Is Samkhya Atheistic?

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The study of Indian philosophy and Metaphysics is incomplete without the study of Darshana Sastras.

 

Sanatana Dharma is so said because it seeks to realize. The paths are many, but the end is one and one only.There is nothing divine or infallible in paths.. only the goal is infallible and divine. Various paths have resulted in because of the human spirit of inquiry.

 

The Sastras, esp. the Samkhya, Nyaya and Vaisheshika, does not negate the Entity but sometimes questions statements that are found contradictory in the vedas.

 

Some say that Samkhya is ‘nirishwara’ sastra. It is not.

 

Originally the philosophies of both Sankhya and Vedanta stayed clear of religion proper, leaving such matters in the hands of the Brahmins or priests. Out of six classical systems, Samkhya forms one of the most important philosophical currents. It is based on two distinct principles, namely 1) Purusha, and 2) Prakriti. This dualism forms the basis of this philosophy. Secondly, Samkhya is precise, rational, and logical, and therefore does not deem it necessary to invoke the concept of God for explaining the manifest and non-manifest multifarious nature: the individual self and the objective universe. Samkhya nicely propounds the theory of the possibility and the need to realize our true Self so that the bondage of ignorance is broken and the individual self may attain liberation. Patanjali in his system of Yoga further elucidates the method and means to unite our lower self with the true Self.

 

The Origins

 

The ambiguous origins of Samkhya could be traced to the creation hymns of Rk Veda ( R.V. 10-129-1-2, 1-1:1, 10-129-1:51-163-1-5 etc etc)

The fore-runner of Samkhya is said to be Atreya Tantra. A teacher of great fame at the University of Takshashila,

The son of Atri(referred to as Jivaka also) is listed in a line of eminent teachers in the Brihad Aranyaka Upanishad.

Mahabharata says ayurveda was developed by the ‘dark complexioned son of Atri’. Hence he is referred to as Krishnatreya. This very obvious reference to his skin colour, seems to mark Atreya out, as being non-Aryan, perhaps bringing into the tradition secret sources of knowledge from older, more powerful origins.

 

The proponent of Samkhya proper is said to be Kapila, adopted son of Kaipila(fem.) a brahmani, wife of certain

Asuri. Rishi Kapila’s original name was Panchashikha.

 

Is Samkhya Agnostic?

 

The Sâmkhya philosophers dealt with the notion of pain under three categories.

 

i. The intrinsic (âdhyâtmika)

ii. The extrinsic (âdhibhautika)

iii.The divine or superhuman (âdhidaivika).

 

So, that which deals with adhyatmika and adhidaivika cannot be wholly materialistic or agnostic. The entire Samkhyan philosophy revolves around Prakruti, the insentient and Purusha, the sentient being. Samkhya is precise, rational, and logical, and therefore does not deem it necessary to invoke the concept of God for explaining the manifest and non-manifest multifarious nature: the individual self and the objective universe. Samkhya nicely propounds the theory of the possibility and the need to realize our true Self so that the bondage of ignorance is broken and the individual self may attain liberation. Patanjali in his Yoga Sutra further elucidates the method and means to unite our lower self with the true Self.

 

Under the inscrutable influence of Purusha, which is inactive and passive, but sentient (and also infinite and eternal), Prakriti loses its equilibrium. As a consequence of this, the equilibrium is disturbed and the whole universe of unlimited permutations and combinations comes into existence. The first modification of primordial nature is called Mahat or Cosmic Intelligence. It further evolves into two forces, 1) Akasha, the primal matter, and 2) Prana, the primal energy. Akasha forms the material basis and prana the energy basis of creation. Out of the interaction of akasha and prana are formed five subtle elements, crudely translated as ether, fire, air, water, and earth. These are the constituents of all the material existence in the universe. As can be seen, even mahat is material consisting of three gunas, and so also the prana.

 

The Gunas

Nothing can exist without the combination of these three gunas. Mind, intellect, ego, sense organs, sense objects, trees, plants, animal world, in short everything evolves from the various combination of these three gunas. In some of these the sattva predominates, in others the rajas or the tamas. Depending upon the preponderance of a particular guna in such a combination, the object acquires its peculiarities. Fir instance, while the mind and intellect have predominance of sattva, a clod of earth is full of tamas! Sattva is helpful in illumining the true nature of the thing, tamas in its extreme obscures the reality, rajas acts at the intermediate level, and it causes distorted perception and gives false perception of it. Sattva is pure and shining, rajas is active and passionate, while tamas is dull and lazy.

 

Spirit or Purusha is the principle for the sake of which nature evolves. Experience is explained on the basis of a certain association of spirit with nature. Matter is merely the medium for spirit to manifest itself; matter is not the source of consciousness. Mind intellect complex (or internal organ, the Antahkarana) is refined, subtle matter predominantly consisting of sattva guna that acts as the main locus of union between Prakriti and Purusha resulting in possibility of an experience, and thereby knowledge.

 

The Purpose

 

But what is the purpose of all these changes in the nature! Is there any? How and why this evolution from gross to subtle and back, and these changes can be interpreted in relation to the goal? The question comes to mind: Is the cosmic revolution purposeful?

 

Anyway, coming to our point of answering the question of purpose, aim or goal, of the changes in the nature, Samkhya maintains that changes are for the 'benefit' of the soul. The Purusha gradually realizes that changes in the nature do not affect it; and a day comes when it becomes free from all the bondages of identification with the and mind. It realizes that it is eternal Free and omniscient. This freedom of soul is the aim and destiny of every human endeavor.

 

The Process

“satvarajastamasa samyavasta prakruti: prukrute`n mahat

Mahato ahamkara, ahamkarat panchatanmatranumayamidriyam

Tanmatrbhya: sthoolabhootani, purusha iti panchavisatam”

(Samkhya 1-64)

According to the Samkhya philosophy, Prakriti is the unmanifest, primal resource, the sum total of the universal energy that manifests itself in various material forms in different planes. The creative process (Shristi) begins, when Purusha, the individual soul enters and becomes established in it. Out of this process evolve 24 principles, which are:

Mahat: the great principle (1) (Cosmic Dust?)

Buddhi:the discriminating, reasoning and causative intelligence (2)

Ahamkara:the ego-principle (3) - Electrons, Protons and neutrons (3)

Manas:the mind or the sixth sense (4)

Panchendiryas:the five sense organs (9)

Five karmendriyas: the five organs of action (14)

Five tanmantras: the five subtle elements (19)

Five Mahabhutas:the five gross elements (earth, water, air, fire and ether)(24)

The Mahat (the Great One), is the first to emerge in this process of evolution. The Mahat is Prakriti or the primordial nature in its dynamic aspect. From the Mahat evolves buddhi and Manas. Buddhi is the principle of intelligence or the discriminating awareness and Manas is the mind stuff consisting of pure consciousness. From Buddhi evolve ahmkara or the feeling of individuality and separation and the five tanmantras of sound, touch smell, form or color and taste.

The rest of the principles arise from from Manas, which are the five senses, the five organs of actions and the five gross elements. These are the 24 evolutes (tatra sarva eva achetanam)and together with the Purusha (individual soul) who joins with Prakriti to initiate this process, the number becomes 25.

 

The greatness of Samkyha lies in the fact that the evolution of life on earth is depicted not as miracle work of God, but as a creative process passing through different phases of change and transformation.

The individual soul or Purusha is the eternal principle which joins with Prakriti, another eternal principle to establish its presence in the material world. The individual soul is immortal. It exists prior to the emergence of other principles and will continue to exist even after the rest disappear.

 

Gita & Samkhya

 

Srimad Bhagavad Gita picks up the basic aspects of Samkhya, but adds the principle of Supreme Self or Universal Purusha as the cause of all creation.

According to the Bhagavad Gita, the Purusha enters the Prakriti and manifests the entire creation. At the human level, the purusha is compared symbolically with a man and the Prakriti with a woman. At the microcosmic level a union between the two indeed leads to the creation of a new being, which can be compared to the Hiranyagarbha (the golden embryo) at the microcosmic level. According to the Samkhya philosophy, Prakriti is the unmanifest, primal resource, the sum total of the universal energy that manifests itself in various material forms in different planes. The creative process (Shristi) begins, when Purusha, the individual soul enters and becomes established in it.

 

“Samkhya philosophy of dualism: Purusa is Consciousness and Supreme Unparalleled Intelligence, and Prakrti [Pra (before) krti (creation)] is matter, unconscious, indiscriminate, and insentient. If PRAKRTI sounds similar to PROCREATE, it is so in meaning too. Prakrti indicates an urgency to produce, as Prasavam (parturition) has the imminence to deliver a baby”

=(Bhagwan Shri Ramana Maharishi).