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138
VIVEKACŪDĀMAŅI
Ignorance, apathy, sloth, sleep, negligence, foolishness, etc., are the effects of tamoguņa. One subject to these knows nothing, but remains as one in sleep or like a pillar.
ajñānam: non-apprehension of a meaning that has been conveyed. Vide the Gītā: etat jñānamiti proktam ajñānam yadato’nyathā: "This is said to be jñāna; ajñāna is what is otherwise." Or, wrongly fancying a meaning etc.
ālasyam: not taking any effort. jadatvam: absence of skill in determining effect and cause.
nidrā: is well known. Nidrā has been defined in the Yoga Sūtra as "abhāvapratyayālambană vrttiḥ nidrā": "Sleep is the mental state which has for its content the perception of nothingness.” That state in which there is sense of absence of an object upon concealment by tamas, that is the state of sleep. That modification of mind which makes such nothingness an object is sleep. .
pramāda: not doing something even when one has the capacity to do it, not being awake (to one's duty); the dictionary says: pramādo'navadhānatā: pramāda is not being intent.
mūdhatva: the impression of non-existence with reference to an existing object.
These-ignorance, apathy, sloth, sleep, negligence, foolishness etc.—are the effects of tamoguņa. This is explained further. One subject to these qualities produced by tamoguņa does not know anything even as a man in sound sleep knows nothing. He stands as a pillar without exerting himself in any way for his uplift. Or, it may be said that not knowing of what is to be known when it is to be known is pramāda. The not-doing of what has to be done is ālasya.
119 Thus has been declared that the qualities of rajas and tamas are total hindrances to spiritual uplift. That means, giving them up completely, one should cultivate sattvaguna. These have been explained at length only to impress that they should be renounced in the same way as adharma is sought to be known only to renounce it. Now, to show what has to be acquired, the nature of sattva. character is explained.
सत्वं विशुद्ध जलवत्तथापि ताभ्यां मिलित्वा सरणाय कल्पते । यत्रात्मबिम्बः प्रतिबिम्बितः सन् प्रकाशयत्यर्क इवाखिलं जडम् ॥११९॥
