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Samkhya thoughts in the Mahabharata

by Shini M.V. | 2017 | 51,373 words

This page relates ‘Introduction to Samkhya Darshana� of the study of Samkhya thought and philosophy as reflected in the Shanti-Parva of the Mahabharata. Samkhya represents one of the six orthodox schools of Indian Philosophy and primarily deals with metaphysical knowledge and explains the Universe without the need to introduce God. The Mahabharata is an ancient Sanskrit epic which includes many Sankhya theories while expounding twenty-five principles.

Go directly to: Footnotes.

Introduction to ṃkⲹ Darśana

ṃkⲹ is the oldest of orthodox philosophical systems in Hinduism. ṃkⲹ is a strongly dualistic philosophy, that postulates everything in reality and stems from ʳܰṣa and ʰṛt. There are many living souls and they possess consciousness. Sage Kapila is the founder of the ṃkⲹ system. Āܰ and ʲñś are the commentaries on the ṃkⲹ. Īśvarakṛṣṇa’s ṃkⲹkārika is the earliest authoritative commentary. Metaphysically ṃkⲹ is dualistic realism, in so far as it necessitates assumptions, matter and spirit as the two ultimate realities, independent of each other. One of the distinctive features of the ṃkⲹ is its refusal to accept God as a necessary metaphysical principle. The ṃkⲹ has unfolded an elaborate theory of evolution to explain the fact of change in the universe. The ṃkⲹ is derived from the word �ṃkⲹ�-meaning, number. ṃkⲹ thinkers maintain two ultimate realities ʰṛt and ʳܰṣa. ʰṛt consists of varying levels of three dispositions and categories of qualities. They are Sattva, Rajas and Tamas. Sattva has the function of manifestation. Rajas have the function of activity and Tamas has the function of restraint.

Sattva makes objects obvious to consciousness, Rajas makes the objects move and act while Tamas serves as inactivity, resistance and restraint. Sattva represents knowledge, Rajas represents motion and Tamas represents ignorance and lack of activity. In the ṃkⲹ system ʰṛt is the fundamental element of the changing phenomena of the world. In the process of evolution twenty four principles emerge and they form the basis of the manifold world. ṃkⲹ supposes ʰṛt as the ultimate cause of the universe. It advocates the dualism of ʳܰṣa and ʰṛt, the two eternal realities. Besides ʳܰṣa and ʰṛt there are twenty three other principles produced by ʰṛt. ʰṛt, the first cause of the universe, is one and complex. It is complex because it is constituted of the ṇa everything except ʰṛt which is causative. ʰṛt is the root cause out of which everything else evolves. Twenty five principles are described in ṃkⲹkārikā. ʰṛt is the ūṛt, because it is the cause of the whole universe. It is non -evolute because, it being infinite, comes from nothing else. The seven ʰṛt ṛt are Mahat, ṃk and the five ղԳٰ. They are sound, touch, form, taste and smell. Each evolves from the former and the evolvement of the latter. They are both cause and effects. The five ղԳٰ evolves from the sixteen principles. Manas, the five ղԳٰ-hearing, feeling, seeing, tasting, and smelling, the five organs of actions, their activities-speaking, grasping, and walking, excreting and procreating and the five ʰṇa are mere evolutes. These sixteen principles are only effects. ʳܰṣa being an eternal entity is neither an evolutes nor an evolving because it is not born out of anything else and it doesn’t produce anything else.

ṃkⲹkārikā gives the order of the evolution of the principles thus:-

prakṛtermahāṃstato'haṃkārastasmādgaṇaśca ṣoḍaśaka�
tasmādapi ṣoḍaśakāt pañcabhya� pañca bhūtāni ||
[1]

Mahat evolves out of ʰṛt from Mahat, ṃk evolves from it, the five ղԳٰ (sound, touch, form, taste, smell), from the five ղԳٰ evolve the five Ѳūٲ (space, wind, fire, water, earth). ʰṛt and its effects consist of the three ṇa. They are of a general nature, the objects of knowledge insentient but productive. ʳܰṣa is the opposite of the same. ṃkⲹ as the dualistic system of thought which accepts the reality of ʳܰṣa and ʰṛt. ʳܰṣa the first of the twenty five principles of ṃkⲹ, is proposed as a sentient being against ʰṛt which is insentient. There cannot be creation unless there is a sentient being. ʰṛt is only a medium of ʳܰṣa who is a passive witness of the activities of ʰṛt.

Footnotes and references:

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[1]:

ṃkⲹkārika -22.

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