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VIVEKACŪDĀMAŅI
139
sattvam viśuddham jalavat tathāpi
tābhyām militvā saraņāya kalpate 1 yatrātmabimbaḥ pratibimbitaḥ san
prakāśayatyarka ivākhilam jadam 11
Though sattva is very pure like clear water, yet, in combination with the other two (rajas and tamas) it makes for samsāra in the same way as the original which is the ātman, when reflected, makes the entire inanimate world bright as the sun does.
As there is the expression tathāpi (even then) at the end of the first line, yadyapi (even if) has to be understood in the beginning.
As water in its natural state is undefiled, so too sattvaguna is pure and undefiled. Yet, combining with these two, rajas, and tamas, it makes for samsāra.
saraņāya: samsārāya: for samsāra. kalpate: prabhavati: generates.
Its purity is explained by 'yatrātmabimbah' etc., ātmabimbah: The ātman itself is the bimba here (the original) like a face (which is the original of its reflection in an undefiled mirror etc.) ātmabimbah: ātmā eva bimbah: the ātman itself is the original, like the face.
In the unturbid water, the space above is reflected with the sky and the stars and shines clearly. In the clean mirror the face is clearly reflected. So reflected in the pure sattvaguņa, the ātman shines clearly. So, too, like the sun reflected in the water or the light in the mirror the ātman so reflected makes all anātman objects shine, i.e., makes them known. Vide the Gītā: sattvāt sañjāyate jñānam: "from sattva arises jñāna.” And sarvadvāreșu dehe'smin
sa upajāyate jñānam yadā tadā vidyāt vivrddham sattvamityuta: "From all pores of this body the light (of knowledge) shoots up. When that arises, it may be inferred that sattva is predominant."
120 Though rajas and tamas exist, the qualities of sattva not overpowered by them are stated.
मिश्रस्य सत्वस्य भवन्ति धर्मास्त्वमानिताद्या नियमा यमाद्याः। श्रद्धा च भक्तिश्च मुमुक्षुता च दैवी च संपत्तिरसन्निवृत्तिः ॥१२०॥ .
