तथैतानि विमिश्राणि विविक्तानि पुनर्यथा । न शुद्धान्युपलभ्यन्ते सर्वनाशान्तमेव हि ॥ २७ ॥
tathaitāni vimiśrāṇi viviktāni punaryathā | na śuddhānyupalabhyantē sarvanāśāntamēva hi || 27 ||
Translation
So these, mixed, are never found pure again, separate as they were, until the end that destroys all.
Word by word
- tathā
- so
- ētāni
- these
- vimiśrāṇi
- mixed
- viviktāni
- separate
- punar
- (punaḥ) again
- yathā
- as they were
- na
- not
- śuddhāny
- (śuddhāni) pure
- upalabhyantē
- are found
- sarva
- all
- nāśa
- that destroys
- antam
- until the end
- ēva
- indeed
- hi
- for
Meaning
The commentary asks how long they stay mixed, and answers: these five elements, once mixed this way, are not found separate and pure until destruction, the great dissolution. Another commentary: all the elements mix in such a way that until all are destroyed they are not found separately pure. This is the doctrine of quintuplication (pañcīkaraṇa) in its simplest form: everything we meet is a mixture; pure earth or pure water is never met with.