Sambodhi 1976 Vol 05

Author(s): Dalsukh Malvania, H C Bhayani
Publisher: L D Indology Ahmedabad

Page 32

Subtle Bodies Postulated in the Classical Sankhya System 31 Magnitude of Ling Sarira
SPS 3 14 lays down that Lins is atomic in magnitude since there is a scripture about its possessing activity (tat-kļ11-ruteh) Tho reference is, according to VB, to Taittiriya Upanisad 2 5 which says "vijnana directs the sacrifice and also the deedy' VB understands vijnana as buddhi which, he adds, represents the Lins, accordingly he concludes that action is attributed to the Lins in that scripture. And, since action implies motion, the Lins as a substratum of motion-cannot be all-pervading It cannot have a medlum dimension elther, being comparatively eternal, unlike medium-sized entities The only alternative, then, is to accept the Linš as being atomic in size [After explaining tat-kyti-śruteh in the above manner, VB annotates that the reason should rather have been tad-gati-śruteh . 'because there is a scripture about its moving', viz., Brhad Āranyaka Upanışad 4 4.2 savijnano bhavatı savijnanam eva anu-ayahramari VB explains this passage as implying that. Hc (-the soul-) 18 born in conjuction with the buddhl and ho also migrates along with the buddhi (which represents the Lin$13,1
SPS 3.15 presents a further reason for postulating the atomic dimulision of the Linś tad-annamayatva-śruteh VB explains A constituent of the Lins, the mind, is said to be composed of 'food' in Chandogy& Upanisad 6,5.4 ( annamayam hisomya manah. ). This indicates that the Lins 18 not cternal. It cannot, therefore, be all-pervading in dimensions; it must be atomic. Constituents of the Linga Sarira :
It has been mentioned carlier that buddhi (also called mahai-fornis the main constitucnt of the Lins Its other constituents, according to Sankhya doctrine, are ahankara (=self-awareness, the mind, the ten external organs and the five tanmatra-s in all, eighteen entities, la
On this point, however, VB dilters from inost other exponents of Sankhya Connenting on SPS 39 (: saptadalaikam lingam), he says . "Here the seventeen jointly forin the Lins; and this, at the beginning of creation, is but one in the form of an aggregate (Just as the forost 19 one aggregate of many trees]; such 18 the meaning."!(Among these seventeen, VB enumerates the same entities as thoso given by VxCM, with the exception of ahankara it being regarded that this 19 included under the term buddhi.) VB insists that saptadalaikam should not be understood as linply. ing 'scyentran and one (: totalling eighteen). His argument is that ekam 1s here meant to convey the unitary nature, at the beginning of creation of the Lins which then serves as an adjunct of Hiranyagarbha-as against the divisions of that unitary Lms into adjuncts of individual souls, since a variety of experience is required for these different individuals ga account of the variety of their dosorts,10