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10
TATTVA-KAUMUDI
[11118
Karikā III
Root-matter is not a product; the group of seven consisting of the Great Principle and the rest are both product and productive; and the Spirit is neither a product nor productive.
Briefly, the objects treated of in the system are of four kinds: some of them are merely productive, some merely products, others both productive and products, and others, neither the one nor the other. (18) To the question-What is the productive — the
answer is—Primordial Root-matter is not a The Productive product; 'Root-matter' ( Prakrti)* is that
which produces (prakaroti); it is also called * Pradhāna' (Primordial), which represents the three Attributes of Sattvas, Rajas and Tamas in the state of equilıbrium, – that is purely productive. Why it is so is explained by the term 'Mala', 'Root'; i. e. it is that ‘Matter which is the 'Root'; it is the root of the Universe which is an aggregate product; of this Matter itself there can be no rout; or else we would be landed in an unwarranted regresus ad infinitum. (19) How many are the objects that are both prouuctive
and products, and which are these? The The Productive- answer is—The group of seven consisting of Products
the Great Principle and the rest are both; i.e. they are products as well as productive. The Great Principle (Buddhi) is the root of Egoism (Ahankāra), and the pro. duct of Root-matter; so is Principle of Egoism the root of the
* What the term prakrti' stands for has been made clear here. Henceforth, the term shall be rendered either as Root-matter' or sim. ply as 'Nature.'
