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OUTLINES OF SANKHYA :
As already noted before, Sankhya is considered to be the earliest attempt at systematic philosophy in India. Richard Garbe, the foreign scholar, who has specialized in Sankhya system observes that Sankhya is the most significant system of philosophy that India has produced. It does not believe in the existence of any entity such as God as the creator and sustainer of this universe and explains the mechanism of cosmos as automatic. It belongs to the Shraman tradition. This was the earlier position of Sankhya as propounded by the saint Kapila of over 6th century B.C. If we can estimate the period of Mahabharata we can be sure of its existence in some period before that because Gita makes profuse references not only to its basic principles of Purush and Prakriti as well as three Gunas, but it also refers to its working mechanism in life. Gita also refers to sage Kapila who was the
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