Analysis of word Guna in word Triguna 21/04/2017 Srinivasa swamiji. Shastra deepika 06 This is an article of Analysis of word Guna, and this is meant for students of Advaita. Here the word is analysed from Samkhya and Advaita standpoint of view. Long back when I was teaching Bhagavad Geeta sloka 3.27,28 and 29, there to explain and remove misconceptions of word Guna a special session was taken and later that became an inspiration for this article. For free pdf visit http://www.shastradeepika.org/resources.html
= Triguna = Guna The word Triguna i ( ) is well known in Darshana shastra s ii especially in Sankhya, Yoga and Vedanta schools and generally used as synonym for Prakriti iii the upadanakaranam iv of this Jagat v. Like any other word even word Guna vi has many meanings, but we consider those meanings which are useful for our discussion. 1. Guna means Rope vii. 2. Guna means Qualities viii like color, taste etc. which resides in Substance (Dravya ix ), which is famous in Nyaya-Vaishesika shastra. 3. Guna 1 means Apradanam x, anything that is meant for Pradhanam xi (= Primary) is called Guna(=Secondary), this is common in Mimamsa shastra where Angas are called Gunas and Angis are called Pradhanam. Example Substance curd (Dadhi xii ) is used to perform Agnihotra homa xiii, so here curd is Guna as it is meant for Agnihotra homa which is Pradhanam. Analysis as per Sankhya In Sankhya Prakriti is Material cause for entire creation. So this Prakriti is also called as Moola Prakriti xiv. Also this is not a product of any other cause i.e. causeless xv hence beginningless xvi. The word Triguna is Samasa xvii word and means 2, which means 1) that which is having three Gunas. Here Gunas (viz. Sattva, Rajas and Tamas) means Dravyam, for following reasons 3. a) The Sattva contains qualities like lightness, happiness etc. b) The Rajas contains qualities like Restlessness, sorrow etc. c) The Tamas contains qualities like Dullness, delusion etc. 1 Artha sangraha of Laughakshi bhaskara commentary by pattabirama shastri pub chaukambha orientalia. see page 39. 2 Though word Prakriti is feminine word ( ), here in samasa we have used neuter gender for trigunam instead of feminine due to simplicity and also keeping Prakriti s equivalent word Pradhanam ( ( ) in mind. 3 Ref ;,, - - ) a neuter gender word - - - - - see commentary of Vijnana bhikshu of sutra 61,First Adhyaya, of Sankhya Darshanam by Kapila muni. 1
Anything which contains qualities are Dravyas. Since these three things Sattva, Rajas and Tamas contains qualities they have to be Dravyas. 2) Since Trigunatmika Prakriti is Upadana karanam of this Jagat, so all three Gunas has to be Dravyas, because always Material cause (Upadana karanam) has to be Dravya. 3) The three triad (viz. Sattva, Rajas and Tamas) of Prakriti is meant for Bhoga xviii and Apavarga xix of Purusha xx. So here Prakriti is meant for Purusha hence Prakriti is Guna (= Ancillary) of Purusha the Primary. So all three Sattva, Rajas and Tamas are called Gunas though they are Dravyas. 4) As a rope binds a cattle so also the three traids (viz. Sattva, Rajas and Tamas) of Prakriti binds Purusha and causes samasara xxi. So all three Sattva, Rajas and Tamas are called Gunas (=rope) figuratively though they are Dravyas. Now from above discussion it is clear that Guna in Triguna means Dravya not Quality like color, taste etc. of Nyaya-Vaishesika shastra. Consider samasa word of, Trigunam, the Prakriti, here in samasa, sixth case xxii indicates relation of Avayavi Avayavabhava sambanda xxiii i.e relationship of a part and whole like relationship between trees and a forest, here trees are parts( Avayava) and forest is composite whole(avayavi ) in the same way Prakriti is composite whole made up of three Gunas Sattva, Rajas and Tamas. Hence Prakriti as Triguna means Aggregate of three Dravyas viz. Sattva, Rajas and Tamas. So Triguna s equivalent word will be Secondary-Triad or Ancillary-triad or Three Secondaries etc. Since entire creation, our body xxiv, internal organs xxv, sense organs xxvi, organs of actions xxvii are all products of Triguna Prakriti, so all these things are also called as Gunas. The qualities happiness misery delusion (sukha-dukha-moha xxviii ) are of substances Sattva-Rajas - Tamas respectively. Again consider samasa word Here in many works of Sankhya for word, Trigunam. they give meaning as sukha-dukha-moha instead as Sattva Rajas Tamas. Even if they give as mentioned above, we have to take it as Sattva Rajas Tamas only, because of rule Dharma-Dharmyabheda 4. 4 write one thing in sense of other thing. is a rule which says attributes and substratum can be used interchangeably. So we can 2
So, is nothing but, is also same as Analysis as per Advaita Vedanta In Advaita, Prakriti the Maya is Shakti (power) of Brahman as burning power of fire. Creation of this Jagat begins with manifestation of this Triguna Maya. Trigunas are viz. Sattva Rajas Tamas Gunas. Even here also Guna means not qualities like color, taste etc., but that which is ever dependent ( ) 5 on kshetrajna(pure Consciousness). 6 The Prakriti aggregate of three Gunas is basis of all substances of entire creation. So all effects of Prakriti will be of nature of Trigunas, so all effects of entire creation like body, jnanendriyas, karmendriyas and object of sense like rupa xxix, rasa xxx, gandha xxxi etc.(color, taste odour etc,) are also called as Gunas. From above discussion it may as though appear that Maya the power of Brahman as a Substance (Dravyam), but in Advaita, Maya the Shakti is not a Dravyam xxxii, but Anirvachaniya Mithya padartha. This Maya Shakti undergoes transformation from unmanifest to manifest state and becomes this entire creation of Matter, qualities etc. because for Maya everything is possible and beyond scope of our human understanding. This is altogether a different discussion. In Advaita context (= ) ( ), is nothing but Hence Prakriti as Triguna means Aggregate of three padarthas 7.viz. Sattva, Rajas and Tamas. So Triguna s equivalent word will be Ever-dependent-Triad or Three Ever dependents. 5 = That which is ever dependent. In Advaita Vedanta Brahman alone is ultimate reality (satyam). Maya and its effects are all ever dependent on Brahman and are called Mithya(illusory). 6 see Shankara bhasyam Bhagavad Gita sloka 14.5 7 here padarthas means Anirvachaniya padarthas (=mithya padarthas). 3
Now let us see Bhagavad Geeta Shankara bhasya of Slokas 3.27, 28 and 29 with respect to Word Guna. I. २७ 3.27 Here Bhasyakara = = Prakriti s Guna means here all Prakriti s vikaras (= effect). Here based on context bhasyakara explained Gunas as karyakarnarupa here karya means body and karana means all instruments of knowledge and actions i.e jnanendriyas and karanendriyas. All these things are products of Triguna Prakriti, hence these are called as Gunas. II. २८ 3.28? sense organs. = = Differentiating Atma from Gunas i.e. from Body mind and = = All sense organs = all objects of senses like rupa, rasa etc. III. sloka 3.29 Prakriti s Guna = means body mind sense organs complex. We see here Guna in sense of all products of Triguna Maya. Let us all become Gunatita by understanding Guna. ॐ 4
End notes i ii iii iv v vi vii viii ix x xi xii xiii xiv xv xvi xvii xviii xix xx xxi xxii xxiii xxiv xxv xxvi xxvii xxviii xxix xxx xxxi xxxii = The Material cause of this jagat. = The Material cause of this jagat. = Entire creation. = Rope. = = Rope. = qualities which resides in matter. = Dravyam Substance also called as matter, that which contains qualities is Dravyam. = = Secondary / subservient /subordinate/ ancillary/ which are meant for primary. = = Main / Primary / Principle. = Dadhi = curd. This is meant for Agnihotra homa, so Guna. = Agnihotra homa. This is a Pradhana homa Moola Prakriti Avikriti Anadi = Compound word. = = experience of pleasure and pain = = = Total destruction of sorrow. Jiva = The bound soul. = Bondage. = Sixth case in the sense of - - - - = relationship between Avayava-component part and Avayavi composite whole = body = Mind = Sense organs. = Organs of Action. = happiness misery - delusion are qualities of Dravyas Sattva Rajas Tamas respectively. = Rupa colour = Rasa Taste = Gandha odour = Non substance. Shastradeepika -06 By Srinivasa Guruji. Email - srinivasownmail@gmail.com www.shastradeepika.org 5