Even if it be accepted that Pradhana has self-initiated activity yet it is a useless theory, because it serves no purpose — 179.

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COMMENTARY

The word «not» is understood in this and the subsequent three Sutras. The theory of the Sankhyas is that Pradhana is moved to activity, in order to cause experience and liberation of the Jiva. Her object is that the Jiva after enjoying her, and finding her full of evil, should become indifferent to her, and thus attain liberation, which consists in such indifference. The activity of Pradhana is purely altruistic, with the object of giving experience and joy to the soul. She has no purpose of her own to be served by her activity. In the Sankhya Sutra, III, 58, it is thus stated:

Pradhana creates for the sake of another, and though it be spontaneous — for she is not the enjoyer — just like a camel that carries the saffron for the sake of his master and not for himself. Sankhyas believe that the Jiva is actionless, though the experiencer. They say that the Jiva can be a non-agent and yet experience the fruit of activity, just like a person who may not cook food himself, yet all the same eat it when cooked by another.

For such an activity of Prakriti is not a reasonable proposition to be accepted. It serves no purpose, even if such an activity be accepted. For, what is the aim of such activity? It is either to produce experience in the Jiva, by showing him the various sides of Prakriti, or to produce liberation of the Purusha, by making him indifferent to her charms. The first object, namely, to produce experience in the Jiva, cannot be the result of any activity of Prakriti. For, it is admitted that before there was any such activity in Prakriti, the Purusha existed as a mere intelligence, actionless, changeless, self-satisfied. Why should such a Purusha go out of his bliss of isolation, to see the enchanting play of Prakriti? Merely because the Prakriti is active, is no reason for holding that Purusha must undergo the change in the shape of looking at her. It, therefore, follows that the activity of Prakriti cannot be the cause of the experience of the Purusha. Nor can such activity be the cause of liberation of the Purusha, because before such activity, the Purusha was already in a state of liberation. Why should the Prakriti make herself active in order to produce the liberation of the Purusha, when it was already liberated?

If it be said that wherever the Prakriti is active it is bound to produce some change in the consciousness of Purusha, for it is in proximity with Prakriti, and thus the mere activity of Prakriti is the cause of experience of the Purusha, then we say that your proposition is rather too large. Merely because a soul is in proximity with matter, is no reason why it should be, affected by the activity of such matter; for then even the Mukta souls would also be affected by such activity, and fall into bondage again, since matter is all-pervading, and the proximity of spirit and matter is eternal and impossible of removal.

The Sankhyas say that if the Prakriti is not active by her own inherent power, then we have another theory to propound. The correlation between spirit and matter, is like that of a blind and a lame man. One has no power of motion, the other has no power of vision. The spirit is lame and is void of all power of motion. Prakriti is blind, though possessing all power to move. Each by himself is incapable of achieving any result. But when the lame (spirit) conies in contact with the blind (but moving (matter), it makes this blind matter become active and directs all her movements. Or, to take another illustration, as a magnet itself without motion, can set in motion the iron in its proximity, so the spirit, itself motionless and changeless, sets in motion Prakriti, when both come in contact with each other. Thus this reflection of spirit in matter, makes the matter appear intelligent, and sets in motion her creative activity. To this theory of the Sankhyas, the author replies by the following Sutra:

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