Samkhya thoughts in the Mahabharata
by Shini M.V. | 2017 | 51,373 words
This page relates ‘Various attitudes of the Atman’ 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.
Various attitudes of the Ātman
The title of the cosmic level of the soul is Ātman, the first principle of the universe. The Ātman has three entities. (1) The material self, Matter. (2) The individual soul free from the body which as knowing subject is contrasted with and distinct from the object, the spirit. (3) The supreme soul in which the subject and the object are no longer distinguished from one another. They are called cosmic spirit and the ultimate soul in metaphysics.
This idea of the self within the body, free from body and the supreme soul has been beautifully brought out by Vyāsa in the Śāntiparva , of Mahābhārata First he shows the position of the self in the body, which is enveloped by sixteen qualities, namely five organs, five objects of sense, nature, movement, mind, breath, respiration and the individual soul. The seventeenth one is the ultimate soul. The un-decaying, unchanging life element though imperceptible in the material body which is perishable. This supreme spirit pervades the entire universe. It is within all the beings.[1]
The Mahābhārata discusses the relation of the body with the Ātman as Kṣetrajña thought. The Śāntiparva explains Kṣetrajña as the self illuminating element which resides in the hearts of all the beings.[2]
In the Aśvamedhika parva a wife of a Brāhmin asks him,
“How is it possible that the soul within the body, who is called Kṣetrajña, is said to be form of the Brahman? Since the soul is under the control of the Brahman, how can it be called as the form of the Brahman.”
The Brāhmin then explains to her that though the individual soul is within a body, it is devoid of any relation with the body. Hence there is no reason why it should have any form or quality. To understand it, there is only one way, that is to abandon the efforts to perceive it as the Kṣetrajña is imperishable.[3]
The third aspect of the Ātman is its supremacy. This is the soul, which is not confined to any part of the body, but it is the one which is infinite, pervading the entire space. It is present in all the beings and objects of the cosmos. It has been described in the Upaniṣads.
The Bṛhadāraṇyakopaniṣad expresses;
“There is nothing beside it and outside it.[4] The Mahābhārata specified that this great soul is not perceptible to eyes or any other senses. It can be perceived illuminated only by the lamp of pure mind, in the intellect. Though it is beyond the senses and devoid of touch, form, smell etc. still it stays within the body and when the soul perceives it in all the beings and objects of the world and experiences identity with all the objects in the world, he attains that immutable element.[5]
In the same Parvan elsewhere, it is stated that the great soul is incognisable by senses. Sense is very minute, but just because it is not visible, it cannot be said that there is no soul. The Ātman being omniscient and all perceiver, he recognizes the senses but senses cannot recognize the self, though it is the one which gives movement to all the senses.
The Śāntiparva discusses what Manu describes the ultimate soul is. Manu says that the element from which this whole world has emanated, its nature cannot be observed even from the Vedic hymns. It is neither female nor male, nor is it impartial. It is not being or a non-being. It is imperishable and hence, that indestructible supreme soul is called imperishable. The imperishable nature of the Brahman has been aptly brought out in this Parva when Manu says this imperishable element is devoid of different flavours and smell. It is empty of sound, touch and form, it is indistinct, second to none, and it cannot be understood by mind, intellect or speech. This unmanifest is devoid of form and colour. Still it has created a world full of form; flavour etc.
The Śāntiparva of Mahābhārata uses a different simile to depict the different characteristics of the Ātman and the relation of the Body with the Soul. When it says,
“The Soul enters new bodies leaving old bodies like a man entering a new house.[6]
Thus the relation of the body with the embodied soul has been brought out beautifully by relating them to everyday experiences of people.
Footnotes and references:
[1]:
Śāntiparva , 231, 14-22.
[2]:
devo yaḥ saṃśritastasminnabbinduriva puṣkare |
kṣetrajñaṃ taṃ vijānīyānnityaṃ yogajitātmakam || Śāntiparva , 241-18.
[3]:
Aśvamedhikaparva, 34, 4-6.
[4]:
na tu taddvitīyamasti tato'nyadvibhaktaṃ yatpaśyet | Bṛhadāraṇyakopaniṣad IV, 3-23.
[5]:
Śāntiparva , 231