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Jainism and Sāňkhya
- Nagin J. Shah
1. The Sānkhya and the Jaina, along with the Yoga and the Bauddha philosophies seem to represent the different branches of the main thoughtcurrent of Non-Aryans of India that was prevalent before the advent of the Vedic Aryans. This thought-current went underground in the days of the Vedas but afterwards having gathered strength it seems to have asserted itself and influenced the Upanişads and Dharmaśāstras. That the Sānkhya (-Yoga), Jaina and Bauddha philosophies belong to one tradition is suggested by the fact that Mahāvīra, the 24th Jaina tīrthankar, was a sānkhyācarya ub his previous birth and that Buddha had become Acārva of Alāra Kālāma and Rudraka Rāmaputra who were sānkhyācāryas. In this context the declaration of Āc. Sankara that the Sānkhya is a Vedaviruddha tantra- assumes new meaning and magnitude. Even Bädarāyana declares the heterodox character of Sānkhya (Br. Sū. 1.1.5). This has prompted me to bring out the points of similarities between the Jain and the Sānkhya philosophies.
2. The Jaina and the Sānkhya maintain clear-cut dualism. Jaina theoreticians hold that jīva and ajīva are two radically different elements. Similarly, the Sānkhyas contend that purusa and praksti are two ultimate reals. Under the head of ajīva the Jainas count dharma, adharma, pudgala, äkāśa, and kāla.* These are considered to the independent substances. Under the head of prakrti the Sankhyas count mahat, ahaṁkāra, tanmātra and bhūta. These are regarded as the evolutes of prakrti. Scholars are of the opinion that dharma and adharma come very near to rajas and tamas. It is so because like rajas dharma causes motion and like tamas adharma causes inertia or rest. And pudgala roughly corresponds to prakrit. Both are Matter.
* It is noteworthy that dharma, adharma, ākāśa and kāla are lately recognised independent substances
and counted under ajīva. But in olden days by ajīva was meant pudgala only. 94
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