Page:Philosophy of bhagawad-gita.pdf/92

68 it as something different from the prakṛṭi of the Sāṅkhyas.

Turn now to chapter vii, verse 7:

Please notice that in verses 4 and 5 Kṛṣhṇa is referring to two kinds of Prakṛṭi. Of course that Prakṛṭi, which is differentiated into the eight elements enumerated in Sāṅkhya philosophy is the avyakṭan of the Sāṅkhyas—it is the Mūlāprakṛṭi which must not be confounded with the Ḍaivīprakṛṭi, which is the light of the Logos. Conceive Mūlāprakṛṭi as aviḍyā, and Ḍaivīprakṛṭi, the light of the Logos, as viḍyā. These words have other meanings also. In the Sveṭāshraṭara Upaniṣhaṭ, Īṣhvara is described as the deity who controls both viḍyā and aviḍyā.

Here Kṛṣhṇa seems to refer to all the qualities, or all the excellent qualities, manifested in every region of phenomenal existence, as springing from himself.

No doubt the other qualities also, or rather their ideal forms, originally spring from him, but they ought to be traced mainly to Mūlāprakṛṭi, and not himself.

I will now refer you to verse 24 and the following verses of the same chapter:

The ignorant, who do not know my supreme and indestructible and best nature regard me as a manifestation of avyakṭam.

Veiled by my yoga-māyā I am not visible to all. The deluded world does not comprehend me who an unborn and imperishable.