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IV. RELIGION AND PHILOSOPHY
Religion according to Indian belief comes within the 'Dharma', the first value of life, while philosophy covers the field of 'Artha' and 'Kāma'. Dharma is a synonymy of piety or duty (Karttavya) in Sanskrit literature and forms the mainstay of Hindu society. Philosophy derived from the Greek term 'Philine Sophia' or 'love of wisdom' covers the fields of moral and material gains, desires and achievements. Religion and Philosophy i.e., Dharma and Darśana or duty and visual perception are the two terms interrelated in life without whose mutual co-operation the train of life becomes impossible to trail along. Dharma in reality comes within the fold of Darśana in so far as it is darśanas or visual perception that leads to action or duty. According to Kautilya -
Philosophy is ever thought of as the lamp of all sciences as the means of all actions (and) as the support of all laws (and duties).'
'Samkhya, Yoga and Lokayata' these constitute philosophy. Investigating by means of reasoning, (what is) spiritual good and evil in the Vedic lore, material gain and loss in economics, good policy and bad policy in the science of politics, as well as the relative strength and weakness of these (three sciences); philosophy confers benefit on the people, keeps the mind steady in adversity and in prosperity and brings about proficiency in thought, speech and action."2
'Samkhya according to Bhagavaddatta is nothing but science. 'Samkhya conception of matter and its exposition, constitutes the Vedic knowledge. The English word Science descends from the Latin word Scientia, which again is only a corrupt form of the Sanskrit word 'Samkhya. It is, however, strange how the last two letters (ce se or ka) of the English form of the word have partly preserved in 'khya' sound of the Sanskrit original.3
Hence philosophy forms a constituent of science ('sāmkhya), practical application (Yoga) and visual perception (Lokayata). The power of reasoning is the basic element of samkhya, yoga and Nyaya which form the
1. प्रदीपः सर्वविद्यानामुपायः सर्वकर्मणाम् । 3:
KAŚ I 2. 12. part I p. 4, part II p. 7.
2. साख्यं योगो लोकायतं चेत्यानवीक्षिकी धर्माधर्माव्ययामर्थानर्थौ वात्रीयां नयापनयौ दण्डनीत्या बलाबले चैतासां हेतुभिर्वीक्षमाणा लोकस्योपकरोति व्यसमेभ्युदये च बुद्धिर्व्यस्थापयति प्रज्ञावाक्यक्रिया वैशारद्यं च करोति । Ibid. I. 2. 10. 11 part I p. part II p. 7.
3. The story of Creation Chapter I p. 1.
