Chapter 28.2 - Introduction to the Samkhya school of Philosophy

[Full title: The Six Systems—Orthodox philosophy (1): Samkhya]

Samkhya is believed to be the oldest of the systems of Indian philosophy. Its exponent is said to be the sage Kapila. Some of its doctrines are met with in as early the works as the Upanisads. According to Buddhist sources Kapila is said to have been a Buddhist who was a resident of Kapilavastu, a view diificut to accept since the Buddhists do not believe in God while Kapila did believe in Him. The base word for Samkhya is samkhya, number, from which it is formed, the word used for primary substances, they numbering twenty-four or twenty-five: the five organs of action, (karmendriyas); hands, feet, speech, anus, the organ of procreation; the five organs of perception (jnanendriyas); skin, tongue, eye ear, nose (Manusmrti, 2.90), five objects of organs of perception, form/figure, taste, smell, touch, sound; Prakrti of eight types (Prakrti (Nature, the original source of the material world), Mahat/Buddhi, Ahankara, the five primary elements, earth, water, fire, wind and ether;-these twenty-four together with Isvara, the Supreme Being the twenty-fifth create the world.

Satkarya Glimpses of History of Sanskrit Literature / 419 Principal Doctrines of Samkhya This is the most fundamental and basic doctrine of Sankhya. According to it the effect is invariably present in the cause. With the help of the cause the effect which is unmanifest becomes manifest. It is impossible that something which just does not exist in some thing can come out of it; oil cannot come out of sand nor can milk from water, because sand and water do not have oil and milk in them. Oil in sesame seeds or mustard is already present, though not visible, so is yoghurt in milk though again not visible. It is through the action of the doer, karty, that it appears and becomes visible. The Satkaryavada of Samkhya is also known by the alternate name of Parinamavada. Prakrti Samkhya believes in dualism. There are two basic elements in its view, Prakrti and Purusa, Prakrti has been explained above. Purusa is the soul which is neither produced nor is productive; it is passive, though conscious, a mere looker-on. Through the contact between Purusa and Prakrti comes into being the world. Purusa notices the changes in Prakrti like a dumb, peaceful witness. It is eternal, with no beginning, and no end. It transcends the bounds of time and space. Like Brahman or Atman of the Upanisads it is not all bliss. It is beyond it. It is beyond happiness and sorrow, nor is it indifferent. Happiness, sorrow, indifference all these are attributes of Prakrti. Purusa is pure consciousness. There are numerous Purusas, according to Samkhya. As many beings, as many Purusas. Manyness, Anekavada is one of the basic principles of Sankhya. Gunas According to Samkhya Prakrti has three ingredients or constituents, Sattva, Rajas and Tamas which are the cause of

activity in creatures. Sattva provides happiness, Rajas causes indifference and Tamas unhappiness. All of these are contradictory yet they unite and lead to the coming into being of the Creation. It is possible that there may be predominance of one over the other two but there is never the absence of any one. The difference in the presence of them is in the degree. Salvation (Kaivalya) All types of sorrow; the material, the spiritual and the one caused by fate (adhibhautika, adhyatmika, adhidaivika) come to an end with the attainment of salvation. Vivekakhyati, realization of the tue nature of Prakrti and Purusa-the difference between them, is called Apavarga-moksa in the Samhitya system. Ishvara There are two views about Isvara in Samkhya, one that accepts and the other that does not accept Him. Vijnanabhiksu follows the first. According to him without Him, Isvara, it is not possible for any object to come into being. Even if He were not to be accepted as the creator of the world, His existence will have to be accepted as the one who arranges everything, who regulates the evolution of Prakrti and imparts a system to it. According to the other view with the effect inhering in the cause there is no need to postulate Isvara for the creation of the universe. Moreover, Ishvara is unchangeable. How can then He be the cause of the coming into being of the creation, for, the effect (karya) is the changed form of the cause (karana). Further, the existence of Isvara cannot be proved logically. Samkhya Literature The Sutras of Kapila form the primary work of Sankhya. The other basic text of it is the Samkhyakarika of Isvarakrsna of circa 200 A.D. which gained such popularity that it came to be known even outside India. Paramartha, rendered it in Chinese. It itself became over a period of time an object of commentaries.

Mathara wrote a commentary, Matharavrtti, on it, so did Gaudapada the commentary the Samkhyakarikabhasya and Vacaspatimisra the Samkhyatattvakaumudi.