History of Indian Philosophy

SR No.: 007593
Original Sutra Author: N/A
Author: Surendranath Dasgupta
Publisher: Cambridge University Press
Publication Year: 1922
Total Pages: 2517
Language: English
Classification: Book_English
File Size: 125 MB

Page 1699

510 Philosophical Speculations of Selected Purāṇas (ch. puruṣāt-makam). From this came into existence mahat, also called ātman, mati, brahmā, prabuddhi, khyāti, išvara, prajñā, dhyti, smrti, samvit. From this mahat came out the threefold ahamkāravaikārika, taijasa and bhūtādi (also called tāmasa ahamkāra). This ahamkāra is also called abhimāna, kartā, mantā, and ātman, for all our efforts spring from this.
It is said that there is a sort of cosmic mind called manas which springs directly from the avyakta and is regarded as the first product which superintends the evolution of the tāmasa ahamkāra into its products. This manas is to be distinguished from the manas or the sense which is the product of both the taijasa and vaikārika ahamkāra.
Two kinds of views regarding the evolution, the tanmātras and the bhūtas, are given here in succession, which shows that the Kūrma Purāņa must have been revised; and the second view, which is not compatible with the first, was incorporated at a later stage. These two views are as follows:
(1) Bhūtādi has, in its development, created the sabda-mātra. from which sprang into existence the ākāśa, which has sound as its quality. The sparsa-mātra was created from the ākāśa, developing itself; and from the sparsa-tanmätra came out vāyu, which, consequently has sparsa as its quality. Vāyu, in the state of development, created the rūpa-mātra from which came into existence jyoti (light-heat), which has colour (rūpa) as its quality. From this jyoti, in the condition of development, sprang up rasa-mātra (tastepotential), which created water, which has taste for its quality. The water, in the state of development, created the smell-potential (gandha-mātra), from which came into existence the conglomeration, which has smell as its quality.
(2) Akāśa as the sound-potential covered up the touchpotential, and from this sprang up vāyu, which has therefore two qualities—the sound and touch. Both the qualities, sabda and sparśa, entered the colour-potential, whence sprang up the vahni (fire), with three qualities—the sabda, the sparsa, and the rūpa. These qualities, viz. sabda, sparsa and rūpa, entered the tastepotential, whence came into existence water having four qualities
manas tv (vyakta-jam pro'ktum vikāraḥ prathamah smrtaḥ yenă sau jāyate kartā bhütă-dimś că'nupaśyati.
Kūrma Purāna, +. 21.