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Reals in the Jaina Metaphysics
PRAKRTI, AS AN OMNISCIENT PRINCIPLE
According to the author of the Samkhya, this Prakşti is unconscious. But though unconscious, it is what evolves the universe. There is thus some similarity between this rraksti and the Unconscious of the present day volunPraksti and tarist school.
“According to V. Hartmann......... the Unconscious is the absolute principle active in all things, the force which is operative in the inorganic, organic and mental alike. .... The Unconscious exists independently of space, time and individual existence, timeless before the being of the world”. “Unconscious” in Dictionary Of Philosophy And
Psychology Some, however, of the Sāṁkhya philosophers thought that there was nothing inconsistent if the cosmic principle of the Prakrti were considered as omniscient. They held that the Prakrti was the creator of the world and as such,
was necessarily all-knowing.' It is to be noticed also that according to the Sārkhya, there are the conscious Souls or Purusa's, besides the Praksti. These Souls also are beginningless. It may be said that although the Prakrti is essentially unconscious, there would be a sort of transferred or reflected consciousness in it, owing to its proximity to the conscious Puruşa's. Its
elements of Earth etc. intelligence, self-consciousness etc. are not found in their separate state in the time of the Pralaya or cosmic involution; at that time their Vibhāga or independent existences are not perceived. Something, in which these remain in a subtle state at that time of involution must be admitted as existent and as one. This something is the Prakrti otherwise called the Pradhäna. It is in this Praksti that the Vaišvarūpya or the explicit universe enters and remains in an implicit state at the time of Pralaya. At the time of creation, it is from this Pradhāna that the reals e.g. intelligence, selfconsciousness etc. emerge and account for the world-phenomena. Prakrti is thus the creator of the world.
- निखिल जगत्कर्तृत्त्वाच्चास्या एवाशेषज्ञत्त्वमस्तुप्रकृतेः सर्वज्ञत्वं जगत्कर्तृवं चेति शङ्काप्रकरणे
(#444mhlius:)
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