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नमो नम:
सांख्यदर्शनसमीक्षणम् - An Overview of साङ्ख्यम्
Note by S. L. Abhyankar
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In this overview is a study of the following points ⇒
What is साङ्ख्यम् ?
What field of knowledge is detailed in साङ्ख्यम् ?
साङ्ख्यम् as a treatise of Philosophy तत्त्वज्ञानम्
साङ्ख्यम् is a school of Philosophical thought
Textbooks for study of साङ्ख्यम्
Main Topics or Postulates in साङ्ख्यम्
(1) What is साङ्ख्यम् ?
The प्रातिपदिकम् root word साङ्ख्य is adjectival and hence can be of any gender - masculine, neuter, feminine.
In गीता (3-3) ज्ञानयोगेन साङ्ख्यानाम् and (5-5) यत्साङ्ख्यैः प्राप्यते स्थानम् the word साङ्ख्य: is masculine and refers to a proponent of साङ्ख्य philosophy.
In गीता (2-39) एषा तेऽभिहिता साङ्ख्ये बुद्धिर्योगे त्विमां शृणु and (18-13) साङ्ख्ये कृतान्ते प्रोक्तानि the word साङ्ख्यम् neuter refers to the साङ्ख्य philosophy itself.
Actually by its etymology the word साङ्ख्यम् is derived either from the word सङ्ख्यानम् i.e. detailing, enumerating or from the word सङ्ख्या (a number). Both सङ्ख्यानम् and सङ्ख्या are from धातुः सम्+ख्या.
The धातुः सम्+ख्या has prefix उपसर्गः सम् affixed to धातुः ख्या.
धातुः ख्या is used in many different instances i.e. with many different shades of meanings.
A word derived from धातुः ख्या is ख्यातिः meaning fame. So ख्या means to spread information, knowledge.
Indian classical music is called as ख्याल, maybe because a piece is rendered in a manner of spreading.
Possibly the Hindi word खयाल meaning a thought occurring, taking shape in the mind is also from धातुः ख्या.
The prefix सम् means सम्यक् properly, also सङ्कलनेन comprehensively.
So सम्+ख्या means ‘to present and spread knowledge properly, comprehensively.
So साङ्ख्यम् means presentation of knowledge properly and comprehensively.
One method of proper presentation of knowledge is enumeration, using numbers and listings.
So साङ्ख्यम् means that body of knowledge, which contains proper and comprehensive thoughts presented properly and comprehensively using enumeration.
(2) What field of knowledge is detailed in साङ्ख्यम् ?
See this श्लोकः in गीता
ज्ञानं कर्म च कर्ता च त्रिधैव गुणभेदतः ।
प्रोच्यते गुणसङ्ख्याने यथावच्छृणु तान्यपि ॥१८-१९॥
Here साङ्ख्यम् is called as गुणसङ्ख्यानम्.
One important detail in साङ्ख्यम् is exploring त्रैगुण्यम् triad of characteristics inherent to almost every other aspect or entity such as ज्ञानम् कर्म कर्ता.
As is well known, the triad of characteristics त्रैगुण्यम् is सत्त्वम्, रजस् and तमस्.
(3) साङ्ख्यम् as a treatise of Philosophy तत्त्वज्ञानम्
The word philosophy comes from the Greek philo (love) and sophia (wisdom) and so is literally defined as “the love of wisdom”. More broadly understood, it is the study of the most basic and profound matters of human existence.
Even in the word तत्त्वज्ञानम् i.e. तत्त्वस्य ज्ञानम् one may note that तत्त्व is तत्+त्व i.e. ‘itness’ of ‘it’.
Every ‘it’ has its own distinctive ‘itness’. Study and knowledge of that ‘itness’ of every ‘it’ becomes तत्त्वज्ञानम्.
(4) साङ्ख्यम् is a school of Philosophical thought
In Indian philosophy there are nine schools of philosophical thought which can be put in two categories - (a) those who respect knowledge in Vedas वेदप्रमाणाः. There are six schools साङ्ख्यम् योगः न्यायः वैशेषिकम् पूर्वमीमांसा उत्तरमीमांसा (i.e. वेदान्त or उपनिषदः) Though they are all वेदप्रमाणाः, there are differences.
In Category (b) are चार्वाक बौद्ध जैन, which are not वेदप्रमाणाः.
In all the nine schools, there are postulates or views दर्शनम् on philosophical thought तत्त्वज्ञानम् propounded by an eminent seer. The six वेदप्रमाणाः schools are together called as षड्-दर्शनानि.
साङ्ख्यम् is also called as षष्टितन्त्रम् a knowledge-base of 60 concepts. See
सप्तत्यां किल येऽर्थास्तेऽर्थाः कृत्स्नस्य षष्टितन्त्रस्य (सां.का.७२)
What knowledge is there in the 70 verses/concepts of सप्ततितन्त्रम्, the same knowledge is there in षष्टितन्त्रम् the philosophy of 60 concepts. It becomes a matter of curiosity what that सप्ततितन्त्रम् is. At the same time, it becomes clear that साङ्ख्यम् is a knowledge-base of 60 concepts.
(5) Textbooks for study of साङ्ख्यम्
The main seer of साङ्ख्यम् is कपिलमुनिः. Of course in the school there is a tradition of proponents and followers - आचार्यपरम्परा, notable among them being
आसुरिः a direct disciple of कपिलमुनिः
पञ्चशिखा the first disciple of आसुरिः. पञ्चशिखा is also credited to have composed साङ्ख्यसूत्राणि. Possibly what साङ्ख्यसूत्राणि are available are those of पञ्चशिखा.
विन्ध्यवासी -
ईश्वरकृष्ण - He is credited to have composed साङ्ख्यकारिकाः.
Main textbooks of साङ्ख्यम् are two (i) 526 aphorisms साङ्ख्यसूत्राणि attributed to कपिलमुनिः and (ii) 72 पदानि in साङ्ख्यकारिकाः of ईश्वरकृष्ण. One wonders whether all the 526 aphorisms or 72 पदानि in साङ्ख्यकारिकाः refer to only 60 concepts as suggested by the mention of षष्टितन्त्रम् in the epilogue of साङ्ख्यकारिकाः.
At https://m.bharatdiscovery.org/india/संस्कृत_में_सांख्य for an exhaustive study of सांख्यदर्शनम् a whole list of books in Sanskrit to be studied is given.
A student should also do a comparative study of all दर्शनानि. A good textbook of this type is सायणमाधवीयः सर्वदर्शनसंग्रहः
In गीता we find mention of two schools साङ्ख्य and योग.
एषा तेऽभिहिता साङ्ख्ये बुद्धिर्योगे त्विमां शृणु ।
बुद्ध्या युक्तो यया पार्थ कर्मबन्धं प्रहास्यसि ॥ २-३९॥
लोकेऽस्मिन् द्विविधा निष्ठा पुरा प्रोक्ता मयानघ ।
ज्ञानयोगेन साङ्ख्यानां कर्मयोगेन योगिनाम् ॥ ३-३॥
Also
इमं विवस्वते योगं प्रोक्तवानहमव्ययम् ।
विवस्वान्मनवे प्राह मनुरिक्ष्वाकवेऽब्रवीत् ॥ ४-१॥
Here श्रीकृष्णभगवान् pronounces Himself to have been the proponent of both the schools.
गीता also ascribes to उत्तरमीमांसा since every अध्यायः is उपनिषत्. As such व्यासमुनिः is regarded to be the seer of the वेदान्त-school.
By this श्रीकृष्णभगवान् is the proponent of all three schools साङ्ख्य योग and उत्तरमीमांसा and harmonizes them all in गीता.
So गीता is the common textbook !
(6) Main Topics or Postulates in साङ्ख्यम्
Considering गीता as the common textbook for all three schools साङ्ख्य, योग and उत्तरमीमांसा makes it challenging to identify which statements belong to which school.
For this, one should study the specific texts of the particular school and note, which main topics are discussed therein.
Based on षष्टितन्त्रम् as the alternative epithet of साङ्ख्य one should be able to enlist its 60 postulates. I propose to enlist at least a few of them, especially those that seem to be endorsed in गीता also.
Postulate (1) - Everything undergoes cycles of death and rebirth
न त्वेवाहं जातु नासं न त्वं नेमे जनाधिपाः ।
न चैव न भविष्यामः सर्वे वयमतः परम् ॥ २-१२॥
Not that I was not there (earlier), not that you were not there, these kings were not there; Not also that we shall not be there after this (life).
Rather
जातस्य हि ध्रुवो मृत्युर्ध्रुवं जन्म मृतस्य च ॥ २-२७॥
Whatever is born shall certainly die and whatever dies shall be reborn.
Postulate (2) - Everything is born of the परमात्मतत्त्व which itself is indestructible
अविनाशि तु तद्विद्धि येन सर्वमिदं ततम् ।
विनाशमव्ययस्यास्य न कश्चित्कर्तुमर्हति ॥ २-१७॥
Know that, that (fundamental) which created all this is indestructible. Nobody can annihilate it.
Postulate (3) - Nobody can ever be devoid of action
नेहाभिक्रमनाशोऽस्ति प्रत्यवायो न विद्यते ॥ २-४०॥
There will be no digression from the set sequence. There is no option either.
This is also corroborated in ईशावास्योपनिषत्
कुर्वन्नेवेह कर्माणि जिजीविषेच्छतं समाः ।
एवं त्वयि नान्यथेतोऽस्ति न कर्म लिप्यते नरे ॥ ईश. २॥
Even if one wants to live a hundred years, that can be only by doing कर्माणि. It is like that only. There is no option. Anyway कर्म does not become a coating on the doer.
Postulate (4) - All actions are enacted by गुणाः that are inherent characteristics of प्रकृतिः
न हि कश्चित्क्षणमपि जातु तिष्ठत्यकर्मकृत् ।
कार्यते ह्यवशः कर्म सर्वः प्रकृतिजैर्गुणैः ॥ ३-५॥
No one can be ‘not doing anything’, even for a moment. कर्म keeps happening by virtue of the characteristics inherent to प्रकृति. Nobody can exercise control on that.
Also
न हि देहभृता शक्यं त्यक्तुं कर्माण्यशेषतः ॥ १८-११॥
Once embodied, it is not possible to forsake कर्माणि totally.
प्रकृतिः is the causative and execution of all actions
कार्यकारणकर्तृत्वे हेतुः प्रकृतिरुच्यते ॥ १३-२१॥
It is in the nature of things that प्रकृतिः causes कार्य what is to be done कारण the cause or reason and कर्तृत्व the doership to become coordinated.
There are such triads as कार्य, कारण, कर्तृत्व or करणं कर्म कर्ता; ज्ञानम् ज्ञेयम् ज्ञाता in evidence everywhere.
Postulate (5) - There is त्रैगुण्यम् a triad of characteristics inherent to almost every other aspect or entity such as ज्ञानम् कर्म कर्ता, because the triad is inherent to प्रकृतिः itself.
सत्त्वं रजस्तम इति गुणाः प्रकृतिसम्भवाः ॥ १४-५॥
The triad of characteristics - सत्त्वम् chastity रजस् excitement तमस् ignorance emanate from, are inherent in प्रकृतिः.
Postulate (6) - प्रकृतिः and पुरुषः are the twinsome basic fundamentals of the creation and continuance of universe
प्रकृतिं पुरुषं चैव विद्ध्यनादी उभावपि ॥ १३-२०॥
Know thee that both प्रकृतिः and पुरुषः have no beginning. No one can cite, when they began, became operative.
Postulate (7) - पुरुषः or ईश्वरः is the supreme commandant
ईश्वरः सर्वभूतानां हृद्देशेऽर्जुन तिष्ठति ।
भ्रामयन्सर्वभूतानि यन्त्रारूढानि मायया ॥ १८-६१॥
ईश्वरः is at the heart of every being and makes them move about, as if riding a car and maneuvered by unknown, unseen commands.
This concept of यन्त्र or रथ is very much corroborated in कठोपनिषत् also.
The epithet of द्वितीयोऽध्यायः of गीता is साङ्ख्ययोगः. So, a study of साङ्ख्यम् may have to include many गीताश्लोकाः from द्वितीयोऽध्यायः.
Maybe, it would be good to relate गीताश्लोकाः when studying the साङ्ख्यसूत्राणि and साङ्ख्यकारिकाः.
A couple of postulates delineated in the साङ्ख्यदर्शनम् section of the सायणमाधवीयः सर्वदर्शनसंग्रहः are ⇒
Postulate (8) All behaviors take place by four main combinations of प्रकृति and its antithesis विकृति. By binary logic let us assign the left place in a two digit number to प्रकृति and the right place to विकृति and let 0 denote ‘influence is not evident’ and let 1 denote ‘influence is evident’, we get four patterns
00 influence is not evident either of प्रकृति or of विकृति is there. This is stated as अर्थः कश्चिदनुभय: (अन्-उभयः).
01 influence of विकृति is evident अर्थः कश्चिद्विकृतिरेव
10 influence of प्रकृति is evident अर्थः कश्चित्प्रकृतिरेव, मूलप्रकृतिरेव वा
11 influence is partly of प्रकृति and partly of विकृति कश्चिद्विकृतिप्रकृतिश्च (कश्चित् विकृति-प्रकृतिः च)
This delineation is based on मूलप्रकृतिरविकृतिः (सां.का.03) meaning मूलप्रकृतिः अविकृतिः. Unafflicted प्रकृतिः is मूलप्रकृतिः. However in गीता
विकारांश्च गुणांश्चैव विद्धि प्रकृतिसम्भवान् ॥ १३-२०॥
विकारान् च गुणान् च प्रकृतिसम्भवान् एव विद्धि - Know thee that characteristics and afflictions emanate from प्रकृति only. Note विकार: means विकृतिः affliction.
Postulate (9) Proofs only validate a statement. Proofs are of three types - direct, deductible, quoted in scriptures. See
दृष्टमनुमानमाप्तवचनं च सर्वप्रमाणसिद्धत्वात्।
त्रिविधं प्रमाणमिष्टं प्रमेयसिद्धिः प्रमाणाद्धि॥ (सा.का.4)
दृष्टम् direct अनुमानम् deductible आप्तवचनं quoted in scriptures च सर्वप्रमाणसिद्धत्वात्।
त्रिविधं प्रमाणम् इष्टं Proofs are of three types
प्रमेयसिद्धिः प्रमाणात् हि Proofs only validate a statement.
Postulate (10) There are five Organs of sense बुद्धीन्द्रियाणि and five organs of action कर्मेन्द्रियाणि
बुद्धीन्द्रियाणि चक्षुःश्रोत्रघ्राणरसनत्वगाख्यानि।
वाक्पाणिपादपायूपस्थाः कर्मेन्द्रियाण्याहुः॥
उभयात्मकमत्र मनः संकल्पकमिन्द्रियं च साधर्म्यात्॥ (सां. का. 24-27)
I think the tabulation below explains this succinctly.
This is also detailed in गीता ⇒
रसोऽहमप्सु कौन्तेय प्रभास्मि शशिसूर्ययोः ।
प्रणवः सर्ववेदेषु शब्दः खे पौरुषं नृषु ॥ ७-८॥
पुण्यो गन्धः पृथिव्यां च तेजश्चास्मि विभावसौ ।
जीवनं सर्वभूतेषु तपश्चास्मि तपस्विषु ॥ ७-९॥
श्रोत्रं चक्षुः स्पर्शनं च रसनं घ्राणमेव च ।
अधिष्ठाय मनश्चायं विषयानुपसेवते ॥ १५-९॥
(For ease of correlation with the table, I have blanked some words with blackish background)
मनः the mind is also an organ, which receives the signals from बुद्धीन्द्रियाणि processes the signals and selectively transmits them to कर्मेन्द्रियाणि organs of action, Note in the second line of (१५-९) अयं a person मनः अधिष्ठाय with mind as the Central Processor Unit (CPU in a computer) विषयान् उपसेवते indulges in senses and actions.
One may go on enlisting the postulates and one may also be able to relate गीताश्लोकाः for many of the 526 साङ्ख्यसूत्राणि and the 72 साङ्ख्यकारिकाः.
May I close the overview of साङ्ख्यम् here.
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