Bhagavad Gita 13.6

Ce verset décrit le champ et ses modifications, énumérant les vingt-quatre principes de la philosophie Sāṃkhya. Les « grands éléments » (mahābhūta) – terre, eau, feu, air et éther – sont ainsi nommés parce qu'ils imprègnent toutes les modifications de la matière ; il s'agit ici des éléments subtils, non grossiers. L'égoïsme (ahaṃkāra) est le principe d'auto-attribution, cause des grands éléments. L'intellect (buddhi), dont la fonction est la détermination, est la cause de l'égoïsme. La cause de l'intellect est l'Inmanifesté (avyakta), l'énergie indifférenciée du Seigneur (cf. BG VII.14). Les « dix organes » (indriya) comprennent les cinq organes de connaissance (oreilles, peau, yeux, langue et nez) qui permettent au mental d'acquérir la connaissance du monde extérieur, et les cinq organes d'action (mains, pieds, bouche, anus et organe génital) qui accomplissent les actions. Le « seul » est le mental (manas), le onzième sens, dont la fonction est la pensée et le doute (saṃkalpa et vikalpa). Les « cinq objets des sens » (indriyagocara) sont le son, le toucher, la forme (couleur), le goût et l'odeur, qui sont les pâturages des sens. Tous ces éléments – grands éléments, égoïsme, intellect, sens et mental – sont réabsorbés dans l'Inmanifesté au moment de la dissolution cosmique. Le mental est Māyā, l'avidyā (ignorance), et la racine de toutes les activités. Il nourrit les désirs, la peur, l'égoïsme et les aspirations, augmentant les passions et le sens de la dualité. Il est un obstacle entre l'âme individuelle et l'Absolu, le réservoir d'erreurs, de désirs, de doutes et d'illusions, une machine à pensées en constante révolution, créant et détruisant d'un instant à l'autre.

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.