Karika 2

दृष्टवदानुश्रविकः स ह्यविशुद्धिक्षयातिशययुक्तः।
तद्विपरीतः श्रेयान् व्यक्ताव्यक्तज्ञविज्ञानात्॥ २॥

Translation by Henry Thomas Colebrooke (1837): The revealed mode is like the temporal one, ineffectual, for it is impure; and it is defective in some respects, as well as excessive in others. A method different from both is preferable, consisting in a discriminative knowledge of perceptible principles, and of the imperceptible one, and of the thinking soul.

Translation by John Davies (1881): The revealed (means) are like the visible (i.e., inefficient), for they are connected with impurity, destruction, and excess. A contrary method is better, and this consists in a discriminative knowledge of the Manifested (forms of matter), the Unmanifested (Prakṛiti or primeval matter), and the knowing (Soul).

Translation by Ganganath Jha (1896): The revealed is like the obvious; since it is connected with impurity, decay and excess. A method contrary to both is preferable, - consisting in discriminative knowledge of the Manifested, the Unmanifested, and the Knowing (Spirit).

Translation by Nandalal Sinha (1915): Like the ordinary, is the scriptural (means ineffectual), for it is attended with impurity, waste, and excess. (The means which is) the opposite of both is preferable, as it consists in a discriminative knowledge of the Manifest, the Unmanifest, and the Knower.

Translation by Har Dutt Sharma (1933): The revealed is like the evident one. It is linked with impurity, destruction and inequality. Other than that is better, - proceeding from the right cognition of the Manifest, Unmanifest and the Knower.

Translation by Radhanath Phukan (1960): The scriptural means to end misery is equally ineffective, because it is linked with impurity, its effect is neither lasting nor always the same for all. Different therefrom and superior thereto is the means to be obtained by an intimate knowledge of the Vyakta, the Avyakta and the Jña.

Translation by Swami Virupakshananda (1995): The scriptural means is like the obvious means since it is linked with impurity, decay and excess. The means contrary to both and proceeding from the Discriminative Knowledge of the Manifest, the Unmanifest and the Spirit, is superior.

Translation by G. Srinivasan (recent): Standard methods of evaluation through detection are affected by distortion, attenuation and inferior resolution to details; but an alternate method that is totally satisfactory, is based on the principle of discriminating the basic and dynamic substratum into its appropriate components of the unmanifest, manifest, the self-potential and kinetic or dynamic potential.