Samkhya thoughts in the Mahabharata
by Shini M.V. | 2017 | 51,373 words
This page relates ‘Branches of Samkhya’ of the study of Samkhya thought and philosophy as reflected in the Shanti-Parva of the Mahabharata. Samkhya represents one of the six orthodox schools of Indian Philosophy and primarily deals with metaphysical knowledge and explains the Universe without the need to introduce God. The Mahabharata is an ancient Sanskrit epic which includes many Sankhya theories while expounding twenty-five principles.
Branches of Sāṃkhya
The four streams are designated as:
These are further subdivided in to sub branches. Ahorātra in four, Kāla in seven, Atri in five and twenty of the Pradhāna.
Ahorātra-śākha
The first stream expounds its principle in terms of creation and dissolution termed as Ahorātra, the night referring to the stage when the Prakṛti is in equilibrium, whereas the day signifies the agitation of Prakṛti and the beginning of the process of creation or evolution.
(1) The first sub branch of this stream is found in the pariśiṣṭa in the Nirukta of Yāska.[1]
(2) The second sub branch is represented by the Ahorātra yoga in the Gīta.[2]
(3) The third sub branch is expounded in the Durgāspataśati, in the Mārkaṇdeyapurāṇa in its section entitled Prādhānika rahasya.
(4) In the Manusmṛti chapter one presents the principles of the fourth sub branch.
(5) In the Vāyu purāṇa the fifth sub branch is found.[3]
Kāla-śākha
In the list of tattvas, kāla is included in the second stream. In the svetāśvataropaniṣad,[4] it is found in the earliest acceptance of kāla as a tattva.
(1) The first sub branch of this school as expounded in the Mahābhārata, names Puruṣa as Viṣṇu and Prakṛti as kāla and without recognising Mahat, traces Manas and Ahaṃkāra directly from Buddhi.[5]
(2) The second sub branch as expounded in the Mahābhārata mentions Prakṛti in the place of kāla, naming it as avyakta also. It describes kāla as the cause of the transformation of all the tattvas and objects. It believes in six Mahābhūtas, but does not name the sixth one.[6]
(3) Devala in the Mahābhārata is presented by the third sub branch. Here kāla is mentioned as distinct from both Prakṛti and Puruṣa. The teachers of this sub branch are named as Bhūta cintaka and Adhyātma cintaka. This sub branch designates the tattvas as rāśīs. it numbers the mahābhūtas as eight, adding the kāla, bhāva and abhāva to the well-known five, and parallel to them, numbers the jñānendriyas also as eight adding citta, Manas and Buddhi to the well-known five ones. It numbers the tattvas variously as sixteen, seventeen, eighteen, twenty and twenty five by adding new ones. In its scheme the inclusion of ūṣma as a tattva is very significant.[7]
(4) The fourth sub branch is described in the Kūrmapurāṇa. Its teachers are referred to as tattvacintaka and brahmavādi. According to it, both kāla pradhāna and Puruṣa emanate from avyakta, kāla which represents the connection between two events, is described as anādi.[8]
(5) The fifth sub branch recorded in the Viṣṇupurāṇa was expounded by Parāśara and given to Maitreya. According to it, in the stage of equilibrium, Prakṛti Puruṣa remains aloof from it, and is termed as kāla.[9]
(6) The sixth sub branch is found in the Bhāgavatapurāṇa and is communicated by Kapila to Devāhuti. Here kāla is mentioned as the twenty fifth tattva, which causes stirrings in the Prakṛti in its stage of equilibrium.[10]
(7) The seventh sub branch is also found in the Bhāgavatapurāṇa, it accepts a number of new tattvas, such as dravya, karma, kāla, svabhāvya, jīva and Brahma or Vāsudeva.[11]
Atrisiddhāntīya-śākha
The Atri siddhāntīya is the third stream. The functioning of the internal and external organs is investigated in the text on Ayurveda is mainly based in it. In the Ayurveda Atri was the earliest authority, and is included in the list of Sāṃkhya teachers.
(1) The first stream of this first branch is recorded in the Nirukta. According to it, by following the path of dharma, anybody can become Īśvara or become immortal, getting involved in passions a man suffers repeated births and deaths.
(2) The second sub branch made remarkable advancements in the area of Pañca Mahābhūtas, physics and botany. It expounded the principle of life even in plants[12].
(3) The third sub branch finds a detailed exposition in the two Saṃhita texts associated with the names of Caraka and Śuśruta.
Mukhyastambhīya-śākha
Mukhya stambhīya, Pradhāna-stambhīya or Kāpilīya is termed as the main stream of Sāṃkhya. It covers all the important expressions of Sāṃkhya principles.
(1-3) The first three sub branches are indicated when Sanatkumāra refers to the views mentioning the numbers of tattvas as twenty three or twenty four, where as he himself takes them to be twenty five.
(4) The fourth sub branch is represented by Yājñavalkya who mentions the tattvas to be twenty six.[13]
(5) The fifth sub branch mentions the order of creations as akṣara, khaṃ, vāyu, jyoti, jala, jagati and jagat.[14] Without assigning any place to Puruṣa brahma, Mahat or Ahaṃkāra.
(6) The sixth sub branch presents three cycles of evolution and dissolution. Here we find four terms akṣara, jñāna, pañca ākṛti and sūkṣma, which are used in a special sense, not found elsewhere. In the third cycle the term ātma signifies Puruṣa. This sub branch presents an elaborate order of tattvas.[15]
(7) The seventh sub branch is characterized by a special terminology about Puruṣa, Mahāpuruṣa in its twenty fourth tattva, Mahāpuruṣa vaikṛta or Mahādeva is the twenty fifth tattva, and Bhagavan is the twenty sixth tattva. The order of its evolution is also distinctive.
(8) The eighth sub branch designates the tattvas as bhāvas and describes all of them as evolutes of svabhāva.[16]
(9) Allied to this is the ninth sub branch which holds the order of evolution to be Mahābhūta, Cetana, Ātma, Manas (ahaṃkāra) and Buddhi.[17]
(10) The tenth sub branch is also associated with the svabhāvavādins. The order of evolution according to this sub branch is Indriyas, Pañca tanmātras, Manas and Buddhi. Buddhi is also described as ātma in human beings.[18] In all these sub branches no place is assigned to Mūlaprakṛti and Puruṣa.
(11) The eleventh sub branch was expounded by Vasiṣṭha. It speaks of two types of creations. Bhūtasarga relating to Pañca tanmātras and Pañca mahābhūtas, and Bhautika sarga concerning five Karmendriyas and five Jñānendriyas. It assigns the highest place to Hiraṇyagarbha, also designated as Buddhi, Mahat and Viriñji.[19]
(12) The twelfth branch resulted from the dressing up of Sāṃkhya in the garb of Vaiṣṇavisṃ.[20] According to it, in the beginning there was only jñāna, from which came out pradhāna triguṇa mahāmāya or Vaiṣṇavi Prakṛti which is also designated as svabhāva.
(13) The thirteenth sub branch, as known from the Manusmṛti[21] represents the most developed form of Sāṃkhya Yoga. According to it, in the beginning there was the state of equilibrium, first emerged the svayambhū, who created water, in which he sowed seeds which became the golden egg. From it emerged Brahma, who divided the egg in to two parts. The order of evolution is buddhi, manas, ahaṃkāra, tanmātra, mahābhūta, jñānendriyas and karmendriyas.
(14) The fourteenth sub branch also represents a developed state and is found in the Vāyupurāṇa. The dark stage is termed as Pradhāna and Prakṛti. From it emerges mahat variously named as Manas, mahat, mati, brahma, puraḥ, Buddhi khyāti, īśvara, prāṇa, citti, smṛti saṃvid and vipuri. The three guṇas developed in it and are termed as linga, the kṣetrajña resides in it. When the rajas guṇa is predominant Ahaṃkāra is evolved, and when the tamas guṇa is predominant, Pañca tanmātras are evolved from which come out Pañca Mahābhūtas[22].
(15) The fifteenth sub branch is recorded in the Brahma purāṇa. It represents a detailed account of the developed system. It is expounded by Vasiṣṭha and delivered to Karālajanaka. It mentions Buddhi tattva as the parama tattva and the ātma tattva. All the tattvas are characterized by several guṇas and each has its own Vidyā.[23]
(16) The sixteenth sub branch is found in the Devībhāgavatapurāṇa. Here also the Sāṃkhya Yoga system is superimposed by Vaiṣṇava terminology. Many names for Prakṛti is given by the Purāṇa. Tapas, tamas, jadata, jñāna, māya, pradhāna, prakṛti, śakti, aja, citta and saṃvitta. The creation is said to be automatic and natural. There was only citta in the beginning. The Devi claims to be citta and in conjunction with Puruṣa, produces Ahaṃkāra and the subsequent evolutes. Avidya is also described as Māya and satvātmika. Īśvara when reflected in it, is called Jīva.
(17) The seventeenth sub branch, as traced in the Mahābhārata has a distinctive character. Here the guṇas of the Pañcamahābhūtas are said to be six, mūrti being the sixth, though in actual enumeration only four are named. The tattvas include four Mahābhūtas and six guṇas with citta as the eleventh and Buddhi as the twelfth. This sub branch omits ākāśa as a tattva and salida as aguṇa.[24]
(18) The eighteenth sub branch is found in the Kūrma purāṇa.[25] It is presented by Śiva himself. The order of the tattvas in an ascending sequence is indrias, manas, ahaṃkāra, mahat, avyakta, puruṣa, prāṇa, vyoma, agni.
(19) The nineteenth sub branch is found in the Buddhacarita of Aśvaghoṣa. It is presented by arāḍ (arāḍa). The Sāṃkhya philosophers are designated as ātmacintakas. Puruṣa or ātma is termed as kṣetrajña and also as vyakta, as distinguished from avyakta. Ajñāna karma and tṛṣṇa are the three causes of birth. There are five causes of avidyā. Vipatyaya, ahaṃkāra, sandeha, abhisamplava, aviśeṣa and anupāya and six effects of it; tama, moha, mahāmoha, tāmiśra, avapāta and andhatāmiśra. The system subscribes to the principles of Satkāryavāda.[26]
(20) In the Agnipurāṇa the twentieth sub branch is traced. According to it, Brahma entered Puruṣa and Prakṛti which was followed by an explosion in Mahat and Ahaṃkāra appeared as evolutes. The creation which followed is of three types, vaikārika taijasa and bhūtādi.[27]
Footnotes and references:
[2]:
Bhagavadgīta, X, 12-27.
[3]:
yaddhi sṛṣṭestu saṃkhyātaṃ mayā kālāntarandvijāḥ |
etat kālāntaraṃ jñeyamaharvai pārameśvaram || vāyupurāṇam, pañcamodhyāyaḥ, 1.
[5]:
[6]:
[7]:
Mahābhārata XII 275, 4-7.
[8]:
[9]:
kālasvarūparūpaṃ tad viṣṇormaitreya varttate |
kālasvarūpaṃ tad viṣṇormaitreya parivartate || Viṣṇupurāṇa I.2.27.
[10]:
[11]:
dravyaṃ karma ca kālaśca svabhāvo jīva eva ca |
vāsudevatātparo brahma cānyo'rtho'sti tatvataḥ || Bhāgavatapurāṇa, II.5.14.
[12]:
Mahābhārata XII, 184, 10-18.
[13]:
te naitannābhinandanti pañcaviṃśakamacyutam |
janmamṛtyubhayād bhītā yogāḥ sāṃkhyāśca kāśyapa ||
ṣaḍviṃśamanupaśyantaḥ śucayastatparāyaṇāḥ || Śāntiparva 318. 79.
[14]:
XII, 200-10,13.
[15]:
Mahābhārata XII, 202-9, 10, 15, 23.
[16]:
Mbh.XII, 222-65, 66.
[17]:
Ibid 239, 6-16.
[18]:
[19]:
Śāntiparva , 302–18, 24 -27.
[20]:
Śāntiparva , 238, 17 -21.
[21]:
amatyaitāni ṣaṭ jaghvā kṛcchraṃ sāntapanaṃ caret |
yaticāndrāyaṇaṃ vāpi śeṣeṣūpavasedahaḥ || Manusmṛti, 1.5.20.
[22]:
tathaiva cukrodhanamekaviṃśati prajā vivṛddhayārpitakāryaśāsanam |
purātanānapyaparāṃśca śāśvatāṃstathaiva cānyān sagaṇānavasthitān pitṛvanmanyamānastān putrān prādhyāyata prabhuḥ | pitaro hyupapakṣābhyāṃ
rātryahnorantarāsṛjat | tasmātte pitaro devāḥ putratvantena teṣu tat ||
vāyupurāṇam, 3-4, 9-11.
[23]:
karmendriyāṇāṃ sarveṣāṃ vidyā buddhīndriyaṃ smṛtam |
buddhīndriyāṇāṃ ca tathā viśeṣā iti na śrutam || viṣayāṇāṃ manasteṣāṃ vidyāmāhurmanīṣiṇo |
manasaḥ pañca bhūtāni vidyā ityabhicakṣate || Brahmapurāṇa, 136-45, 132 -82, 136 -84.
[24]:
Mahābhārata XII, 219-12, 34.
[25]:
tasmādanādimadhyāntaṃ vastvekaṃ paramaṃ śivam |
sa īśvaro mahādevastaṃ vijñāya pramucyate || Kūrmapurāṇa, uttarārdham, 10, 12.
[26]:
Buddhacarita, XII, 17 -39.