Indian Philosophy

Author(s): Sukhlal Sanghavi
Publisher: L D Indology Ahmedabad

Page 26

Philosophy - Origin and Subject-matter
to Almost similar is the case as regards the element called God. At some stage God was posited in the form of an independent individual and one bringing about world-creation and world-destruction. It began to be thought that if God be no world-creator and world-preserver then neither would the world be created nor would its ordered functioning become possible. Really speaking, such a concept of God was a physicalist concept inasmuch as God was here described as a thousand-headed one and the like18 while subsequently the logicians attributed to Him even a body made up of atoms. 19 But gradually the concept of God also began to assume another shape. According to it, even if eternally an independent individual God is considered to be exclusively an object of worship.20 The element God posited in the Yoga-tradition is not originally conceived as a world-creator and world-presever but a purely ideal object of worship who inspires the spiritual realizers to undertake endeavour on their own - He thus having been rendered devoid of all physicality. This might be called the ideal-positing concept (=adhi-ādarsavāda) pertaining to God. However, the philosophers did not rest content merely with that. For taking a further step they proclaimed that just like a soul God too is something adventitious. On this view, the ultimately real original element is single impartite and one comprising existence, consciousness and bliss, but just as the adventitious element nescience ( zavidya) causes an apparent multiplicity of souls the adventitious element illusion ( --mäyä) causes an independent existence of God. He having no real independent existence.
Viewing thus one learns that philosophers have definitely made progress by bestowing ever deeper thought on the three concepts world, soul and God.
18 Sahasrašīrşā puruṣaḥ sahasrākṣaḥ sahasra pāt / Sa bhūmim visvato vștvā'atyatişthad daśangulam ||
-Rgveda 10.90.1 19 Sākṣād adhişthātari sådhye paramānvādinām sariratvaprasanga iti -kim idam sariratyam yat prasajyate ? Yadi sākṣāt prayatnavadadhiştheya tvam tad isyata eva.
-Vrtti on Nyāyakusumāñjali, Fifth Stabaka, kärikā 2, p. 45 (Chaukhamba, 1912) 20 Klesakarmavipäkāśayair aparāmộstaḥ puruşavišesa iśvarah. Tatra niratišayam sarvajñabijam.
-Yogasūtra 1. 24-25 For a detailed discussion see 'Origin and Development of the Sankhya System of Thought' by Pulinbihari Chakravarti, Calcutta, 1952, pp. 28–9, 65-9.