Day 13 (Aug 26): Last Day of Sankhya

It is the last day of our Sankhya and Second Series course. It always amazes me how quickly time flies here. In the morning, we had a fire ceremony.

May we listen to good, auspicious things with our ears.

May we see good things with our eyes...

Om Bhadram Karnebih Srnuyama Devah

Bhadram Pasyamaksabhiryajatrah
Sthirairangaistustuvamsastanubhih
Vyasema Devahitam Yadayuh

Om Svasti na Indro Vrddhasravah
Svasti Nah Pusa Visvavedah
Svasti Nastarksyo Aristanemih
Svasti No Brhaspatirdadhatu

Om Shanti Shanti Shanti

Pranayama and Asana followed after, as the mornings normally go. To me, they continue to be beautiful. My left hamstring is still in pain and so for the practice, I went very slowly, taking Savasanas as needed. I left out Kurmasana and Supta Kurmasana, where it hurts the most and stopped at Upavista Konasana so I could work on a few poses from second series, making up for the lost poses in Primary. It is Friday afterall. I was last to leave the shala. Bente went in and caught me in these poses.

Elonne helping me come up

Halasana

* * *

For Sankhya, I felt rather emotional in the session (these bloody hormones...) Still, it was a surprise, considering the earlier slokas talked about the evolution of the 25 principles of creation (much like our grade school science books enumerates senses, organs, etc. Also, given that it is atheistic as a philosophy,  could not relate to it much. Yoga later adds Ishwara (God). 

But today, as we covered the last slokas, I felt a sweetness for Prakrti (Yes, Nature in Sanskrit).

Sloka 59

rangasya darsayitva nivartate nartaki yatha nrtyat

purusasya thatha'tmanam prakasaya vinivartate prakrtih

Prakrti functions for the sake of Purusa. "As a dancer ceaser from the dance after having been seen by the audience; so also prakrti ceases after having manifested herself to purusa."*

Sloka 61

Prakrteh sukumarataram na kincid astiti me matir bhavati

ya drstasmi'ti punar na darsanam upaiti purusasya 

"It is my thought that there is nothing more delicate than prakrti, who (says to herself) 'I have been seen, and never again comes into the sight of purusa'*

Professor Rao must be feeling it too as he he says -

She has given all objects that can be seen, heard, touched, enjoyed...

She has given Buddhi for liberation.

She is most delicate and most sensitive.

What did I learn?

Purusa. Prakrti.

Buddhi. Ahamkara. Manas.

5 Sensory Organs. 5 Motor Organs.

5 Subtle Elements. 5 Gross Elements.

Purusa is one of the 25 principles. Everything else is Prakrti. She is the net that binds and the net that will liberate and when she liberates, she will forever liberate. Her job is done. The subtle body merges back with her.

She performs her dance, from beginning to end and again and again - she has created her stage, the music, the script, the whole show. He watches, a spectator. At the end, as each song comes to pass fully liberated from the dance, he says I have seen her. She says I have been seen*.

Like a love that comes to pass, it is done. Though the two are still in proximity, no further creation takes place*.

*The Samkhyakarika of Isvarakrsna