samkhya philosophy

Sage Kapil

INTRODUCTION

Oldest school of Hindu philosophy First attempt to harmonize the Vedic

philosophy through reason First systemic account of process of

cosmic evolution Not purely metaphysical but logical

account based on principle of conservation, transformation and dissipation of energy

SANKHYA - MEANING

Sankhya means number – Sankhya enumerates the principle of cosmic

evolution by rational analysis It teaches the discriminative knowledge

which enables to distinguish between sprit and matter

FOUNDER OF SANKHYA

1000 BC Kapil son of Kardama and Devdhuti Kardama was a Rishi Kapil learned philosophy from mother Cave temple of Anuradhkapur in Sri

Lanka Sagara an island on the bank of Ganga

90 miles form Calcutta spend later life and meditated

Last day of last month Hindu Magh there is Mela

PURPOSE – GYAN YOGA Provide knowledge which remove the cause

of misery and release of soul Misery is

Adhyatmika – intrinsic cause disorder of body and mind

Adhibhutika – Extrinsic cause, men, beast, birds, or inanimate objects

Adhidevika – Supernatural cause , atmosphere or planets

CAUSE OF MISERY Soul is free from suffering Body is the seat of suffering Soul suffer due to intimate association of soul

and body Bondage is illusion due to lack of true nature

of soul – Ignorance Knowledge of true nature of soul removes

bondage and suffering

EVOLUTION OF SANKHYA

Classical

•Kapil Sutra

•Samkhyakarika of Ishvarakrishna

Late

•Gaudapada's bhasya

•Vacaspati Misra's Tattwa-kaumudi

•Vijnanabhiksu's Samkhya-pravacanbhasya

•Mathara's Matharavrtti

EPISTEMOLOGY OF SANKHYA• Indeterminate (Nirvikalp)• Determinate (Savikalpa)Prataykshya

• Logical inference

Anuman

• Verbal testimony

Sabd

NATURE OF DUALITY

•Supreme self

•Pure consciousness

•Inactive•Unchanging•A passive

witness•Multiple

Purush:

•Pure objectivity

•Phenomenal reality

•Non-conscious

•One mulprakriti in equilibrium

Prakriti:

SANKHYA AND WESTERN DUALISM

• Purush and Prikriti dualism a more transendental

Sankhya

• Mind and Body dualism

Western

THEORY OF EXISTENCE• The effect pre-exists in the cause• Cause and effect are seen as different

temporal aspects of the same thing• nothing can really be created from or

destroyed into nothingness Satkaryavada

• Parinama denotes that the effect is a real transformation of the cause

• Prakriti is transformed and differentiated into multiplicity of objectsPrakriti

Pariman Vada

EVOLUTION AND DISSOLUTION

Purush

Prkriti

Mahat

Ahamkar

Tatwa

SANKHYA METAPHYSICS (ONTOLOGY)

SANKHYA EVOLUTION (COSMOLOGY)

SHANKYA DISSOLUTION

PUSUSH (COSMIC SPIRIT)

Intelligence

Consciousness

Subjective

Eternal

Static

No Attributes

PRAKRATI (COSMIC SUBSTANCE)

Source of all matter

Changing

Non manifest

One Pradhan

MAHATATTVA – COSMIC INTELLIGENCE This is the purest It is very first of the

evolutes of Prakriti. It is individuation,

but yet, without characteristics.

Buddhi applies to the individual person,

Mahat refers to the universal aspect of this process.

Purush

Priakriti

Mahat

GUNAS - PROPERTIES

Sttava

•Real or Existence

•Power of nature

•Devoid of Excitement

•Cause of equilibrium

Rajas

•Power of nature

•Activating principle

•Cause of manifestation

Tamas

•Restrainer

•Binding of matter

•Cause of weight

•Inertia

AHAMKARA - EGOPurush

Prakriti

Mahat

Evolution of Objects

Ahamkar

Sat

Rajas Tamas

EVOLUTION OF MIND

Satvik

Manas Tanmatra

Tamsic

Rajsic

MANAS – COSMIC MIND

The driving force actions speech thinking process

Recipient of the sensory input

Manas

Sense organ

Action organ

FIVE SENSE ORGNS

Hearing Sensation Vision Taste Smell

FIVE ACTION ORGANS

Speaking Grasping Walking Excreting Procreating

MHABHUTES – COSMIC SUBSTANCE

Mahabhut

Space Air Fire Wate

r Earth

Tanmatra

Sound Touch Form Taste Smell

FIVE ELEMENTS

Akaskh - Ether

Vayu – air

Tejas – fire

Apas –

water

Prithvi - earth

SANKHYA CATEGORIES (TATWA)avyakta (unmanifest)

(1) Purusha  (2)Prakriti (Mulaprakriti)  

vyakta (manifest) 

(3) Buddhi [Intellect]    

taijasa or rajas mode of Ahamkara

(4) Ahamkara [Ego or "I"-ness]

vaikriti or sattwa mode of Ahamkara bhutadi or tamas mode of Ahamkara

Manas (5)

Buddhindriyas Sense-powers

(6-10)

Karmendriyas Action-powers (11-15)

Tanmatras Subtle Matter (16-20)

Bhutas Gross Elements  visible tattwas (21-25)

Mind or Psyche

hearing speaking sound spacetouching grasping touch airseeing walking form fire

tasting excreting taste watersmelling generating  smell earth

CONCEPT OF GOD

Athestic

•An unchanging Ishvara as the cause cannot be the source of a changing world as the effect.

Thiestic

•Late influence of Yoga and Puranic philosophy

The End