________________
544
ALBRECHT WEZLER
ORIGIN(S) OF THE GUNA-THEORY
545
This would explain why FRAUWALLNER does not at all refer to it, and it is indeed almost impossible to disagree with him especially as verse 17 interrupts the flow of the exposition of the functions of the various sense organs: There is indeed great likelihood that this verse is a later addition and is based on a central element of the evolution theory of "classical Samkhya”.
Yet this very short excursion into the Critical Edition of the Moksadharma, which was not available when FRAUWALLNER wrote his "Untersuchungen zum Mokşadharma", nor even when he published his "Geschichte der indischen Philosophie" - is nevertheless fully suited to remind us of the - I think: urgent - necessity to critically examine FRAUWALLNER's analysis of the Samkhya material on the basis of the new edition, and, of course, not only with regard to the many and highly intricate text-critical problems. For a statement like this, "we should not hence, without further ado, rely on the wording of individual verses, but we have to try to cautiously explain the individual elements in the teaching of the passage as a whole, if possible constantly comparing it with related doctrines",' sounds methodically sensible and almost natural, but is, at least potentially, also dangerous: An interpreter following this principle runs the risk of projecting onto the text an idea he happens to have formed of the meaning of the whole and of brushing aside everything that does not accord with it.
The development of the evolution theory - which FRAUWALLNER emphasizes "is intrinsically connected with a number of ideas which must therefore necessarily have the same origin", viz. the idea of primary matter (prakrti), the doctrine of the three qualities (guna) of primary matter and the doctrine of the 25 entities - is regarded by him as the creation of one of the most important thinkers the school of Samkhya has brought
forth. This individual was as a Brahmin conversant with the thoughts of the times of the Upanişads", stood in the tradition of the basic form of Samkhya found in the epic," ("epische Grundform des Sāmkhya") and he had also a "model" ("Vorbild”), i.e. "The Question of Suka' or at least a similar doctrine and was open to "suggestions"? i.e. had learnt from "The Instruction of Svetaketu" how to solve the problem, i.e. how to explain the fact that "the whole manifoldness of the phenomenal world springs out of the primary matter which he had "assumed - as a novel and bold idea - as the starting point of the series of evolutes and as the source of the world".
Quite clearly, FRAUWALLNER identified certain older texts, or parts of texts, as "connected with the evolution theory, i.e. as having played a role in the mental process of developing it, because of certain doctrinal agreements and similarities. In addition, however, what he again tacitly bases his reconstruction of this "basic transformation on is, apart from the simple fact of the existence of these texts or parts of texts, i.e. the contingency of their transmission, the possibility of explaining the creation of the evolution theory together with its various integral parts as being "modelled after", "suggested by", i.e. as being ultimately doctrinally indebted to them in a particular manner. And the picture FRAUWALLNER draws is most colourful, highly impressive, likely to make everybody nod approvingly, and the process which unfolds itself before the eyes of the readers does not lack a dramatic element - after all we are invited to take part in the thinking process of persons not at all afraid of "consistency or
18 He also ignores it in his translation (FRAUWALLNER 1992). 19 Its original position is a problem, too, see critical app on 12.187.10. 20 The various parts of the Säntiparvan were published between 1954 and 1966, 21 "Wir dürfen also nicht ohne weiteres auf den Wortlaut einzelner Verse bauen, sondem
müssen vorsichtig aus der Lehre des ganzen Stückes die einzelnen Teile zu erklären versuchen, womöglich unter beständiger Vergleichung verwandter Lehren."
(FRAUWALLNER 1925: 183) 22 "Mit der Evolutionslehre sind eine Anzahl von Vorstellungen verknüpft, die innerlich
mit ihr zusammenhangen und die daher notwendig den gleichen Ursprung haben müssen" (FRAUWALLNER 1953: 300).
23 "... dass wir in dem Schöpfer der Evolutionslehre einen der bedeutendsten Denker zu
sehen haben, welche die Sämkhya-Schule hervorgebracht hat" (FRAUWALLNER 1953:
300) 24 Ibidem, 305; see above n. 6. 25 Ibidem, 303 26 FRAUWALLNER 1953: 303. 27 "...Und gab ihm die Anregung." FRAUWALLNER 1953: 305. 28 Ibidem, 305; see above n. 6. 29 "und so kam er auf den neuartigen und kühnen Gedanken, als Ausgangspunkt der
Evolutionsreihe und des Ursprungs der Welt cine Urmaterie anzunehmen..."
(FRAUWALLNER 1953: 304) 30 FRAUWALLNER 1953: 299, see above n. 4.