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Samkhya elements in the Bhagavata-purana

by Jumli Nath | 2017 | 62,959 words

This page relates ‘Plurality of Purusha� of the English study dealing with the treatment of Samkhya elements in the Bhavata-Purana. The Puranas are a vast reservoir of Indian religious and cultural wisdom. Sankhya refers to one of the oldest and the authentic system of Indian philosophy ascribed to sage Kapila. This analytical study delves into the reflection of Samkhya philosophy within the Bhagavatapurana by researching original texts, translations, commentaries and scholarly articles.

Go directly to: Footnotes.

According to ṃkⲹ philosophy, ʳܰṣa is not one, there is the multiplicity of ʳܰṣas and all of them are infinite, unchangeable, all pervasive and eternal. It admits ʳܰṣa as different in each body, having their different organs and actions and separate birth and death. Except the Advaita Vedanta, all other darśaṇas believe in the plurality of selves.

Īśvarakṛṣṇa, in his ṃkⲹkārikā states about the plurality of Self (ʳܰṣa). The plurality of Self follows from the distributive nature of the incidence of birth and death and of the endowment of the instruments of cognition, action etc.[1]

Vācaspati Miśra supports that the birth of ʳܰṣa consists in its connection with a new set of body, sense organs, mind etc., formed of a composite particular nature. It does not mean modification, since it is essentially unchangeable. In the same way also death consists of the giving up the body and the rest. It cannot mean destruction as ʳܰṣa is unchangeable and eternal. The sense organs are thirteen, beginning with the great principle. The definite adjustment of their body etc., is connected with only one ʳܰṣa. If the ʳܰṣa were one and the same in all body, then on the birth of one all would be born and on the death of one, all would die.[2] Ҳḍa岹 remarks if there were one soul, then when one were born, all would be born, when one will die, all would die, if there is any defect in the vital insturments of one, such as deafness, blindness, dumbness mutilation, or lameness, then all would be blind, deaf, dumb but this is not seen and therefore multiplicity of soul is demonstrated.[3]

Anima Sengupta states that we can not say that there is one spirit only and that this one spirit appeals as many due to the imposition of different ܱ󾱲 on it. In the case of space, limited by a chair, the chair can be removed and the portion of space can be saved from limitation by such a removal of its ܱ. Even then there is the possibility of that this same portions of space may, again, be limited by the imposition of some other thing on it. So if one spirit is recognized, bondage and liberation, limitation and freedom will become absured and meaningless.[4]

The next argument is in support of plurality of selves is related to the activity of the selves. Though activity is a function of the internal organs, yet it is here attributed to the spirit. Hence, it is argued that if the self were one, the activity of man would lead to the same activity in all other men.[5]

Again, the ṃkⲹ argues that the self must be many because there is diversity due to the three attributes. Some persons have the abundance of sattva e.g., the gods. Others again abound in the rajas, e.g., human beings and some others again have tamas in abundance, e.g., animals. This diversity due to the distribution of the ṇa in various entities could not be explained if the spirit were one and the same in all.[6] So the ʳܰṣa is not one, but many. Hence, different arguments are advocated by ṃkⲹ to show the plurality of ʳܰṣa.

Footnotes and references:

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[1]:

jananamaraṇanakaraṅānā� pratiniyamādyugapatpravṛteśca/
puruṣabahutva� � traiguṇyaviparyayāccaiva// ṃkⲹkārikā , 18

[2]:

tesā� janmamarṇakaraṇānā� pratiniyamo ⲹٳ…………�.. mriyamāṇe ca mriyeran. ṃkⲹtattva-첹ܻܳī on Ibid.

[3]:

janma ca ṇa� ca 첹ṇān ca janmamaraṇa첹ṇān teṣāṃ prati niyamāt pratyekaniyamādityartha�. yadyeka� eva ٳ syāttat ekasya janmani sarva eva jāyeran ekasy maraṇe sarve’pi mriyeran ekasya karaṇavaikalpe bādhiyārndhatvamūkatvakuṇatvakhaṃja tvalakṣaṇe sarve’pi bādhirāndhakuṇikhaṃjā� syurna caiva bhavati tasmājjanmamaraṇakaraṇāṃ pratiniyamāt puruṣabahutva� / Ҳḍa岹bhāṣya on Ibid.

[4]:

Sengupta, Dr Anima, Classical ṃkⲹ: A Critical Study, p. 86

[5]:

tathā ca tasminnekatra śarīre prayatamāne……�.śarīrāṇi yugapaccālayet/ ṃkⲹtattva-첹ܻܳī on ṃkⲹkārikā , 18

[6]:

kecitkhalu sattvnikāyā� sattvavahulā�, yathordhvasrotasaḥ……�. ܰṣa� syāt, puruṣabhede tvayamadoṣa iti/ Ibid.

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