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PRABUDDH JEEVAN
MARCH 2014
are not new to each other, and the effect is not non- stituents of a lamp: the flame, the oil and the wick reexistent or newly created.*
spectively. The guņas have a common purpose like a Now since all effects are latent in their causes, un
lamp. They are all the very substance of Prakrti and all less we are to have an infinite regress, we must admit
things are evolved due to the predominence of the difthe existence of an uncaused cause. That is Praksti. It
ferent Guņas. The evolution of the world, according to is the Unmanifested Primordial world-element. It must the Sankhya, is from Prakrti or Perfect Homogenity to be assumed to exist; because individual things are lim
the heterogenous existences due to the union of the ited and as such are dependent on something exter- Guņas in different proportions. nal. They possess certain pervasive characteristics in As to why the sum-total of the Guņas should be discommon. Therefore there must be a common source turbed, no explanation is offered. It is taken for granted of their production. Further the unity of the Universe that there is blind purpose in the Prakriti whereby its implies a single principle behind it. This is Prakrti. It is transformations take place to serve the purposes of also called the Pradhāna or the Chief Existence, for all the Puruşa. When the actions of the Puruşas require effects depend on it. It is one, all-pervading and eter- that there should be a temporary cessation of experinal. It is imperceptible. But that does not affect its Real- ence, the world returns to the quiescent state (the ity, for many things which are not perceptible are ac- Pralaya) of Prakrti. cepted as real. It is not to be identified with Matter. For Purusa : He is a Conscious subject, the Spirit, the it is the source of all objective existence; it gives rise to existence of which is proved in the Sankhya Kārikā by psychical as well as material elements. It is the symbol a number of arguments. *(1) The aggregate of Nature of all Becomning and Change in the Universe. In its must exist for the sake of something. (2) There must fullness the Real is distinguished into Puruşa or the be a subject to experience the three Guņas (3) There Unchanging Subject and Prakrti or the changing ob- must be a presiding power to co-ordinate all experiject.
ences. (4) Prakrti is non-intelligent; so something intelThe Guņas : Prakrti and Evolution: The unevolved ligent must exist. (5) The evolution of Prakrti proceeds Prakrti is in a state of equilibrium constituted by the mu- for the emancipation of something: there is a striving tual opposition of 3 Guņas, or the 3 constituent factors after liberation, and so the reality of one that can effect : the Sattva, Rajas and Tamas.** The Sattva is Intelli- the escape must be assumed. gence-stuff, the Rajas is energy-stuff, and Tamas is Further, Spirits are many; for experience show us Mass-stuff. Sattva produces goodness, Rajas-activity separate truths, separate organs, different actions. and Tamas Ignorant indifference. These three guņas Nature is one and the same to all; so Spirits must be are never separate; they are interrelated. The Sānkhya the reverse of nature, many. Praksti is object, Purusa Kārikā compares them in a homely simile to the con- subject; the former unconscious, the latter conscious;
the former is a cause, the latter produces nothing, it is
without participation in any activity. The empirical con*The कारिका says
junction of Prakrti and Puruşa is like the union of a blind असदकरणादुपादानग्रहणात् सर्वसंभवाभावात् शक्तस्य शक्तकरणात् कारणभावाच्च सत्कार्यमं ।।९।।
man with a lame man. ($ C)** And yet it should be The effect exists (before the cause causes), because
noted that the analogy is false; for the two man are (1) Nothing can come from nothing; (2) from taking an * Hautefrana faruffaufersfeld adequate material, e.g., one who wants curds will take
goats H aldhafuata 11 (86 cm.) milk; (3) there is an adequate instrument for an adequate effect, e.g., the potter uses his implements for
** जननमरणकरणानां प्रतिनियमादयुगपत् प्रवृत्तेश्च । a pot, not for cloth; (4) from the nature of the cause 45966 fra trefarfeda 11 (18C11) itself, i.e., of same nature is the cause with the effect.
There are many you because (1) births and instru** सत्त्वं लघु प्रकाशकमिष्टमुपष्टभ्भकं चलं च रजः ।
ments of life are allotted sepesrately. (2) occupations saya 74: 441470lefa afr: 11(& JT.)
are 314 14 (3) qualities affect variously.
