Samkhya Karika 42

पुरुषार्थहेतुकमिदं निमित्तनैमित्तिकप्रसङ्गेन ।
प्रकृतेर्विभुत्वयोगात् नटवद्व्यवतिष्ठते लिङ्गम् ॥ ४२ ॥

puruṣārthahetukamidaṁ nimittanaimittikaprasaṅgena ।
prakṛtervibhutvayogāt naṭavadvyavatiṣṭhate liṅgam ॥ 42 ॥

Puruṣārthahetukam=to serve the purpose of Purusha; idaṁ=this (subtle body); nimitta=instrumental cause; naimittika=effects; prasaṅgena=association with; prakṛteḥ=of Prakriti; vibhutva=all-pervading or all-embracing power; yogāt= through conjunction; naṭavat=like an actor; vyavatiṣṭhate=in different roles; liṅgam=subtle body

This subtle body, to serve the purpose of Purusha, appears in different roles, like a dramatic actor, through association with instrumental causes and their effects, and influenced by the all-pervasive power of Prakriti.

In karika 31 it was mentioned that the purpose of the internal and external sense organs is to fulfil the purpose of Purusha. Patanjali, in yoga sutra 2.18¹, mentions that the role of Prakriti is to fulfill the purpose of Purusha which is to provide experience (bhoga), predominantly through the five senses, and final liberation (apavarga) for the Purusha.

In the present karika, the same concept is presented as applied to the subtle body (lingam). In karika 40, it was mentioned that the subtle body goes through transmigration. The subtle body, through its association with instrumental causes and their effects, goes through different life experiences. Most commentators identify these instrumental causes as the eight dispositions (bhavas) of the intellect (buddhi) as given in karika 23. These dispositions are: virtue, knowledge, non-attachment, and lordly power when sattva guna dominates and their reverse – non-virtue etc. – when tamas guna dominates. Depending upon these dispositions a human can be reborn as an animal, an insect, a celestial being etc. This continuous transmigration happens due to the all-pervasive power of prakriti. Due to this power of prakriti, the gunas are in a constant state of flux which brings about changes in the nature of the eight dispositions. These changes result in the subtle body assuming different physical bodies in the form of a human, an animal, a celestial being etc. The present karika equates these changes to a dramatic actor assuming different roles on the stage.

[1] Sutra 2.18: प्रकाशक्रियास्थितिशीलं भूतेन्द्रियात्मकं भोगापवर्गार्थं दृश्यम्॥१८॥ prakāśa-kriyā-sthiti-śīlaṁ bhūtendriya-ātmakaṁ bhoga-apavarga-arthaṁ dr̥śyam ॥2.18॥
“The seen (prakriti) is of the nature of the three gunas: illumination (sattva), activity (rajas) and inertia (tamas); and consists of the elements and sense organs. Its purpose is to provide both experiences (bhoga) and liberation (apavarga) to the Purusha.