Indian Philosophy

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

Page 67

LECTURE FOUR
Soul : The Conscious Element
we have already briefly seen as to how regarding the non-conscious world philosophers have considered the matter and established their respective positions. Now regarding soul or the conscious world we have to see as to what order has been adopted by the concerned philosophical specul. ation proceeding forward, as to how many halts have been resorted to in the course of thus making successive progress, and as to how all this is found mentioned in texts.
In conection with soul or consciousness the first place is occupied by the doctrine that consciousness pertains to physical elements. After that comes the doctrine that soul is an independently existing entity. And lastly comes the doctrine that soul is an entity indpendent yet somehow dependent on something else. In the case of each stage traversed by the position in question there have been established various views opposed to each other. Here an attempt will be made to briefly review them all.
The Carvakas Holding that Consciousness Pertains to Physical Elements
So far as discussion regarding soul or consciousness is concerned the oldest stratum of thought is constituted by the doctrine that consciousness pertains to physical elements. In Upanişads, Jaina Agamas and Buddhist Pilakas the doctrine has found mention in the form of a prima facie view. In śvetāsvatara at the time of enquiring about the originating cause of the world physical elements are mentioned in the form of a possible such cause. Even older than this might be considered the reference occurring adāranyaka. There too consciousness of the form of a mass-of-cognition is mentioned as having arisen from physical elements and having been dissolved back in the same; besides, here there also occurs the statement 'na pretva samiña asti'.2 Not only in the Jaina texts is this statement treated as oue upholding the doctrine that conciousness pertains to physical elem. ents, but a staunch Naiyāyika like Jayanta too refers to it as a Cārvāka tenet, In Jaipa Agama there is found mentioned a view to the effect that soul takes its rise from the five physical elements,5 Similarly, in Buddhist Pita
i svetāśvataropanişad 1.2 2 Bfhadāraṇyakopanişad 2.4.12 3 Višeśāvašyakabhaşya, gātha 1553 4 Nyäyamañjari (Vazianagaram Series), p. 472 5 Sutrakstānga 1.1.17-18