Jaina Philosophy Historical Outline

SR No.: 006569
Original Sutra Author: N/A
Author: Narendra Nath Bhattacharya
Publisher: Munshiram Manoharlal Publisher's Pvt Ltd New Delhi
Publication Year: 1976
Total Pages: 242
Language: English
Classification: Book_English
File Size: 15 MB

Page 203

182 Jain Philosophy in Historical Outline
Garbe seems to be perfectly right when he says that "the origin of the Samkhya system appears in the proper light only when we understand that in those regions of India which were little influenced by Brahmanism the first attempt had been made to explain the riddles of the world and of our existence merely by means of reason. For the Sāmkhya philosophy is in its essence, not only atheistic but also inimical to Veda. All appeal to Sruti in the Sāņkhya texts lying
efore us are subsequent additions. We may altogether remove the Vedic elements grafted upon the system, and it will not in the least be affected thereby. The Sāņkhya philosophy had been originally, and has remained up to the present day, in its real contents, unVedic and independent of Brahmanical tradition."1
Essentially the non-Vedic Sâmkhya is the doctrine of the Pradhāna or Prakrti (Female Principle), but within it has a place for the Puruşa (Male Principle), and the place is highly anomalous. Praksti is the chief principle and all in all, Puruşa is subordinate, inactive and nothing but a passive spectator. We have already traced the origin of the anomalous position of Puruşa to the anomalous position of the males in the primitive matriarchal societies.? Prakrti is the premordial matter, conceived as the Female Principle from which everything of the world is produced, Praksti is characterised by the equilibrium of the three qualities of sattva, rajas and tamas. The first quality gives rise to happiness and love, tranquility and modesty, health and lightness of body, patience and forgiveness, courage, magnanimity, self restraint and illumination of knowledge; the second to wrath, greed, egotism, worldly activity and boastfulness; and the third to drowsiness, sloth, stupidity, ignorance and carelessness. Puruşa is characterised by passivity and indifference, but somehow comes to be influenced by the three qualities of Praksti. It is only by the cooperation of the “blind Prakrti and lame Purusa" that the creation starts out. The whole of the cosmos exists in a subtle (sukşma) form in Prakrti and becomes manifest in creation. It is impossible for an entity to come into existence out of non-entity.3
When the equilibrium of Prakrti is 'disturbed' through the presence of Puruşa, then from the former is developed Mahân or Buddhi, the thinking substance. Out of Mahān emerges the principle of egoity
1Garbe, ACOPVMCSS, XX-XXI. *See Part II, Sec. p. 2; Bhattacharyya, IMG, pp. 92-94; HICI, pp. 50 ff. "SPS, V, 52 ff.