Samkhya Karika 57

वत्सविवृद्धिनिमित्तं क्षीरस्य यथा प्रवृत्तिरज्ञस्य ।
पुरुषविमोक्षनिमित्तं तथा प्रवृत्तिः प्रधानस्य ॥ ५७ ॥

vatsavivṛddhinimittaṁ kṣīrasya yathā pravṛttirajñasya ।
puruṣavimokṣanimittaṁ tathā pravṛttiḥ pradhānasya ॥ 57 ॥

Vatsa=calf; vivṛddhi=growth, nourishment; nimittaṁ=for the sake of; kṣīrasya=of the milk; yathā=just as; pravṛttiḥ=flow, action; ajñasya=insentient; puruṣa=Purusha; vimokṣa=liberation; nimittaṁ=for the sake of; tathā=in the same manner; pravṛttiḥ=action; pradhānasya=of mūla prakriti

Just as the production and flow of milk which is unintelligent, is for the nourishment of the calf, in the same manner, the action of Pradhana (Prakriti) is for the liberation of Purusha.

In the previous karika, it was mentioned that the purpose of Prakriti, with all its elements, is the liberation of each Purusha. A question may arise, “how can Prakriti which is inert (has no consciousness) liberate the purusha?”. The present karika offers an answer to that question.

The karika gives the example of milk which, even though unintelligent, flows naturally for the nourishment of the calf.

Commentators have provided different interpretations for the term “flow of milk” in the karika.

Gaudapada: Grass, water etc. consumed by a cow get converted to milk which flows for the nourishment of the calf. Once the calf is grown, the production of milk automatically stops. In the same manner, the non-intelligent prakriti also functions for the liberation of each purusha. It is not clear as to whether the cow is being considered as non-intelligent or the milk.

Mishra: Just as the non-intelligent milk naturally flows for the nourishment of the calf, the non-intelligent Prakriti also functions for the liberation of the Purusha.

The word “ajna” used in the karika usually means “one who does not know or is ignorant”. In the context of this karika, as applied to milk, this word has been taken to mean “non-intelligent or devoid of consciousness”.