विकारांश्च गुणांश्चैव विद्धि प्रकृतिसम्भवान् ॥ १९ ॥
prakṛtiṃ puruṣaṃ caiva viddhyanādī ubhāvapi .
vikārāṃśca guṇāṃścaiva viddhi prakṛtisambhavān .. 19 ..
Read the commentary
Prakṛti and Puruṣa, Matter and Spirit, are the two Prakṛtis of the Īśvara, the Lord. These two, Prakṛti and Puruṣa—you should know—have no beginning. As the Īśvara is the eternal Lord, it is but right that His Prakṛtis also should be eternal. The Lordship of the Īśvara consists indeed in His possession of the two Prakṛtis by which He causes the origin, preservation and dissolution of the universe. The two Prakṛtis are beginningless, and they are therefore the cause of samsara.
Some construe the passage so as to mean that the two Prakṛtis are not primeval. It is by such an interpretation, they hold, that the causality of the Īśvara can be established. If, on the other hand, Prakṛti and Puruṣa were eternal, it would follow that they are the cause of the universe, and that the Īśvara is not the creator of the universe.
It is wrong to say so; for the Īśvara would then be no Īśvara, inasmuch as there would be nothing for Him to rule over prior to the birth of Prakṛti and Puruṣa. Moreover, if samsara had no cause (other than Īśvara), there could be no cessation* thereof; and thus the sastra (the scripture) would have no purpose to serve. Likewise, there could be neither bondage nor salvation.†
If the Isvara were the sole cause of the universe, quite independently of the two Prakritis, the samsara would be endless, inasmuch as there is nothing to prevent even the emancipated souls from being hurled into samsara, so long as there is Isvara, as the sole cause of samsara.—(A).
Before the birth of the two Prakritis, there could be no bondage and consequently no moksha. If at any time there were neither bondage nor moksha, there could be no cause which would ever bring them into existence.—(A).
Prakriti and Purusha as the Cause of samsara.
If, on the other hand, the Prakṛtis of the Īśvara be eternal, all this can be explained.—How?—Know thou that all forms, all emanations (vikaras) from buddhi down to the physical body, and all qualities (gunas) such as those which manifest themselves as pleasure, pain, delusion and other mental states to be described hereafter, spring from Prakṛti, Māyā, composed of the three gunas, that Energy of the Īśvara which constitutes the cause of (all) emanations. Know thou that they are all modifications of Prakṛti.‡
Prakriti is that out of which all forms and qualities come into existence. Since Prakriti is thus eternal and is the source of all forms (vikaras) and qualities (gunas). Atman remains ever changeless and without qualities.—(A).
What then are these forms and qualities which are said to be born of Prakṛti?—Says the Lord :