महाभूतान्यहंकारो बुद्धिरव्यक्तमेव च | इन्द्रियाणि दशैकं च पञ्च चेन्द्रियगोचराः ||१३-६||
mahābhūtānyahaṃkāro buddhiravyaktameva ca . indriyāṇi daśaikaṃ ca pañca cendriyagocarāḥ ||13-6||
Chapter 13 · Verse 6
Kshetra Kshetrajna Vibhaga Yoga
क्षेत्रक्षेत्रज्ञविभागयोग
In plain words
The field and its modifications are described in this verse. The twentyfour principles of the Sankhya school of philosophy are mentioned here. Great elements Earth water fire air and ether are so called because they pervade all modifications of matter.
Translation
13.6 The great elements, the Ahankara, the Buddhi, the Avyakta, the ten senses and the one, besides, the five objects of the senses;
Meaning
The field and its modifications are described in this verse. The twentyfour principles of the Sankhya school of philosophy are mentioned here. Great elements Earth water fire air and ether are so called because they pervade all modifications of matter. The elements here referred to are the subtle not the gross ones. Egoism is the cause of the great elements. It is the selfarrogating principle. Intellect is the cause of egoism. The function of the intellect is determination. Buddhi is the faculty of determination. The cause of the intellect is the Unmanifested (which is the undifferentiated energy of the Lord). (Cf. VII.14 Daivi hyesha gunamayi mama maya duratyaya -- This divine illusion of Mine caused by the alities is difficult to cross over.) The above Nature is divided eightfold (Cf. VII.4). The ten senses are the five organs of knowledge (ears skin eyes tongue and nose) so called because they enable the mind to get knowledge of the external world and the five organs of action (hands feet mouth anus and the generative organ) so called because they perform actions. The one This is the mind. This is the eleventh sense whose function is thinking and doubting (Sankalpa and Vikalpa). The five objects of the senses are sound touch form (colour) taste and smell. These are the fivefol pastures of the senses. All the great elements egoism intellect the senses and mind are all absorbed in the Unmanifested at the time of the cosmic dissolution. Mind is Maya. Mind is Avidya (ignorance). Mind is at the root of all activities. It gives strength to desires fosters fear and builds castles in the air. It confers force on egoism and stimultates,aspirations. Every tendency has its origin in the mind. It augments passions gives strength to hope and awakens the sense of duality. It increases ignorance and plunges the senses in the ocean of senseobjects. It creates distinctions and differences. It separates divides and limits. It is a strong wall or an iron barrier that stands between the individual soul and the Absolute. It is this mind that has brought Brahman to the condition of the individual soul. It is the storehouse of error cravings doubt delusion and ignorance. It is an everrevolving wheel that generates thoughts. It is a miraculous thoughtproducing machine. It creates at one moment. It destroys at the next moment.
Word by word
महाभूतानि the great elements अहङ्कारः egoism बुद्धिः intellect अव्यक्तम् the unmanifested (MulaPrakriti) एव even च and इन्द्रियाणि the senses दश ten एकम् one च and पञ्च five च and इन्द्रियगोचराः objects of the senses.