| 5. The Great
Elements, Egoism, Reason, as also the Unmanifested, the ten senses and one,
and the five objects of the senses ;The great Elements (Mahabhutas) are
so called because they pervade all vikaras, all modifications of matter.
The elements here referred to are the subtle ones (sukshma), not the gross
(sthula) elements, which latter will be spoken of as the objects of the
senses:Egoism (Ahamkara): selfconsciousness, consciousness of ego, the cause
of the Great Elements. Reason (Buddhi) is defined by determination and is
the cause of Ahamkara. The cause of Reason (Buddhi) is the Avyakta, the
Unmanifested, the Avyakrita or Undifferentiated, the Energy of the Lord
IsvaraSakti) spoken of in vii. 14. So much alone is Prakriti, divided eightfold.
The ten senses are made up of the five buddhiindriyas , senses of knowledgesuch
as hearing; so called because they produce knowledge, and of the five karma
indriyas, senses of action such as speech and hand, so called because they
bring about action. And the one: the manas, which is composed of thoughts
and purposes (samkalpa) and so on, is the eleventh sense. The five objects
of the senses are sound, etc. The Sankhyas speak of these as the twentyfour
principles (tattvas). |
