Samkhya Karika 46

एष प्रत्ययसर्गो विपर्ययाशक्तितुष्टिसिद्ध्याख्यः ।
गुणवैषम्यविमर्द्देन तस्य भेदास्तु पञ्चाशत् ॥ ४६ ॥

eṣa pratyayasargo viparyayāśaktituṣṭisiddhyākhyaḥ ।
guṇavaiṣamyavimarddena tasya bhedāstu pañcāśat ॥ 46 ॥

eṣaḥ=this; pratyaya=buddhi (intellect); sargaḥ=creation; viparyaya=ignorance; aśakti=weakness, infirmity; tuṣṭi=satisfaction, complacency; siddhi=attainment; ākhyaḥ=known as; guṇa=the three gunas; vaiṣamya=inequality; vimarddena=from (mutual) suppression; tasyaits; bhedāḥ=different forms; tu=indeed; pañcāśat=fifty

This is a creation of the intellect, and is characterized by ignorance, incapacity, contentment and attainment. Due to the mutual suppression of the gunas due to their inequality, the different forms add up to fifty.

You may recall that in the Yoga Sutras, in the definition of meditation (dhyana) in sutra 3.2¹, the word pratyaya refers to the cognition or the content in the chitta. However, the word ‘pratyaya’ in this karika has been translated by most commentators as intellect (buddhi). The word ‘sarga’ means creation. Thus, ‘pratyaya-sarga’ is translated as “creation of the buddhi”.

What does the first word “esha” (“this”) in the first line refer to? According to Gaudapada it refers to the group of sixteen – the eight causes (virtue, non-virtue etc.) and their corresponding effects (higher or lower planes of existence etc.) – as given in the previous two karikas. Mishra, on the other hand, includes only the eight attributes of buddhi (dharma, adharma etc.) in the pratyaya-sarga (creation of the intellect). Both Gaudapada and Mishra have referred to these as a “group”, a singular word, to match it with “esha” which is singular. When we look at the previous two karikas, we find no indication that these sixteen, which are simply attributes of buddhi (intellect), form any kind of a group.

The examples that Gaudapada gives for the four attributes in this sutra relate to the function of the buddhi with no reference to the “group” of sixteen. For example, for viparyaya (ignorance), he gives the example of a man who is not able to decide whether what he is seeing is a man or a post. Similarly, Mishra also states that all the four (ignorance etc.) are properties of the buddhi.

I believe the word “esha” refers only to the four characteristics of the intellect mentioned in this karika, and not to the attributes of buddhi (dharma etc.) mentioned in the previous karikas:

viparyaya (ignorance): In the Yoga Sutras of Patanjali (sutra 1.8²), viparyaya, meaning wrong knowledge, is mentioned as one of the five vrittis (fluctuations of the mind). In this karika also, the word could mean wrong cognition or ignorance (avidya).

aśakti (weakness, infirmity): this is caused by inability of any of the faculties (five organs of sense perception, five organs of action, mind, intellect) to function properly.

tuṣṭi (satisfaction, complacency): The word “tushti” normally means contentment which is commonly accepted as a virtue. In the yoga sutras, Patanjali has listed “samtosha”, which is a more complete form of “tushti”, as one of the five niyamas. Here, “tushti” is to be taken in a negative sense implying a sense of complacency. Despite having the knowledge and means to attain a certain goal, one may choose not to put any effort saying, “I am OK with what I have and have no desire to put further effort”.

siddhi (attainment of desired goal): Siddhi implies that our efforts and endeavors have resulted in attainment of our desired end result.

Among these four, the first three are considered to be impediments in the path to attain the fourth (siddhi).

To attain any goal, we need:

• The knowledge (opposite of viparyaya) necessary to reach the final objective.
• Fully functional organs (five organs of sense perception, five organs of action, mind, intellect) which is the opposite of “ashakti” (infirmity)
• Willpower and determination to reach the final goal (opposite of “tushti” or complacency).

The second line of the karika states that due to the inequality of the three gunas – sattva, rajas and tamas – they mutually suppress and dominate each other. This gives rise to a total of fifty categories of these four attributes listed in the karika.

Further categorization of these four will be discussed in the subsequent four karikas.

Notes 

[1] तत्र प्रत्ययैकतानता ध्यानम्॥२॥ tatra pratyaya ekatānatā dhyānam ॥2॥
Dhyana (meditation) is the continuous flow of cognition toward that object. (3.2)

[2] विपर्ययो मिथ्याज्ञानमतद्रूपप्रतिष्ठम्॥८॥ viparyayo mithyā-jñānam-atadrūpa pratiṣṭham ॥8॥
Misconception (viparyaya) is knowledge which is not based on the true form of its object and is thus erroneous. (1.8)