Contents
Shri Sankara's Gita Bhashya
(Sri Sankaracharya's Commentary on the Gita)
CHAPTER -7
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4. Earth, water, fire, air, ether, mind, intellect, and egoism-thus, is this, My Prakrti (Nature) divided eightfold. Earth, stands for the 'tan-mātra-[1] of Prthivi, and not for the gross earth, because of the statement,' My Prakrti divided eightfold. [n the same way, water, fire, air, and ether, also stand or the respective 'tan-matras' only; mind, stands for egoism (ahamkara) which is its cause; intellect, (stands) for the principle Mahaf[2] which originates Ahamkara; and egoism, for the Avyakta, the Un-nianifest. conjoined to Avidyā or nescience. Just as food mixed with poison is itself called poison. Avyakta. the Prime Cause, having in it the latent impression (vāsanā) of Ahamkara. is itself here called Ahamkara, since the latter induces it to function. In fact, it is Ahamkara alone which is seen in this world to be the impelling cause of the activity of all beings. Thus, as abovestated, is litis, My Prakrti. the Māyā-śakti, belonging to īśvara (the Lord), got divided eight-fold. |
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References and Context
- ↑ 'Tan-matra' (that-ness alone') denotes a subtle and primary 'clement The 'elements' aic those of śabda (sound), spuria (touch), rttpa (form), rasa (taste) and gandha (smell): and they originate from the Omsk aspect of aham-kara. the tan-mamas produce thee fiv 'maha-bhutas' (usually translated as 'great elements').nameky akasa (ether), vayu (air), tejas (fire), ap (water), and prathivi (earth). the maha-bhvtas, in their subtle form, are not com-prehenslble to the sense-organs; they become the objects know as panci-karana into the gross state, when they become the objects of the five sense-organs (ear, skin< eye< longue< and nose, respectively).
- ↑ Hiranya-garbha, the Aggregate-lntellect (samafd-buddM). (A)