प्रकृतिं पुरुषं चैव विद्ध्यनादी उभावपि ।
विकारांश्च गुणांश्चैव विद्धि प्रकृतिसंभवान् ॥
कार्यकारणकर्तृत्वे हेतुः प्रकृतिरुच्यते ।
पुरुषः सुखदुःखानां भोक्तृत्वे हेतुरुच्यते ॥
पुरुषः प्रकृतिस्थो हि भुङ्क्ते प्रकृतिजान्गुणान् ।
कारणं गुणसङ्गोऽस्य सदसद्योनिजन्मसु ॥
prakṛtiṁ puruṣaṁ caiva viddhy anādī ubhāv api |
vikārāṁś ca guṇāṁś caiva viddhi prakṛti-saṁbhavān ||
kārya-kāraṇa-kartṛtve hetuḥ prakṛtir ucyate |
puruṣaḥ sukha-duḥkhānāṁ bhoktṛtve hetur ucyate ||
puruṣaḥ prakṛti-stho hi bhuṅkte prakṛtijān guṇān |
kāraṇaṁ guṇa-saṅgo’sya sad-asad-yoni-janmasu ||
(Śrīmad Bhagavad-gītā: 13.19–21)
“Prakṛti and the puruṣa—for certain know both to be verily beginningless (anādi), and know the transformations (vikāras) and functions (guṇas) [thereof] to be born of prakṛti. Prakṛti is said to be the cause in regard to being the producer of effects and instruments. The puruṣa is said to be the cause in regard to being the experiencer of happinesses and sufferings. The puruṣa situated in prakṛti experiences the functions (guṇas) born of prakṛti amid births in high and low wombs, and his attachment to [these] functions (guṇas) is the cause [thereof].”
Commentary
evaṁ mitho vivikta-svabhāvayor anādyoḥ prakṛti-jīvayoḥ saṁsargasyānādi-kālikatvaṁ saṁsṛṣṭayos tayoḥ kārya-bhedas tat-saṁsargasyānādi-kālikasya hetuś ca nirūpyate prakṛtim ity-ādibhiḥ | apir avadhṛtau | mithaḥ sampṛktau prakṛti-puruṣāv ubhāv anādy eva viddhi madīya-śaktitvān nityāv eva jānīhi | tayor mac-chaktitvaṁ tu puraivoktaṁ bhūmir āpaḥ ity-ādinā | anādi-saṁsṛṣṭayor api tayoḥ svarūpa-bhedo’stīty āśayenāh vikārān dehendriyādīn guṇāṁś sukha-duḥkhāni prakṛti-sambhavān prākṛtān na tu jaivān viddhīti kṣetrātmanā pariṇatāyāḥ prakṛter anyo jīva iti darśitam ||19|| atha saṁsṛṣṭayos tayoḥ kārya-bhedam āha kāryeti | śarīraṁ kāryaṁ jñāna-karma-sādhakatvād indriyāṇi kāraṇāni teṣāṁ kartṛtve tat-tad-ākāra-sva-pariṇāme prakṛtir hetuḥ | puruṣaḥ prakṛtistho hi ity agrimāt sva-saṁsargeṇa sacetanāṁ prakṛtiṁ puruṣo’dhitiṣṭhati | tad-adhiṣṭhitā tu sā tat-karmānuguṇyena pariṇamamānā tat-tad-dehādīnāṁ sraṣṭrīti prakṛtyārpitānāṁ sukhādīnāṁ bhoktṛtve puruṣo hetus teṣāṁ bhoge sa eva kartey arthaḥ | prakṛty-adhiṣṭhātṛtvaṁ sukhādi-bhoktṛtvaṁ ca puruṣasya kāryam | tac ca śarīrādi-kartṛtvaṁ tu tad-adhiṣṭhātāyāḥ prakṛter iti puruṣasyaiva kartṛtvaṁ mukhyam | evam āha sūtrakāraḥ ‘kartā śāstrārthavattvāt’ ity-ādibhiḥ | pareśasya harer adhiṣṭhātṛtvaṁ tu sarvatrāvarjanīyam ity uktaṁ vakṣyate ca ||20|| prakṛty-adhiṣṭhāne sukhādi-bhoge ca puruṣasyaiva kartṛtvam ity etat sphuṭayati, tasya prakṛti-saṁsarge hetuṁ ca darśayati—puruṣa iti | cit-sukhaika-raso’pi puruṣo’nādi-karma-vāsanayā prakṛtisthas tām adhiṣṭhita-tat-kṛta-dehendriyaḥ prāna-viśiṣṭaḥ sann eva tat-kṛtān guṇān sukhādīn bhuṅkte’nubhavati | kvety āha—sad iti | satīṣu deva-mānavādiṣv asatīṣu paśu-pakṣy-ādiṣu ca sādhv-asādhu-racitāsu yoniṣu yāni janmādīni teṣv iti tatra tatra puruṣasyaiva kartṛtvam | tat-saṁsarge hetum āha—kāraṇam iti | guṇa-saṅgo’nādi-guṇamaya-viṣaya-spṛhā | ayam arthaḥ—anādir jīvaḥ karma-rūpānādi-vāsanāraktaḥ, sa ca bhoktṛtvād bhogyān viṣayān spṛhayaṁs tad-arpitakām anādi-sannihitāṁ prakṛtim āśrayiṣyati yāvat sat-prasaṅgāt tat-tad-vāsanā kṣīyate | tat-kṣaye tu parātma-dhāma-sukhāni bhuṅkte ‘so’śnute sarvān kāmān saha brahmaṇā vipaścitā’ ity-ādi śrutibhya iti ||21||
(Excerpt from the Gītā-bhūṣaṇa-ṭīkā)
“In this way, (1) the beginningless temporality [i.e., existence in time] of the association between beginningless prakṛti and the [beginningless] jīva, which are of mutually distinct natures, and (2) the distinction between the effects (kāryas) of these two associated [elements, viz., prakṛti and the jīva], and (3) the cause of the beginningless temporality of their association is ascertained with prakṛtim … and so forth [i.e., with the statements made in BG 13.19–21]. [The word] Api is in the sense of certainty. Know both prakṛti and the puruṣa in connection with each other to be verily beginningless (anādi), and know them to be verily eternal on account of [their] being potencies (śaktis) of mine. Their both being potencies (śaktis) of mine was evidently stated earlier with bhūmir āpaḥ … [i.e., by BG 7.4–5]. ‘Although associated beginninglessly, there is a distinction between their essential natures (svarūpas)’—with this intent, he [i.e., Śrī Kṛṣṇa] says, ‘Known the transformations (vikāras) [thereof], that is, the body, senses, and so on, and the functions (guṇas) [thereof], that is, happinesses and sufferings, to be born of prakṛti, that is, to be constituted of prakṛti (prākṛta), and not, rather, constituted of the jīva (jaiva).’ In this way the jīva is shown to be distinct from prakṛti [which in this context is] transformed into the constitution of the field (kṣetra) [as described in BG 13.5–6].” ||19||
“Now, he describes the distinction between the effects (kāryas) of these two associated [elements, viz., prakṛti and the jīva]: kārya … [i.e., he speaks BG 13.20]. Prakṛti is the cause in regard to being the producer (kartṛtve), that is, in regard to its own transformations into the forms of, [its] effect (kārya), viz., the body, and [its] instruments (kāraṇas), viz., the senses, because of [these] being means of effecting knowledge (jñāna) and action (karma). As per [the statement] ‘The puruṣa situated in prakṛti …’ [stated] ahead [in BG 13.21], the puruṣa with its own association directs prakṛti. This [i.e., prakṛti], directed by that [i.e., the puruṣa], however, and being transformed in congruity with the karma thereof [i.e., of the puruṣa], is the creator of the particular bodies and so forth of that [i.e., of the particular bodies and senses of the puruṣa in successive births]. Thus, the puruṣa is the cause in regard to being the experiencer of the happinesses and so forth put forth by prakṛti, meaning, he [i.e., the puruṣa] alone is the agent in regard to experience of them [i.e., of the happiness and sufferings put forth by prakṛti]. Being the director of prakṛti and being the experiencer of happinesses and so forth are the puruṣa’s effects (kāryas). Furthermore, that [aforementioned] agency in regard to the body and so forth [i.e., and the senses], however, is of prakṛti directed by that [i.e., by the puruṣa]. Thus, specifically the puruṣa’s agency is primary, and thus the author of the sūtras says [in VS 2.3.31], ‘[The puruṣa is] An agent because of śāstra being possessed of meaning’ and so forth. That the Supreme Lord Hari’s [overarching] directorship, however, is non-excludable in all cases has also been stated and will stated [again in BG 18.14]. ||20||
“He [i.e., Śrī Kṛṣṇa, now] clarifies that the puruṣa alone has agency in regard to directing prakṛti and in regard to experience of happinesses and so forth, and he shows the cause in regard to his [i.e., the puruṣa’s] association with prakṛti: puruṣaḥ … [i.e., he speaks BG 13.21 for these two reasons]. Although constituted solely of conscious and bliss, the puruṣa, being situated in prakṛti because of the inclinations (vāsanā) produced by [his] beginningless (anādi) karma and endowed with a body, senses, and prāṇas produced by that [i.e., by prakṛti] directed [by him], experiences (bhuṅkte) the functions (guṇas) of happinesses and so forth [i.e., and sufferings] produced by that [i.e., by prakṛti]. [One may ask,] Where [does the puruṣa do that]? Thus, he [i.e., Śrī Kṛṣṇa] says sad-asad-yoni-janmasu: in births and so forth in wombs that are higher (sat), such as those of devas and humans, and lower (asat), such as those of animals and birds, meaning, in those [births] that are created based on [his past] meritorious and demeritorious karma. Thus, the agency of the puruṣa alone is all throughout. [Next,] He [i.e., Śrī Kṛṣṇa] describes the cause in regard to the association thereof [i.e., of the puruṣa with prakṛti]: kāraṇam … [i.e., he speaks the third foot of the verse]. ‘Attachment to functions’ (guṇa-saṅgaḥ) means beginningless desire for objects constituted of the functions (guṇas) [of prakṛti, i.e., objects that are causes of various types of happinesses and sufferings]. The meaning is this: the beginningless jīva is fixated upon a beginningless inclination (vāsanā), which is a form of karma. Furthermore, because of being an experiencer, he [i.e., the jīva] will [continue to] desire objects of experience (bhogyān) and take shelter in prakṛti, the beginninglessly proximate provider thereof [i.e., of those objects of experience suited to the beginningless inclination (vāsanā) upon which the jīva is fixated], so long as [his] inclination (vāsanā) for those [objects] does not dissipate as a result of advanced association with the sat. When dissipation of that [i.e., of the beginningless inclination (vāsanā) towards objects of experience (bhogyān) put forth by prakṛti] occurs [as a result of advanced association with the sat], [then] he [i.e., the puruṣa] experiences the happinesses of the abode of the Supreme Self, as per the Śrutis [i.e., the statement in Taittirīya Upaniṣad 2.1], ‘He enjoys all desired objects with the Omniscient Brahman.’” ||21||