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Samkhya elements in the Bhagavata-purana

by Jumli Nath | 2017 | 62,959 words

This page relates ‘Obstacles of Liberation� 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.

ṃkⲹ philosophy mentions about three varieties of ṅkś which should be avoided in the attainment of state of apavarga as they are regarded as the obstacles of liberation. These are viparyaya, śپ and ٳṣṭ.[1]

(a) Viparyaya:

There are five types of viparyaya.[2] They are called tamas, moha, dz峾dz, and andha峾. 峦貹پ identifies the five fold viparyaya with , , , 屹ṣa and 󾱲Ծṣa which are the varieties of ś in the yoga system.[3]

i) or tamas:

or tamas is one of the dispositions of buddhi which is a product of ʰṛt. Tamas is of eight fold. The variety comes from recognizing the self with one or other of the principles, intellect, individualization, the mind, and the five subtle elements.[4]

ii) or moha:

This is the identification of the spirit with matter. Yoga Sūtra mentions as the identity of blending together of the power of consciousness with the power of cognition.[5] It is of eight kinds characterized by love of eight attainments such as Ծ, 󾱳, 󾱳 etc.

We have already mentioned that ṃkⲹ admits ñԲ as the only means of attaining liberation. Knowledge paves the way to complete release and opposite of knowledge i.e., is accepted as the cause of bondage.[6]

iii) or dz峾dz:

It is the attachment of the objects of senses.[7] This is called dz峾dz or the great delusion in ṃkⲹ. This is of ten kinds, five divya and five adivya.[8] The enjoyment of an individual can be divided into two, the human and the divine. Pleasure of the worldly objects through the five senses results in the five other kinds of dz峾dz and these together constitute the ten varieties of .

iv) 屹ṣa or 峾:

leads to 屹ṣa which is called . is of eight types relating to the eight attainments.[9]

v) 󾱲Ծś or andha峾:

Andha峾 is also of eighteen types and relates to the same objects as . God having attained the eight powers Ծ, etc., and enjoying in consequences the ten objects of the senses is termed as 󾱲Ծś or andha峾.[10]

(b) śپ or infirmity:

śپ is the second subjective evolution. śپ implies the injuries of the eleven organs along with the injuries of the intellect . Of these, the injuries to the buddhi are seventeen in number resulting from the failure of nine ٳṣṭs and the eight siddhis.[11]

The organic injuries are deafness, blindness, etc., and these inabilities indirectly affect the intellect. But the other seventeen inabilities are directly affecting the intellect. They are called aٳṣṭs and asiddhis.[12]

(c) ճṣṭ or contentment:

ṃkⲹ says there are four kinds of contentment which arise from us. These are called internal contentments. They are ʰṛt, ܱ岹Բ, and 岵ⲹ. The external contentments are five in number which are pertaining to the objects of the senses. Thus, there are nine contentments.[13]

Footnotes and references:

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[1]:

siddheh pūrvṅkśs ٰ�, ṃkⲹkārikā , 51(b)

[2]:

貹ñ viparyayabheda�, Ibid., 47.

[3]:

smitārgadveṣābhiniveśā� yathā ⲹ� tamo-moha-峾dz-峾-andha峾 saṅjñakā� 貹ñ viparyayaviśeṣāḥ/ ṃkⲹtattva-첹ܻܳī on Ibid., 47

[4]:

ṃkⲹtattva-첹ܻܳī on Ibid., 44.

[5]:

۴Dzūٰ , 2.6

[6]:

dharmeṇa gamanamūrdhva gamanamdhastādbhavatyadharmeṇa/
jñānene cā’pavargo viparyayādiṣyate Ի�// ṃkⲹkārikā , 44

[7]:

ṃkⲹtattva-첹ܻܳī on Ibid., 48

[8]:

岹ś 峾dz� iti/
śabdādiṣu 貹ñsu divyādivyatayā/ ṃkⲹtattva-첹ܻܳī on Ibid., 48

[9]:

tāmisroṣṭādaśadhā,ṃkⲹkārikā , 48

[10]:

te ca śabdādya upasthitā� paraspareṇopahanyamānāstadupāyāścāṇimādya� svarupenaiva kopaṇīyā bhavantīti śabdādibhirdaśabhi� sahāṇimādyaṣṭakamaṣṭādaśadheti, tadviṣayo 屹ṣas峾o’ṣṭādaśaviṣayatvādaṣṭādaśadheti. Tathā bhavatyandha峾�// ṃkⲹtattva-첹ܻܳī on Ibid., 48

[11]:

岹śǾԻⲹ� saha ܻ󾱱󲹾śپū徱ṣṭ/
ٲ岹ś budhirviparyayātٳṣṭsiddhīnām// ṃkⲹkārikā , 49

[12]:

ṃkⲹtattva-첹ܻܳī on Ibid., 49

[13]:

ādhyātmikyaścatasra� prakṛtyupādānabhāgyākhyā�/
viṣayoparamāt貹ñ, nava tuṣṭayo’bhimata�// ṃkⲹkārikā , 50

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