Kámbal

Kambal + ań = kámbal. Etymologically kámbal means “one who is wrapped in a kambal [blanket]”. In common usage, it means one who is oversensitive to cold. You must have come across some people who use a sweater or a muffler at the slightest cold weather; they will stop taking bath if they have a little cough. Such people are called shiitkáture or “oversensitive to cold”. In chaste Bengali you can use the word kámbal for such people.

Kárańa

The word kárańa is obtained by adding the suffix lyut́ to the verbal root kr in the causative. According to some scholars, when [the vowel a in] the word karańa is elongated, it becomes kárańa and assumes a special distinction. Then it is neither causative nor is it ań-suffixed. Thus etymologically kárańa means “the root entity transformed into a sequence of cause and effect that has now become an effect in the present moment”. In common usage, it means many of the theories discussed below:

1. Kárańa means the causal matrix.

   In the ancient world, when human beings reached the first stage in forming a society, it was a matriarchal society. In addition to maternal lineage that was already in force, there were regulations regarding maternal heritage. In other words, the family line was determined by looking at the mothers of a family. When one asked a person’s name, one asked the name of the mother, the name of the mother’s mother, then her mother and so on. This custom was observed in the case of both men and women. After marriage the husband assumed the surname of his wife’s family line. This means that a man marrying a woman living on the hills, that is, in a particular gotra [lineage] had to take on the title of that gotra in all respects. (The practice is prevalent in some communities even today.) The law of inheritance was also matrilineal; that is, the children used to inherit the property of the mother. This system was prevailing in the world for a long time. The only flaw was that in this system, though the mother was identified, the father was not, and unless the father is also identified, it is not possible to determine the qualitative excellence of a person.

   Both the patriarchal system and the matriarchal system have their merits and demerits. However, because man is physically stronger, ultimately the patriarchal system came to prevail. Though the patriarchal system had many defects, which I have referred to earlier, it had two advantages. First, in the matriarchal social system the woman had to shoulder all kinds of responsibilities, as a result of which her life became miserable. In the patriarchal system the man, that is, the father, was obliged to share a large part of the responsibility. Secondly, the institution of marriage came into force to help divide the responsibilities and identify the father. Even after the introduction of the patriarchal social system, many men did not easily accept the institution of marriage, because they wanted the rights of domination but without accepting their responsibilities. Lord Shiva was the first to shoulder this great responsibility, and compelled men to take part in the marriage system.

   In India, which is otherwise a predominantly patriarchal society, among the Bengalees there are still remnants of the matriarchal social system. Here a nephew [sister’s son] inherits the property of a childless maternal uncle. If the maternal uncle has no children, the nephew becomes entitled to perform the last rites of his maternal uncle after observing three days’, impurity rites. On the death of her father, a daughter has to observe similar impurity rites and has to organize a shráddha ceremony [obsequies] on the fourth day of the death of the father.

   In Kerala the matriarchal social system is a little more dominant than in Bengal. There the nephew [sister’s son], instead of using the surname of the father, uses the surname of his maternal uncle, that is, the maiden name of his mother. He inherits the property of his maternal uncle and assumes the name of his mother even if born of an inter-caste marriage. A hundred percent matrilineal social system is prevalent today only in a certain community in Meghalaya. When the mother-dominated social system prevailed, a man used to assume the same gotra [community name] of the mother, which was the same as that of the mother’s mother, and so on; and the mother was considered as the leader of that community. And the chief of all chiefs, the original chief or the primal mother was considered as the causal matrix. Kárańa means this primordial cause or causal matrix.

2. In Kańádiiya Nyáya it is said, Kárańábhávát karyábhávah – “If there is no cause there is no effect.” The movement and nature of everything in the world – big or small, great or insignificant – is governed by this cause-and-effect theory. When we look at a tree, we realize that there must have been a seed behind its growth. Again, when we look at a seed, we realize that it must have come from a tree. If we trace this backwards – from tree to seed, from seed to tree, and so on – then we will arrive at a stage where the Mind becomes the effect, but as its cause we find only the absence of Mind. In other words, what was the cause at one stage was the effect at the previous stage, and this effect had a cause at a still earlier stage. If we proceed backwards along the line of cause and effect – if we move on from the tree to the seed and so on – finally we will get the tree as the effect. While looking for the seed [i.e., its own seed], the mind that is looking for its effective cause arrives at a stage where the mind does not exist. How can the mind understand or experience something at a stage wherein the mind itself is not functioning? To attempt to think about something or argue about something at a stage wherein the mind does not exist is known as anavasthá dośa, that is, the fallacy of infinite regression.

   While tracing back the cause-effect relationship, the stage immediately preceding the stage where the non-existential fallacy arises, that final stage, is called kárańa or “primal cause” … the causal factor.

   The name of the great sage Kańáda eventually featured in our discussion of the cause-effect theory. This Kańáda was the first inventor of the atomic theory. Many people knew about this cause-and-effect theory in a casual, perfunctory manner both before and after Kańáda, but he was the first person to establish it as a systematic and fundamental theory. He was the first to say, Kárańábhávát karyábhávah. These two parts of Kańádiiya Nyáya (the atomic theory and the cause-effect theory) later helped greatly in unravelling many knotty problems of the world. It is worth mentioning in this connection that Indian theistic theory developed into three distinct, original branches of philosophy: two sáḿkhyas, two miimáḿsás and two nyáyas. The oldest of these is Kapila’s Niriishvara Sáḿkhya. The great sage Kapila, the proponent of this philosophy, hailed from a village named Patijhalda in the Ráŕh region. He attained divine grace on the hill of Kapilá near Jhalda and established his mat́h [monastery] at Gauṋgáságar … an oceanic island. The second system of Sáḿkhya is known as Seshvar Sáḿkhya, introduced by the great sage, Pataiṋjali. He was born in the village Patun situated near Burdwan of the Ráŕh region. The third theory was known as Purva Miimáḿsá Darshana. The great sage Jaimini, the exponent of this philosophy, was a man of southern India. There was a time when his Purva Miimáḿsá was widely accepted by the ordinary people of India. Kavikauṋkana Mukundaráma writes:

   Pariccheda náhi sandhyá-divasa-rajanii,
   Smaraye sakala loka Jaemini Jaemini.

   –Kavikauṋkana Mukundaráma

   [Evening, day and night, people ever remember the name of Jaemini.]

   The second miimáḿsá darshana is the Uttara Miimáḿsá of the great sage Bádaráyańa Vyása. He also belonged to southern India. The great sage Gaotama, who founded the Gaotamiiya Nyáya darshana, belonged to a place near Kamtaul of Mithila ... and the exponent of the second nyáya darshana or vaesheśika darshana was the great sage Kańáda (Kańádiiya Nyáya). He was born in Puruśpur (Peshavar) of the then Gandhára [the border region of Afghanistan and northwest India]. Although Gaotamiiya Nyáya had originated and developed in the beginning in Mithila, it was navyanyáya [new logic theory] based on it that brought glory to Navadvip [Nadia District, West Bengal]. Raghunath Bhattacharya (Raghunath Shiromańi), one of its interpreters, was born in the district of Burdwan near Navadvip. The famous nyáya of Raghunath, navyányaya and Raghunath – all three became almost identical.

   Although there are thousands of varying opinions among scholars regarding the six forms of atheistic philosophy, these can be broadly divided into three categories [the first of which is Jaena Darshana (Jain Philosophy)].

   The first Jaena Darshana is Digambar Jaena Darshana. Although Jain philosophy believed in spirituality, it is called atheistic philosophy because it does not state clearly its views regarding átman and Paramátman due to its opposition to the Vedas. According to the old school of thought, a philosophy that does not believe in any of the three – Vedas, the átmá [soul, spirit] or Paramátmá [Supreme Subjectivity]–is called atheistic. Belief in any of these three absolves one of the charge of atheism.

   The second Jaena Darshana is Shvetámbara Jaena Darshana.

   There are two sub-branches of Buddhism based on the Buddhist Abhidhammapit́aka [main Buddhist scripture] branches – [the first] Theráváda, or Sthavirváda (Hiinayánii Darshana – the southern school of Buddhistic philosophy) and the second, Maháyánii, the northern school of Buddhistic philosophy). The latter has four sub-branches: 1) Saotántrika, 2) Vaebháśika, 3) Mádhyamika and 4) Baoddha Yogácára – Kśańena jáyate kśańena mriyate, tayaeryogaphalam [“Born in a moment, dead in a moment: life is the sum of these”].

   One sub-branch of the third branch of atheistic philosophy is the dehaparińámváda [worldview based on bodily transformations] of Cárváka.

   Yávajjiivet sukhaḿ jiivet nástimrtyuragocarah;
   Bhasmiibhutasya dehasya punarágamanaḿ kutah?

   [One should live happily as long as one lives, since death is inevitable.
   Where is the return of the body once it is turned into ashes?]

   And the second sub-branch is Cárváka’s dehátmaváda [philosophy of the body or materialistic hedonism].

   Caturbhyo khalu bhutebhyo caitanyamupjáyate;
   Kińvádibhyah sametebhyah dravyebhyo madashaktivat.

   [That is to say, as the result of the combination of four elements, the fifth element, consciousness,comes into being; just like wine prepared by the combination of ingredients such as leaven, grapes, etc.]

   According to many, there was no actual person named Maharśi Cárváka. It was Devaguru Brhaspati who introduced atheistic philosophy only to refute it in order to strengthen theistic philosophy. While propagating this theory of atheism, Brhaspati introduced himself as “Cáruvák” [“One Who Says Sweet Words”]. This Cáruváka became Cárváka, the name by which he was later known.

3. The state of an entity immediately preceding our perception of that entity at a particular point in time is known as the cause of the present state [later state]. The state immediately preceding the flow of the river, in the expansive stretch from Haridwar to Gauṋgáságar⁽¹⁾ that we find in Gauṋgottarii, is a spring which descends from the Himalayas onto the plains. So we shall describe Gauṋgottarii as the cause of Gauṋgá [Ganges]. Again, in the mountainous regions many small rivers, that is, kśudrakáyá nadii⁽²⁾ such as Alakánandá, Mandákinii, Bhágiirathii, etc., unite, as a result of which we get the spring of Gauṋgottarii.

   So the hill springs and those small rivers are the cause of Gauṋgottarii. According to Puranic legend, the sacred water washing the feet of Viśńu descended to earth due to the penance of Bhagiiratha. Everyone was afraid that the tremendous pressure of such a huge volume of water might split the heart of the earth. However, Lord Shiva caught that water in His matted hair and then gradually released it, letting it flow downwards. According to the Puranic account, this water then divided into four parts:

   Svargete Alakándá, martte Bhágiirathii,
   Pitrloke Mandákinii, pátále Bhogavatii.

   [Alakánandá in heaven, Bhágiirathii on earth,
   Mandákinii in the ancestral world and Bhogavatii in hell.]

4. Whenever we find the expression of an action, we must realize that behind that action there is some psychic momentum – heavy or light sympathetic vibration (saḿvedanátmaka vyáhrti). There is a ripe mango on a tree. You see the mango. Your mind perceives the act of your seeing the mango. On seeing ripe mango you desire to eat it – there is thus a development of sympathetic vibration in your mind. You then take off your shirt, tuck your dhoti up above the knees, quickly climb up the tree … pluck the mango … eat it … and throw away the seed. Behind all these actions of yours – wearing the dhoti in the style of a wrestler, taking off the shirt, climbing the tree, eating the mango, throwing away the seed of the mango (I do not know whether you washed your hands and mouth afterwards) – lies a psychic impulse. Again, everything that is happening in this vast universe – it rains … the river flows … the cloud bursts … the earth is inundated … the Plutonic earthquake demolishes mountains and creates oceans … a tall mountain appears out of the ocean and rears its head erect – is a function of the [Cosmic] Mind that lies behind it. What is psychic vibration or Vyáhriti in the case of a unit being is, in the case of the Cosmic Being, Mahávyáhriti or Cosmic vibration or desire. This Vyáhriti in the case of the unit being, and Mahávyáhriti in the case of Cosmic vibration are also described as kárańa.

5. Kárańa means the real cause. From a philosophical point of view, Parama Brahma [Supreme Brahma] is not regarded as the real cause [of creation], because It comprises in Itself both the Cognitive Faculty and the Operative Faculty. In the strictest sense, the Cognitive Faculty cannot be called [simply] the nimitta kárańa [instrumental cause], and the Operative Faculty cannot be called [simply] the upádána kárańa [material cause]. The fact is that the Cognitive Faculty is pradhána [dominant] as an instrumental entity and apradhána [non-dominant] as a material entity, while the Operative Faculty is pradhána as material cause and apradhána as instrumental cause. The Operative Faculty being pradhána as material, all kinds of manifest and perceived realities are Her upádatta [materialized entities] and that is the reason why She is termed as the most important prákrta [natural] force, that is, Prakrti or Pradhána.⁽³⁾

   Nirguńa Brahma [non-qualified Supreme Entity] expresses the complete balance of both faculties in Itself. Therefore neither any instrumentality nor any material causality is manifest in It. The first stage of Cosmic expression, when theoretically the manifestation of Nirguńa Brahma is distinctly split into instrumental and material, is known as Saguńa Tattva [Manifest Reality]. Tvameko dvitvamápannah shivashaktivibhágashah [“You are one. You have split yourself into two: Shiva and Shakti”]. Thus another name of what is Pradhána as instrument is Shiva, and what is Pradhána as material is known as Shakti or Prakrti or Máyá. This Shiva-tattva is an original or root tattva [factor] and Shakti-tattva is also an original factor.

   Paramá Prakrti [Supreme Operative Principle] is endowed with three guńas [binding principles] – [the guńas of] existential experience, existential functions, and manifest or unmanifest expressions of actions. The relation between the triguńabháva [three guńas before manifestation] and the three guńas when associated with their manifestation is inextricable. So, sattvarajastamah [sentient, mutative and static] – these three guńas also deserve recognition as múla tattvas [original realities]. The balanced triangle of three guńas of Nirguńa Tattva, which is known as guńatrikońa, lies dormant. But when balance is lost, the resulting expression, in embryonic form, emerges from one of the vertices of the triangle. It is dominated by the sentient principle, and its acoustic root is sa.

   The primal shakti contained in the acoustic root sa [the Operative Principle at the first stage of creation], which is described using various names such as Kaośikii Shakti or Mahákaośikii or Mahásarasvatii, is also a múla tattva [original reality]. The force at a later stage, which becomes more and more manifest, or becomes eloquent with explicit cadence, is known as Bhaeravii Shaktii or Kaoverii Shakti. It is also an original reality. Again, when Cosmic idea (bháva) turns into action, where the oneness of the singular Supreme Entity is transformed into many, it is known as Bhavánii Shakti. In Buddhist philosophy it is called Káliká Shakti or Mahámáriici. This Mahámáriici is also an original reality. In other words, Shiva and Shakti, sattva, rajah, tamah, along with Kaośikii, Kaoverii and Mahámáriici, are also known as original realities. In different stages and circumstances they acquire varying unique characteristics.

   Kaośikii sá ástitvikii, Kaoverii sá dattákrtih;
   Mahámáriicih sá vastusamprktih bhávasaḿyuktih vá.

   [Kaośikii is the existential form, Kaoverii is the manifest or assumed form, and Mahámáriici is the objectivated form and ideational link.]

6. A human being carries out actions with every sensory and motor organ. We use the suffix lyut́ for these actions. For example, what we do with the sensory organ of the eyes is the act of seeing or darshana (darshanaḿ); what we do with our ears is shravańa (shravańaḿ.) Similarly, what we do with motor organs like vocal cord (vákyantra) is vacana (vacanaḿ); what we do with the hands is shilpana (shilpanaḿ); what we do with the legs is carańa (carańaḿ). Walking, running, jumping are all functions of the legs. Similarly the work of the potter with his potter’s wheel, the work of the goldsmith with a small hammer, the work of the blacksmith with a big hammer – are all included in the shilpana [any craft done with the hands]. If a person sings well, we cannot call that person a kant́hashilpii [craftsman of voice], because shilpana means manual work specifically done with the hands, not work using the voice. If someone plays an instrument skilfully with the hands, we can call it shilpana-kriyá. Therefore we can describe a sitar player as a sitar-shilpii.

   But even this shilpana-kriyá [manual craft] – is it of a uniform nature and character? Can the dexterity of a highly skilled weaver enable him to make an ornament of gold? Alternately, can the fine dexterity of a highly skilled goldsmith be of any use in the craft of pottery? Different kinds of skill originate from one generic mental faculty, but their manifestations are different and self-evident. This self-creating, characteristic generic skill may be regarded as the cause of many varied, specific skills, which preserve their diversities and specialties. The word kárańa is also used to suggest this in the world of action.

7. In a case where someone acts not out of instinct, but prompted by genuine need – for example, when one is hungry one avidly eats whatever is at hand – behind this action lies natural instinct. Again, when one is not at all hungry, then one would not like to eat even the most palatable or delicious food; in fact, one cannot eat, even if one tries. Here, the natural instinct that acts as an inspiration to eat is also called kárańa.

   When a natural instinct is carried into effect or translated into action, not directly, but indirectly through some medium, then that medium is also called kárańa.

8. There are various kinds of musical instruments. However, these are mainly of two types. Some are stringed instruments and others are without strings. Sitar, esráj, viińá and violin, for example, are stringed instruments; the percussion instruments such as tablá, mrdauṋga [percussion instrument shaped almost like a tom-tom], dhol [tom-tom], dhák [big drum], káṋsar [a dish of bell-metal, a cymbal], khaiṋjani [a pair of bell metals–sound is produced by rhythmically striking them together], etc., are without strings. The stringed instruments are also known as kárańayantra. Of the various instruments invented in India, viińá or viiń is the oldest. This viiń developed naturally from a [primitive] stringed instrument called ektárá.

9. A person can sing anything in a pedestrian style according to his or her sweet will. This kind of singing may or may not have a prescribed form. However, when one has to sing according to the well-defined procedures and rules of musical science, then that kind of singing is called shástriiya saḿgiita or dhrupadi saḿgiita, that is, classical music. This shástriiya saḿgiita or dhrupadii saḿgiita is also known as kárańasaḿgiita or kárańagiiti.

10. When, attracted by the rhythmic flow [of the guńas], the balanced triangle of forces begins to lose its equilibrium, then the creative ideation begins to emanate. This creative ideation certainly remains in potential form in the balanced triangle of guńas. The Cognitive Entity at that time still carries on the cognition of its anavasthá [state of non-existence of the mind] and not of the absence of guńas. In the cognition of the state of perfect equilibrium of guńas, it remains as the Cognitive Being. When it becomes manifest and expresses itself through rhythmic projection as an ideational entity, then we can call it the first emanation of the creative purpose (saḿkalpa). This marks the state of Kaośikii Shakti. And the cognition of this is the real creative shakti. In the language of the mythological Puranas, the creative entity is called Brahmá. This Brahmá is another meaning of kárańa.

    This creative shakti is also called sarjaniidevatá, because devatá⁽⁴⁾ means “divine idea” (devatver bháva).

    While explaining the word deva the great sage Yájiṋavalkya said:

    Dyotate kriid́ate yasmádudyate dyotate divi;
    Tasmaddeva iti proktah stúyate sarvadevataeh.

    [The vibrational manifestations emanating from the Supreme Nucleus are known as devatás, and these devatás address that Supreme Nucleus as Deva. He with His powers vibrates the entire universe, makes the entire universe dance; and He by dint of His occult and supra-occult powers brings everything back onto His lap.]

    So you understand that kárańa also signifies this sarjaniidevatá. All of you know very well that by adding the suffix lyut́ to the verbal root srj, we get sarjana [creative] and not srjana. No one can have srjanii-pratibhá; one can only have sarjanii-pratibhá [creative talents].We use sarjana in utsarjana, visarjana, etc., but when we have to use the word without a prefix, we say by mistake srjana, srjanii. From now on, do not use the word srjana, understand?

11. When, in the process of fragmenting an object, we come to the smallest particle that still retains all the elementary properties of the object, it is called ańu or “molecule”. After further splitting, this particle loses the original properties of the object; we call this new particle paramáńu or “atom”. Cittáńu [“ectoplasm”], abhicittáńu [“endoplasm”] have similar characteristics. Tryasareńu [mote or atom of dust visible in a sun-beam] is another example. Maharśi Kańáda has not explained this subject in detail, nor has Dalton. Possibly they have left this task for their successors. In any case, the smallest particle containing all original properties, together with all matter related to that smallest particle, is also called kárańa. Statements related to the rudimental condition of an object are also called kárańa. For example, the smallest particle of common salt (NaCl) is an ańu of [sodium] chloride. It contains all the properties of [sodium] chloride – salty in taste – but if you split it further, then sodium and chlorine will be separated and each will have its own distnctive properties. But then, we shall not get the properties of salt in the separate elements. We shall call this particle of [sodium] chloride kárańa. Related statements will also be called kárańa, but if we want to say something about the condition of its further fragmented stage [where it is separated into its constituent elements], we cannot use the word kárańa; we will use the word kárańáyudha. If independently [of discussing sodium choride] we discuss the [sodium] element or the chlorine element, then the smallest unit wherein we get the properties of [sodium] or chlorine, we shall call kárańa. But in a further fragmented stage wherein such an element loses the property of [sodium] [or] chlorine, we shall call that state kárańáyudha [causal component].

12. Another meaning of the word kárańa is “potentiality of expression” or “emanation” – manifestation of the latent. In a banyan seed, which is no bigger than a poppy seed, the huge banyan tree lies in potential form. So we shall call that tiny banyan seed the cause or kárańa of the huge banyan tree.

13. There was a time when, due to the absence of proper atmosphere and proper insight, human beings used to drink for momentary pleasure. They did not realize that it does not do any good to the bodily functions; rather it does serious harm to the body and damages it severely. Everything has bright and dark sides. On special occasions and in the case of certain patients, it may be necessary to administer wine as medicine or as an ingredient of a medicine, but there is no need for it in daily life. Since primitive times, human beings have been tirelessly trying to improve their intelligence and intuition. Wine and other intoxicants ruin one’s intelligence. Therefore, it is contrary to the natural progress of human beings. For this reason, wine must be forsaken.

    Even then, let me repeat what I have already said above: Since ancient times, human beings have been addicted to wine, or to put it correctly, wine caught hold of human beings. If someone takes wine due to addiction, it shows their weakness, but it does not affect their simplicity. But if someone takes wine in the name of religion, it shows, in addition to weakness, one’s perversity. According to the Puranic Tantra and according to Buddhist Tantra, Kálikáshakti holds in one of her hands a chalice of nectar… it contains the Kárańa-Biija [the Seed of Creation] of the world. Even the Bhadrakálii of the Atharvaveda has been somehow associated with this chalice of nectar. This is a philosophical postulate. It may have a relationship with wine or it may not. The contention of the philosophical postulate is that at the expected time of the pralaya [dissolution] of the universe, Bhadrakálii preserves the seed or quintessence of the world in the chalice of nectar. But when the addicts drink wine and call it kárańavári or seed water – let them think for themselves how far that is desirable. In any case, one meaning of kárańa is wine used for religious purposes.

14. Another meaning of the word kárańa is the embryo nurtured in the mother’s womb. Every organic being remains in embryonic form at the primary stage. This embryo is regarded as the cause or kárańa of its existence.

15. The central idea of a thesis or proposition is also called kárańa. Suppose I write a story depicting the picture of a dishonest man who, due to regularly keeping the company of good persons, prospers in every respect and finally becomes a better person; and of a good person surrounded by bad company, who gradually degenerates into a detestable beast. The story may be very long, but the keynote or the main point is:

    Satsauṋgena bhavenmuktirasatsauṋgeśu bandhanam;
    Asatsauṋgamudrańaḿ yá sá mudrá parikiirtitá.

    [Keeping good company leads to liberation, whereas the company of bad people leads to greater bondage. The mudrańam – shunning – of bad company is called mudrá sádhaná.]

    The verse quoted above is the theme or the central idea of the story. One meaning of the word kárańa is this central idea.

16. Saiṋcara [movement from subtle to crude] and prati-saiṋcara [movement from crude to subtle] constitute the cycle of creation. The relation between the material force and the cognitive force is the same at the end as it was at the beginning of the cyclic creative order. That means, in the embryonic stage of saiṋcara, the sentient principle dominates, but then gradually it begins to diminish and, due to the increasing force of other guńas and the growing dominance of the material cause, it becomes reduced to crudeness in the final stage of saiṋcara. And then, when pratisaiṋcara begins, the dominance of the material force gradually begins to diminish. At that stage, the dominance of other guńas [mutative and static] begin to wane and the dominance of Sattva-guńa[sentient] begins to grow. In the final stage of pratisaiṋcara, the supremacy of sattvaguńa is established, other guńas lose their influence, and the dominance of the material cause becomes nearly non-existent. The embryonic stage of saiṋcara may be called the causal state of the cycle of creation… thereafter it gradually takes the shape of its effect, step by step.

    The relation between the cognitive force and the material force that exists in the embryonic stage continues to exist even in the final stage of pratisaiṋcara. The only difference is that at the embryonic stage of saiṋcara, sattvaguńa gradually begins to reduce, and at the final stage of pratisaiṋcara, sattvaguńa regains its original nature, that is, goes back to its original stance. We can, of course, call the embryonic stage of saiṋcara the causal state, although the cognitive force and material force do not strictly exist at that stage. The final stage of pratisaiṋcara cannot be called kárańa, because that is actually the culmination of its effect. So we call it sámányávasthá. If the first one is described as kárańadeha [causal body], the second one should be described as sámányadeha [body beyond the subtle layer of mind].

17. The string that is used for counting beads is called japamálá in Sanskrit, tasbi in Arabic and “rosary” in English. The string contains sometimes 108 beads, sometimes 100, and sometimes a different number of beads according to the instructions of a particular preceptor. A round of beads will indicate how many times the beads have been counted. It is necessary to keep some tangible mark at the point where one round is complete. The bead that immediately follows that mark is called “kárańávasthá of japakriyá” and kárańagut́i [causal bead].

18. Before an action is carried out, it is preceded by a vibration of thought emanating from a preśańii-tattva [fundamental source of momentum]. This preśańii-tattva, which is original, is the creator of the next action. It is called “noumenal”. Some people think that, like many other words, this is also a Latin word. No, this is not true. It is a very old German word – so old that the modern German language had not yet evolved. On the other side of this noumenal entity lie various forces manifested in diverse actions. If we call the preśańii-shakti the noumenal cause, we will call its opposite the phenomenal effect. If we say that falsehood is the noumenal cause of all phenomenal crimes, then it will mean that falsehood is the preśańii-tattva of all crimes. This noumenal cause is called kárańa. If there is no falsehood, most sins will not manifest. If there is no noumenal cause, then there is no phenomenal effect. So this connotation of kárańa is particularly valuable.

19. In most animals, and particularly in human beings, there are various kinds of nerve cells and nerve fibres. In common parlance the word nád́ii [channels] is used to mean these nerves, but they are not the same. The nerves are of two kinds: sensory nerves and motor nerves. The sensory nerves transmit the inferences through the gateway of organs to the nerve cells. The organs through which the inferences are received are called sensory organs. The motor nerves transmit the messages of the nerve cells to the [motor] organs which then express them. In that case the gateways of organs are called motor organs. In the bodies of many animals, and particularly in the bodies of human beings, there are five sensory organs: eyes, ears, nose, tongue and skin. Their function is extro-internal, to bring something within. So, another name for these is antahkarańa. The motor organs are five fold: mouth, hands, legs, genitals and anus. Their function is intro-external. So they are called bahihkarańa. Five means of internalization, five means of externalization and the mind constitute eleven organs. The word kárańa also means antahkarańa.

20. To murder someone or even an attempt to murder is called kárańa.

21. What is used as an instrument or material to complete a task or used as an aid in the execution of an action is also called kárańa. For example, in order to make rasagolla [a juicy, spherical-shaped sweet] you need curdled milk [cheese] and sugar. So, curdled milk and sugar will be called the kárańa or cause of rasagolla. The potter needs clay to make a pitcher with the help of the potter’s wheel. So the clay will be called the kárańa of the pitcher. In order to cut bamboo with a cutting instrument made of iron, the weapon must have a handle for holding it. So this handle will be called the kárańa of the weapon.

22. It is not possible to milk a cow unless it has teats. The teats are necessary for milking. So the teat of a cow is called kárańa. Some of you may not know that the round piece of stone or wood on which a chapati is rolled is called in Sanskrit and chaste Bengali cakrii (cakrii >cakkii >cákki >cákii). But the rolling pin is called kárańá/kárańii . The instrument that we use while scraping the pulp of a hard coconut is called nárkol-kuruńii in colloquial Bengali, and in Sanskrit it is called cakrińii.

    Just take note of a few more household items – káḿsya means a water tumbler made of any material. It does not mean only tumblers made of bell-metal. Káḿsiká/káḿshiká means káṋsi or a kind of utensil; káḿsik/káḿshik means bát́i or bát́t́ika [a round cup without a handle]. Prastarbát́t́ika >pattharabát́t́ia > pátharbát́i [a cup made of stone].

23. The interest (simple or compound) accrued on money is also called kárańa.

24. Whether a literary work is aesthetically sound or not, there is a point in its expression when one obtains almost a complete grasp of its flow and nature. One gains an idea of the entirety of that drama, narrative or fiction. The particular point in a literary work at which one gains an understanding of the remainder is called kárańa. Sometimes we get an idea of the whole after hearing or reading just a little, sometimes we realize it only in the final stage, and sometimes again only after the completion of the reading. The farther on in the story we get this idea, the greater is the suspense in that drama or novel, whatever may be the case. The greater part of this suspense depends on the skill of the artist, and very little depends on the liveliness of the subject.

    This causal part of the composition makes the composition most charming, and this is also called kárańa.

25. The field of wisdom from whence emanate all kinds of feelings, all kinds of sensations, is also called kárańa. It is in this sense that Sarasvatii, who is regarded as the goddess of learning in mythology, is also called kárańa.

26. It is sometimes seen that, prompted by sheer personal interest or the interest of the community, a person deliberately pushes another person towards the path of destruction, or inspires that person to follow the path to hell. This act of deliberately leading someone astray by persuading them to take the path of evil or the path of hell and thus darken the brightness of their future with the small dark cloud of petty selfish interest – this mean mentality or mean thought – is also called kárańa.

27. In the huge expanse of time, we decide on some unit [of measurement] according to our convenience. The time that the moon takes to go once around the earth, that is, the time taken by the moon to go around all the houses of the zodiac, is called a lunar month. The lunar month is thus one unit. The time taken by the moon to cover one particular star in its orbit is called a lunar day or tithi [a day of the moon]. The lunar day is part of the previously-mentioned unit. Twelve lunar months make one lunar year. This lunar year is twelve times the lunar month. The extra month that is added [to the lunar calendar] approximately once in three years is meant to bring about parity with the unit of the solar year. The time taken by the earth to go around the sun along the zodiac in 360 degrees makes one solar year. This solar year is also a unit. The earth takes twenty-four hours to revolve on its axis and bring every part of its surface to face the sun. This period of twenty-four hours is also a unit in the measurement of time. All these units are also called kárańa.

    One of you was asking about maháshauṋkha, is that not so? Then listen. It should be borne in mind that if words like yátrá, nidrá, máḿsa, shauṋkha and shúdra are prefixed by mahá [great], it affects the meaning adversely. These words should not be prefixed by mahá when used in the normal sense (mahaiṋchabdah na yujyate). Maháyátrá does not mean a great journey, maháyátrá means death; mahánidrá does not mean a long sleep, mahánidrá means death; mahámáḿsa does not mean plenty of meat or very good meat, mahámáḿsa means human flesh. Maháshauṋkha does not mean a large conch shell, maháshauṋkha means a human skull; maháshúdra does not mean a great Shúdra [a person belonging to the lowest caste], but a milkman.

    If some scripture or some great man uses the prefix mahá in a sense other than the correct sense, then we can accept such usage as an exception, but such usage does not absolve it of its grammatical error. In the Vedas, at some places, the word shikśá has been spelt as shiikśá for the sake of rhythm. Even if we accept it as an exceptional sagacious application, we cannot ignore the grammatical flaw, because in the verbal root shikś, only i was used, both in common parlance and in Vedic Sanskrit.

Footnotes

(1) Ga means “an expansive land”. Gam means “towards the expansive land or in the expansive land”. Gá means “a woman who is going”. Gam + gá, i.e., gauṋgá means that river which is going towards the expansive land. The ma in the word gam is not the end phoneme of a word. It is the inflected form of the accusative singular. Since the end ma is not the phonemic end-ma one has to write gauṋgá and not gaḿgá.

(2) We get the word káya by adding the suffix ghaiṋ to the verbal root ci. The word káyá is wrong. Here the word kśudrakáyá is not an independent word. By adding the feminine marker áp to the word following the rule striyám áp we get the word káyá).

(3) Compare with the author’s Ánanda Sútram, Sútra 1-2. –Trans.

(4) Devatá is feminine gender. Whether it is male or female, that is, “god” or “goddess”, the feminine gender is used indiscriminately in all cases.