṇīm, trigunamayīṃ prakṛtiṃ vikṛtya, trīṇāṃ guṇānāṃ svāmī ātmā karma-mārge ’nuraktaḥ pravṛttaś ca san, tayā prakṛtyā bhavamānaṃ pratyekaṃ triguṇātmakaṃ kāryaṃ svakam iva manyate.

இவ்வாறு படைப்பு-அழிவு இயல்புடைய அந்தப் பிரக்ருதியை மாற்றியமைத்துக் கொண்டே, மூன்று குணங்களின் அதிபதியான ஆத்மா செயல்வழியில் ஆசை கொண்டு ஈடுபடுகிறது; மேலும் பிரக்ருதியால் தோன்றும் ஒவ்வொரு மூன்று-குணச் செயலையும் மயக்கத்தால் ‘இது எனது’ என்று கருதுகிறது.

एवम्thus, in this manner
एवम्:
TypeIndeclinable
Rootएवम्
एताम्this (her/it)
एताम्:
Karma
TypePronoun
Rootएतद्
FormFeminine, Accusative, Singular
विकुर्वाणःmodifying, transforming
विकुर्वाणः:
Karta
TypeVerb
Rootवि + कृ (कृञ् करणे)
Formशतृ (present active participle), Masculine, Nominative, Singular
सर्गप्रलयधर्मिणीम्having creation and dissolution as its nature
सर्गप्रलयधर्मिणीम्:
Karma
TypeAdjective
Rootसर्ग-प्रलय-धर्मिन्
FormFeminine, Accusative, Singular

वसिष्ठ उवाच

वसिष्ठ (Vasiṣṭha)
आत्मा (Ātman)
प्रकृति (Prakṛti)
त्रिगुण (three guṇas: sattva, rajas, tamas)

Educational Q&A

Even though the Self is, in essence, sovereign over the three guṇas, when it becomes attached to action and identifies through Prakṛti, it mistakenly claims guṇa-born effects as ‘mine.’ This misidentification is a key mechanism of bondage; freedom lies in discerning Self from Prakṛti and loosening possessiveness.

Vasiṣṭha is explaining a philosophical account of how embodied experience arises: Prakṛti, characterized by cycles of creation and dissolution, produces guṇa-made effects; the Self, turning toward the path of action, becomes involved and adopts a sense of ownership over those effects.