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III. II]
AVIDYA IN THE YOGA SCHOOL
tion.' It further describes nescience as a mental) trace or a predisposition left by wrong cognition. The buddhi, under the influence of this wrong cognition, cannot comprehend the separate identity of the puruşa, and repeats its course. It is only when the distinctive identity of the puruşa is realized that the buddhi reaches consummation of its activity and does not repeat its course. The prakrti now has fulfilled its purpose and is disengaged from the purusa. It now lies disenchanted with the cessation of nescience, and ceases to entangle the purusa in the meshes of the world process. And as a result the puruşa is emancipated. The purușa does not witness the world process any more inasmuch as the buddhi that presented it to the purusa is not there. This is called moksa emancipation) or kaivalya (self-isolation) which has been defined as either the final reversion of the gunas (elements or energies) to their original ground prakrti in view of the discontinuation of the service to the purusa, or as the self-recovery of consciousness in its intrinsic nature.4
In this connection it is necessary to explain in brief the nature of the subject and the object and their relation according to the Yoga school. Buddhi, as we have stated, is an evolute of prakyti and as such is unconscious in itself. But due to the association with the puruşa it becomes, as it were, capable of such conscious activities as knowing, feeling and willing. The psychical activities cannot be affiliated to puruşa, as it is not susceptible to change. Activity is an attribute of matter and consequently the psychical activities are the inherent characteristics of the buddhi. They are as unconscious as the cerebral activities. But they become spiritualized by the reflection of the spirit in the buddhi. The spiritualization is apparent and conditional-an extrinsic determination due to the presence of the purusa and to the innate nature of the buddhi which, on account of its luminosity and reposefulness, has the capacity to catch the reflection
light of the purusa. The light belongs to the purusa and the buddhi shines in the borrowed light like a satellite of the sun. The sense of personal identity is due to the association of the unchanging
Bhäşya, YD, 11.,24 world process.
See SPB,
1 avidyā na pramāņam na pramāņābhāvah kintu vidyā-viparītam jñānāntaram avidye 'ti--Bhāsya, YD, II. 6.
2 viparyaya-jñāna-vāsanā—Bhāşya, YD, II. 24.
N.B. Avidyā quả vāsanā leads to the world process. Avidyā quả wrong cognition is possible only after the process has taken place. See SPB, I. 55.
3 See Bhāsya, YD, II. 24.
4 Cf. puruşārtha-sūnyānām guņānām pratiprasavaḥ kaivalyam svarūpapratisthā vā citi-baktir iti---YD, IV. 34.
5 Cf. sarvārthādhyavasāyakatvāt triguņā buddhis trigunatvād acetane 'tiBhāsya, YD, II. 20.
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