Unit 5: Sāṃkhya and Vedānta Philosophy

Table of Contents

Sāṃkhya: Prakṛti and Puruṣa

The Sāṃkhya school is a strongly dualistic (Dvaitavāda) and realistic school. It posits two ultimate, independent, and eternal realities: Puruṣa and Prakṛti.

Reality Puruṣa (Consciousness) Prakṛti (Matter/Nature)
Nature Pure Consciousness (Caitanya). Non-conscious (Jaḍa).
Activity Inactive (Akartā). It is only a "witness" (Sākṣī). Active (Kartā). All activity in the universe is hers.
Number Plural (Puruṣa-bahutvam). There are infinite Puruṣas. Singular (One). All matter is one Prakṛti.
Composition Simple, cannot be broken down. Composite, made of Three Guṇas.

The Three Guṇas

Prakṛti is composed of three "qualities" or "strands" (Guṇas), held in equilibrium in its unmanifest state:

  1. Sattva: The quality of purity, light, harmony, and pleasure.
  2. Rajas: The quality of activity, passion, motion, and pain.
  3. Tamas: The quality of inertia, darkness, heaviness, and indifference.

Evolution begins when the "contact" between Puruṣa and Prakṛti disturbs this equilibrium.

Sāṃkhya: Theory of Evolution (Pariṇāma)

Sāṃkhya's theory of evolution is based on Satkāryavāda: the "Doctrine that the Effect Pre-exists in the Cause."

When the Guṇas are disturbed, Prakṛti "evolves" into 23 further principles (Tattvas), creating a total of 25 Tattvas (Prakṛti + 23 evolutes + Puruṣa).

The Flow of Evolution:

  1. Prakṛti (The Unmanifest)
  2. Mahat (or Buddhi) - The "Great Principle," cosmic intelligence.
  3. Ahaṃkāra (Ego) - The principle of individuation.
  4. From Ahaṃkāra (dominated by Sattva):
    • Manas (Mind)
    • 5 Jñānendriyas (Sense Organs: hear, touch, see, taste, smell)
    • 5 Karmendriyas (Motor Organs: speak, grasp, walk, excrete, procreate)
  5. From Ahaṃkāra (dominated by Tamas):
    • 5 Tanmātrās (Subtle Elements: sound, touch, form, taste, smell)
  6. From the 5 Tanmātrās:
    • 5 Mahābhūtas (Gross Elements: Ākāśa, Air, Fire, Water, Earth)

Puruṣa stands outside this entire evolutionary chain as a pure witness.

Advaita Vedānta: Brahman and Māyā

Advaita Vedānta (proponent: Shankara) is the school of strict Non-Dualism (A-dvaita = "not two").

Core Tenet: Brahman is the only reality. The world (Jagat) and the individual soul (Jīva) are, in an ultimate sense, identical with Brahman.
The Rope and Snake Analogy:
  • In the dark, a man sees a rope (Brahman).
  • Due to Māyā (the darkness/illusion), he superimposes the image of a snake (the world/Jagat) onto it.
  • The snake is not *unreal* (he reacts to it), but it is not *ultimately real*. When the light of knowledge (Jñāna) comes, the snake vanishes and only the rope remains.

Viśiṣṭādvaita: Ramanuja's Critique of Māyā

Viśiṣṭādvaita (proponent: Ramanuja) is the school of "Qualified Non-Dualism." It is a reaction *against* Shankara's Advaita.

Ramanuja strongly rejects Shankara's concept of Māyā. He finds it illogical and non-scriptural. His main criticisms are:

  1. Source of Māyā: Where does Māyā come from? If it's part of Brahman, Brahman is not simple/pure. If it's separate from Brahman, that's dualism.
  2. Nature of Māyā: Shankara says Māyā is "indescribable." Ramanuja says this is just a way to avoid a logical contradiction. Something is either real or unreal.
  3. Contradiction: How can "illusion" (Māyā) hide the ultimate "consciousness" (Brahman)? This is like saying darkness can hide the sun.

For Ramanuja, the world is not an illusion. It is real. The Vedas describe the world as created by Brahman, and the creation of a real God must be real.

Viśiṣṭādvaita: Concept of Brahman

Since the world is real, Ramanuja's non-dualism is "qualified."

Core Tenet: The ultimate reality is one, but it is a qualified (viśiṣṭa) unity. Brahman is a single, unified being, but He contains within Himself *real* distinctions.