Samkhya thoughts in the Mahabharata
by Shini M.V. | 2017 | 51,373 words
This page relates ‘Liberation (Mukti or Kaivalya)� 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.
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Liberation (Mukti or Kaivalya)
Mukti or kaivalya is the highest aim of ṃkⲹ Philosophy. The two kinds of mukti are recognized by ṃkⲹsūtras. These are jīvanmukti and Videhamukti. Jīvanmukti refers to the emancipation of a soul, while he is still living in the mind body enclosed in a case. After death, the liberated self attains what is called Videhamukti. Mukti or kaivalya is not a temporary release. It is a state of everlasting release from the three fold sorrows through the knowledge of the discrimination of ʰṛt and ʳܰṣa. The ṃkⲹ system has started with an analysis of three kinds of sorrows that generally destroy the pleasure of life. These are the Āٳ첹 pain. It is caused by the disorders of the mind-body system. It includes under it fever, anger, greed, fear etc. Āܳپ첹 pain is produced by external agents like other men, beasts and natural forces etc. The Ā岹첹 pain is produced by supernatural causes e.g. the pains inflicted by ghosts and demons etc. ṃkⲹ regards human existence as seat of intense suffering. is regarded as the root cause of suffering and bondage. The discriminative knowledge leads to Ѵǰṣa, involves the discrimination between ʰṛt and ʳܰṣa. The ṃkⲹ says that through virtue is ascent to a region above, through vice descent to a region below, by knowledge is deliverance, by the reverse i.e. ignorance, bondage. By seven forms ʰṛt viz; Dharma, Adharma, ñԲ, ղ岵ⲹ, Avairāgya, śⲹ, Anaiśvarya. The primal nature binds her by herself; by one form she releases herself for the deliverance of the spirit.[1] When ʰṛt, the primal nature as her object is accomplished, has ceased to be active and when separation from the body has taken place, the spirit attains deliverance that is both absolute and final.