पूर्वोत्पन्नमसक्तं नियतं महदादिसूक्ष्मपर्यन्तम् ।
संसरति निरुपभोगं भावैरधिवासितं लिङ्गम् ॥ ४० ॥
pūrvotpannamasaktaṁ niyataṁ mahadādisūkṣmaparyantam ।
saṁsarati nirupabhogaṁ bhāvairadhivāsitaṁ liṅgam ॥ 40 ॥
Pūrvotpannam=primordial; asaktaṁ=unconfined; niyataṁ=constant; mahat=buddhi (intellect); ādi=etc.; sūkṣma=subtle; paryantam=up to; saṁsarati=transmigrates; nirupabhogaṁ=incapable of experience; bhāvaiḥ=dispositions; adhivāsitaṁ=endowed with; liṅgam=subtle body
The subtle body, produced primordially, unconfined, eternal, composed of the elements beginning with Mahat (intellect) and ending with the subtle ‘tanmātras’, transmigrates, free from experience and endowed with dispositions (bhavas).
The most common meaning of the word ‘liṅgam’ is ‘a symbol’, ‘a pointer’, ‘an indicator’ – something that points to something else. For example, in the commonly quoted example, “where there is smoke, there is fire”, the smoke is the liṅgam that indicates the presence of fire. In karika 10, this word was used as a pointer to indicate the presence of Mula Prakriti (the unmanifest Prakriti).
In this karika, however, the word liṅgam is being used to mean the subtle body which is the meaning often used in Yoga and Vedanta philosophy texts. Later, in karika 55, the word is again used to mean the subtle body.
Let us look at the various attributes enumerated for the subtle body in this karika:
Pūrvotpannam (primordial): The subtle body was created from the Mula Prakriti (unmanifest prakriti) at the beginning of the cycle of creation, one for each purusha.
asaktaṁ (unconfined): Not limited to any specific physical form; as such, it can transmigrate to any form – a beast, bird, human etc. Gaudapada mentions that it can go unimpeded through a mountain; Mishra states that it can even enter a piece of stone. It is not clear as to the significance of these statements.
niyataṁ (permanent): It continues to exist starting with the origin of creation until the final dissolution (called ‘maha-pralaya’). Of course, in Samkhya, only two entities – purusha and the unmanifest prakriti – are permanent. So, we need to understand that this permanence of the subtle body comes to an end when purusha attains the state of Kaivalya (liberation).
mahadādisūkṣmaparyantam (includes all elements starting with the intellect up to the subtle sense perceptions – tanmatras): Most commentators include in this list the eighteen elements – intellect, ego, mind, five organs of sense perception, five organs of action and the five subtle sense perceptions called ‘tanmatras’. The Samkhya Sutra, attributed to Kapila, offers seventeen elements, the above list without the ego which is supposed to be a part of the intellect. The five gross elements are not a part of the subtle body as they are destroyed at the time of death and thus do not transmigrate.
nirupabhogaṁ (incapable of experience): The subtle body needs the physical body to go through life experiences. As was given in the previous karika, the physical body, born of mother and father, gets attached to the subtle body. As per Mishra, this body consists of six sheaths (koshas). Of these, hair, blood and flesh are from the mother whereas nerves, bones and marrow are from the father.
bhāvairadhivāsitaṁ (endowed with the dispositions of the intellect): As was given in karika 23, the buddhi (intellect) has these eight dispositions – virtue, wisdom, dispassion, and lordliness (power) and the four opposites of these. The present karika states that the entire subtle body is tinged with these dispositions. Mishra gives the example of a piece of cloth which becomes perfumed with fragrance when it comes in contact with a champaka (a specific kind of flower) flower.
saṁsarati (transmigrates): The liṅgam (subtle body) transmigrates. At the time of death, the subtle body gets separated from the physical body and occupies another physical body created through mother and father. As mentioned above, this transmigration continues until the Purusha attains liberation.
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