कृतार्थं प्रति नष्टमप्यनष्टं तदन्यसाधारणत्वात्॥२२॥
kr̥tārthaṁ prati naṣṭaṁ-apy-anaṣṭaṁ tadanya sādhāraṇatvāt ॥22॥
kr̥tārthaṁ = one whose purpose has been fulfilled; prati = for, to; naṣṭaṁ-api = although destroyed/non-existent; anaṣṭaṁ = not destroyed; tat = that; anya = to others; sādhāraṇatvāt = on account of being common
Taimni
“Although it becomes non-existent for him whose purpose has been fulfilled it continues to exist for others on account of being common to others (besides him)”
Aranya
“Although Ceasing To Exist In Relation To Him Whose Purpose Is Fulfilled The Knowable Does Not Cease To Exist On Account Of Being Of Use To Others”
Bryant
“Although the seen ceases to exist for one whose purpose is accomplished [the liberated Purusha], it has not ceased to exist altogether, since it is common to other [non-liberated] Purushas”
Discussion
This sutra reemphasizes one of the basic tenets of yoga and Sankhya schools which posit the plurality of purushas and commonality of prakriti. Most purushas are in the non-liberated state whereas some may have attained liberation (kaivalya). For the liberated one, the prakriti (buddhi) has been able to transcend the influence of the three gunas and merge back into the “mula prakriti” where the three gunas rest in the state of balance. In a sense, then, for the liberated purusha, prakriti in the normal sense has become non-existent or has been destroyed (‘nashtam’ in the sutra).
However, for all the non-liberated purushas, prakriti continues to provide life’s experiences. As per this sutra, prakriti is common to all purushas (sadharanatvat). Only the liberated purusha loses its connection with prakriti.
According to the Samkhya philosophy, both purusha and prakriti are real and eternal. Purushas are many, prakriti is one. This philosophy is in contrast with some others; for example, in the Advaita Vedanta philosophy the only reality is the supreme consciousness, termed Brahman. Prakriti is ultimately illusionary, a result of Maya.
As per Samkhya, purusha gets “entangled” with prakriti through the influence of the ego (ahamkara) and does not recognize itself as pure consciousness. It is only when liberation (kaivalya) is attained, purusha gets “disentangled” from prakriti and realized its own true nature. The prakriti, however, continues to provides life experiences to all the other purushas who are still not liberated.
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