anyonya vṛtti

 

Anyonya‑vṛtti means the mutual effect, action, or influence of two things

upon each other, and in Sāṅkhya philosophy it specifically refers to the

reciprocal activation of the three guṇas.

Core dictionary meaning

• The Sanskrit dictionaries define anyonyavṛtti as “mutual effect of 
• one thing upon another”

  1

  .
• It is a compound of anyonya (“mutual, reciprocal”) and vṛtti 
• (“function, activity, state”).
• 

  1 Source

Philosophical meaning (Sāṅkhya)

In Sāṅkhya philosophy, anyonyavṛtti describes a special condition of

the three guṇas—sattva, rajas, and tamas—in which they reciprocally 

cause each other to act

Wisdom Library

.

• Each guṇa “calls the others into action,” creating a dynamic interplay.
• Classical texts illustrate this with similes: just as one person or quality
• can simultaneously delight some and disturb others, each guṇa 
• activates and modifies the others

  1

  .
• Some commentators (e.g., Vāchaspati Miśra) do not accept this as 
• a distinct condition, preferring the related concept anyonyajanana 
• (“mutual generation”)

  1

  .
• 

  1 Source

Breakdown of the components

• Anyonya (अन्योन्य) — “one another, mutual, reciprocal”

  2

  .
• Vṛtti (वृत्ति) — “activity, function, state, operation”

  1

  .
  Together: a state in which two or more entities operate upon 
• each other reciprocally.
• 

  

  3 Sources

Broader interpretive sense

Outside Sāṅkhya, the term can be understood more generally as:

• mutual interaction,
• reciprocal functioning, or
• interdependent activity.

Summary

Anyonya‑vṛtti = mutual activity or reciprocal influence, especially the 

interdependent functioning of the guṇas in Sāṅkhya thought.