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MARCH 2014
PRABUDDH JEEVAN
37
THE GLORIOUS DARŠANAS
BY: ATISUKHSHANKAR TRIVEDI
CHAPTER - IV : SĀNKHYA-YOGA
The Sānkhya-Yoga Philosophy: Main Spirit: Just heads:* as the Nyāya-Vaiseșika are allied philosophy, so are
(1) That which is only a cause, the Sankhya and the Yoga, the former mainly specula
(2) That which is both cause and effect, tive, the latter practical. The Sānkhya resolves the Uni
(3) That which is only an effect, and verse into Souls (Puruşa) and the root principle of Matter (Praksti). The world is not created by a Creator, God,
(4) That which is neither cause nor effect. but is the product of the interaction between the infinite Under (1) is put Prakrti or Pradhāna, i.e. the number of Purusas and the ever-active Praksti. Unlike Unmanifested Primordial Matter. Under (2) are put the rigid categories in the atomic pluralism and Real- Mahat (The Great Element, i.e. Buddhi or Consciousism of the Nyāya-Vaiseșika we have here an attemptness), Ahankāra (Egoism i.e., Self-Consciousness), and to interpret things by the concept of Continuity. In or- the five subtle Elements, the Tanmātrāņi. Under (3) are der to acquire Mokşa, a correct knowledge of the Prakrti put the five Gross Elements (Mahābhutani, i.e. Earth, and the Purusa should be acquired. The yoga lays Water, Fire, Air and Ether, the gross elements which stress on the evolution of the self by Yogic practices, arise out of the corresponding 5 Tānmatras), the 5 orMoral and Intellectual disciplines.
gans of sense (the Jnānendriyāņi, the Eye, the Nose, The Sānkhya Literature: The important names of
the Tongue, the Ear, the Skin.), the 5 Organs of Action the teachers of the Sānkhya Phiolosophy were in or
(the Karmendriyāņi, the Voice, the Hands, the Feet, the der of time succession, Kapila, Āsuri, Panca Sikha and
Organ of Generation, and the organ of evacuation), and īśvarakrsna. Kapila was the author of the Sankhya sys
Manas (the Receptive and Discriminative Faculty). tem, but nothing definite can be said about his life and
Under (4) is put Puruşa or Spirit. The Soul is neither works. The Sankhya Pravachana Sūtra and the
the cause nor the effect of anything. Tattvasamāsa are attributed to him, but there is no evi- The 25 Principles are as under :dence to show that these works were composed by Prakrti -
1 Organs of Sense - 5 him. In all probability, he must have lived in the century Mahat -
1 Organs of Action - preceding Buddha. Asuri lived in about 600 B.C. and Ahamkāra - 1 Mahābhūtas - Panchaśikha in the 1st century A.D. The earliest avail- The Tanmātras - 5 Manas - able book on Sānkhya Literature is the Sankhya Kärikā Puruşa -
1 Total
25 of īśvarakrsna of the 3rd century A.D. Gaudapada, Rāja
Praksti and Sankhya Satkaryāvāda :- The Sankhya and Vāchaspati Miśra wrote commentaries on this
Theory of causation is that the effect is not new to the Kārikā. Vāchaspati Misra's Sankhya Tattva Kaumudi
cause, it is simply the development of the latter, it ex(9th Century A.D.) is a popular work of the Sankhya
ists in the latter. All production is development and all doctrines.
destruction is envelopment. For what is non-existent Aniruddha (15th Century A.D.), Mahadeva (16th Cen- cannot be made to exist: the sky-flower cannot be protury A.D.), and Vijnānabhikṣu (16th Century A.D.) are duced. Blue cannot be produced into yellow. Again the other commentators, of whom the last is the most promi- product is in its material the same as the cause out of nent.
which it is produced. The cause and effect therefore The Sānkhya Categories : The Sānkhya mentionsEglugfafaqlahet EU:nafafaqa: 25 elements of Being, classifying them under four chief Syichts falch cha afagfa: 54: 11 far ch 80T-2
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