ससर्जाग्रेऽन्धतामिस्रमथ तामिस्रमादिकृत् ।
महामोहं च मोहं च तमश्चाज्ञानवृत्तय: ॥
sasarjāgre’ndha-tāmisram atha tāmisram ādi-kṛt |
mahāmohaṁ ca mohaṁ ca tamaś cājñāna-vṛttayaḥ ||
(Śrīmad Bhāgavatam: 3.12.2)
“At the beginning [of the emanation of the universe], the original creator [i.e., Lord Brahmā] emanated the functions of ajñāna (ignorance): andha-tāmisra (blinding darkness), tāmisra (darkness), mahāmoha (severe delusion), moha (delusion), and tamas (dimness).”
Commentary
tamo nāma svarūpāprakāśaḥ | moho dehādy-ahaṁ-buddhiḥ | mahā-moho bhogecchā | tāmisraṁ tat-pratighāte krodhaḥ | andha-tāmisraṁ tan-nāśe’ham eva mṛto’smīti buddhiḥ | tad evoktaṁ vaiṣṇave—tamo’viveko mohaḥ syād antaḥkaraṇa-vibhramaḥ | mahāmohas tu vijñeyo grāmya-bhoga-sukhaiṣaṇā || maraṇaṁ hy andha-tāmisraṁ tāmisraḥ krodha ucyate | avidyā pañca-parvaiṣā prādurbhūtā mahātmanaḥ || iti | pātañjale’py eta evoktāḥ—avidyāsmitā-rāga-dveṣābhiniveśāḥ pañca kleśāḥ iti | śrī-viṣṇusvāmi-proktā vā, ajñāna-viparyāsa-bheda-bhaya-śokāḥ | tad uktaṁ svādṛg-uttha-viparyāsa ity-ādi |
(Excerpt from the Bhāvārtha-dīpikā)
“Non-illumination of the self is called ‘tamas’ (dimness) and identification with the body and so on [is called] ‘moha’ (delusion). Desire to enjoy [alt., experience, objects of the senses] is ‘mahāmoha’ (severe delusion). Anger at obstructions to that [enjoyment] is ‘tāmisra’ (darkness). And the notion, ‘I verily am dead’ when that [enjoyment] is ruined is ‘andha-tāmisra’ (blinding darkness). This is also stated in Viṣṇu Purāṇa: ‘Indiscrimination shall be [considered] tamas, and unsteadiness of the mind moha. Desire for the pleasure of village [i.e., worldly] enjoyment is to be known as mahāmoha. Death is called andha-tāmisra, and anger [is called] tāmisra. These five aspects of avidyā (ignorance) manifested from the great soul [i.e., Brahmā].’ These [five aspects] are stated also in the work of Patañjali [i.e., the Yoga-sūtra], ‘The five afflictions are avidyā (ignorance), asmitā (egotism), rāga (attachment), dveṣa (aversion), and abhiniveśa (clinging to life, or, fearing death).’ Alternately, Śrī Viṣṇu Svāmī [has described five functions of ignorance as follows]: ajñāna (ignorance), viparyāsa (misunderstanding), bheda (division), bhaya (fear), and śoka (grief). Viparyāsa and so forth as said by him to arise from non-perception of the self (svādṛk) [i.e., from ajñāna].”
avidyā-vṛttayaḥ pūrva-siddhā eva, sṛṣṭy-ārambhe brahmataḥ sakāśāt tama-ādi-rūpeṇāvirbabhūvur ity āha—sasarjeti | tatra tamo nāma jīvasya svarūpāprakāśaḥ | moho dehādāv aham-āropaḥ | mahāmoho bhoktavya-viṣayeṣu mamatvāropaḥ | tāmisraḥ bhoga-pratighāte saty antaḥkaraṇa-dharmasya krodhasya svīkāraḥ | tataś cāndha-tāmisraḥ krodha-tan-mayī-bhāva-rūpā mūrcchaiva maraṇam | ete jīvasyāsanto’py avidyayā sṛṣṭāḥ | yathoktaṁ vaiṣṇave—tamo’viveko mohaḥ syād antaḥkaraṇa-vibhramaḥ | mahāmohas tu vijñeyo grāmya-bhoga-sukhaiṣaṇā || maraṇaṁ hy andha-tāmisraṁ tāmisraḥ krodha ucyate | avidyā pañca-parvaiṣā prādurbhūtā mahātmanaḥ || iti | pātañjale’py eta evoktāḥ—avidyāsmitā-rāga-dveṣābhiniveśāḥ pañca kleśāḥ iti | śrī-viṣṇu-svāmi-proktā vā, ajñāna-viparyāsa-bheda-bhaya-śokāḥ | vastutas tv avidyāyā āvaraṇa-vikṣepāv eva dvau dharmau | tāv eva avidyāsmitā-śabdābhyām ajñāna-viparyāsa-śabdābhyāṁ cocyate | rāga-dveṣābhiniveśās tv antaḥkaraṇa-dharmā api vikṣepāṁśa-prādhānyād vikṣepa-prapañcatayaivocyante iti jñeyam |
(Sārārtha-darśinī-ṭīkā)
“The functions of avidyā (ignorance) were indeed pre-existent; at the beginning of the emanation [of the universe], they appeared from Brahmā in the forms of tamas and so forth. Thus, Maitreya speaks this verse (sasarjāgre …). Therein, non-illumination of the nature of the jīva is called tamas (dimness), ascription of [the sense of] ‘I’ to the body and so on moha (delusion), ascription of ‘my’-ness [i.e., a sense of belonging] to enjoyable objects of the senses mahāmoha (severe delusion), adoption of anger, a quality of the mind, when obstructions to enjoyment occurs tāmisra (darkness), and death in the form of stupor constituted of [i.e., arising from] a state of anger andha-tāmisra (blinding darkness). Although these [five functions of ignorance] do not belong to the jīva [i.e., are not part of the jīva’s nature], they are emanated [from the jīva] through avidyā. Similarly, it is said in Viṣṇu Purāṇa, ‘Indiscrimination shall be [considered] tamas, and unsteadiness of the mind moha. Desire for the pleasure of village [i.e., worldly] enjoyment is to be known as mahāmoha. Death is called andha-tāmisra and anger [is called] tāmisra. These five aspects of avidyā (ignorance) manifested from the great soul [i.e., Brahmā].’ These [five aspects] are stated also in the work of Patañjali [i.e., the Yoga-sūtra], ‘The five afflictions are avidyā (ignorance), asmitā (egotism), rāga (attachment), dveṣa (aversion), and abhiniveśa (clinging to life, or, fearing death).’ Alternately, Śrī Viṣṇu Svāmī has said [i.e., described five functions of ignorance as follows]: ajñāna (ignorance), viparyāsa (misunderstanding), bheda (division), bhaya (fear), and śoka (grief). In actuality, however, avidyā [only] is of two natures: covering (āvaraṇa) and projecting (vikṣepa) [i.e., it has two fundamental functions: covering the jīva’s awareness of its own nature, and projecting its awareness towards constituents of māyā]. These two are referred to by the words avidyā and asmitā [by Patañjali] and by the words ajñāna and viparyāsa [by Viṣṇu Svāmī]. Although rāga, dveṣa, and abhiniveśa are, however, of the nature of the mind (antaḥkaraṇa) [i.e., not aspects of avidyā itself], they are spoken of as being expressions of projecting [i.e., of the projecting aspect of avidyā] because of the predominance of the projecting aspect [in them]. This is to be understood.”