The creation of the cosmos

Metaphysics of Sāṃkhya Philosophy

We have always wondered about the creation and evolution of the universe. From mythological and metaphysical to the scientific age, we have come a long way in our understanding of the cosmos. As we continue to unravel the mysteries of the heavens, we can also look back at the curiosity and creativity of the human mind to decipher the cosmos over centuries and civilizations.

One such example of a skeptical inquiry can be found in the Nāsadīya Sukta of RigVeda composed more than 2500 years ago.

नासदासीन्नो सदासीत्तदानीं नासीद्रजो नो व्योमा परो यत् |

किमावरीवः कुह कस्य शर्मन्नम्भः किमासीद्गहनं गभीरम् ॥ १॥

Then even non-existence was not there, nor existence,

There was no air then, nor the space beyond it.

What covered it? Where was it? In whose keeping?

Was there then cosmic fluid, in depths unfathomed?

Since the Vedic age, Indian philosophers have given different metaphysical ideas on reality, creation, and our place in the cosmos. But the Sāṃkhya school stands out with its unique take on the creation and evolution of the universe.

Sāṃkhya Philosophy

The word Sāṃkhya means "calculation", "numeration", or "enumeration". The Sāṃkhya school emphasizes the enumeration of principles or evolutes to understand the creation of the cosmos.

Sāṃkhya is considered as the oldest of the Āstīka schools. Sage Kapila is attributed as the founder of the school while Isvarakrsna's Sāṃkhyakarīkā is taken as the definitive text for classical Sāṃkhya. It provides a detailed metaphysical and soteriological view on the creation of the universe.

But, why do we need to understand the creation of the universe? Why does it even matter?

A common theme across all Indian philosophical schools is that metaphysical inquiries always have a soteriological objective. Any philosophical text begins by establishing this objective in the first couple of verses.

The dualism of Puruṣa (पुरुष) and Prakṛti (प्रकृति)

According to Sāṃkhyakarīkā, we can liberate ourselves from various sufferings through a discriminative knowledge of Puruṣa and Prakṛti. Once we understand this dualism, all pains and sorrows will cease to exist. It's 'knowing' for ''realization’; For rising above the mundane world and liberating ourselves from ignorance.

So, what are Puruṣa and Prakṛti?

They are abstract metaphysical concepts in the cosmology of Sāṃkhya.

Puruṣa is pure consciousness. It is neither created nor creative. This might sound similar to Spinoza's Substance, but both concepts are entirely different. Puruṣa, unlike Substance, does not cause creation. It witnesses everything but is inactive. It is the highest Self, and the objective of Sāṃkhya and Yoga is the realization of Puruṣa.

On the other hand, Prakṛti gives rise to everything in the universe through a process of transformation. It transforms from unmanifested to a manifested form.

The unmanifested form is known as Avyakta (अव्यक्त)(non-describable, non-created). It is the root form of Prakṛti (Mūla-Prakṛti)(मूलप्रकृति).

This form, in turn, consists of three guṇas (गुण) - Sattva, Rajas, and Tamas. These guṇas have psychical qualities.

Sattva is associated with goodness, illumination, and thought. Rajas with passion, stimulation, and movement. And Tamas with darkness, slowness, and heaviness. There's no creation when these guṇas are in a state of equilibrium.

However, the presence of Puruṣa disturbs this equilibrium that results in the creation of the universe through various combinations of these guṇas. This manifestation of the universe is known as the Vyakta (व्यक्त) or the manifested form of Prakriti.

Evolution

So, what is manifested? What sort of things are created by the guṇas? You would be expecting heavenly bodies and natural elements. But the first creation is of Buddhi or Mahat, which stands for intelligence. Sattva is the predominant element in Buddhi.

The is followed by Ahaṃkāra (अहंकार), I-making, or self-identity. It should not be confused with pride. Ahaṃkāra means the ability to be self-aware. According to Edwin Bryant,

Turned inwards, Ahaṃkāra can reflect awareness towards its source, Puruṣa; turned outward, it can misidentify the Self with its Prakṛti entrapment.

It is Ahaṃkāra that determines whether one's notion of Self is spiritual or phenomenal.

Ahaṃkāra is further categorized into:

• Vaikrta (वैकृत)

• Bhūtādī (भूतादी)

• Taijas(तैजस)

Vaikrta corresponds to Sattva, Bhutadi to Tamas, and Taijas to Rajas. From Vaikrta, we get the eleven senses including Manas or the mind. The mind is responsible for perceiving the senses. It is the bridge between the senses and Buddhi. The other senses include the senses of cognition and senses of action. They are as follows:

Senses of Cognition (Buddhīndrīyās):

• Srota (श्रोत) (Hearing)

• Tvak(त्वक्) (Touching)

• Cakshu (चक्षु) (Seeing)

• Rasana (रसन) (Tasting)

• Ghrāna (घ्राण) (Smelling)

Senses of Action (Karmaīndrīyās)

• Vāk (वाक्) (Speaking)

• Pāni (पाणि) (Grasping)

• Pāda (पाद) (Walking)

• Pāyu (पायु) (Excreting)

• Upastha (उपस्थ) (Procreating)

Finally, from Bhūtādī, we get the five subtle elements (the Tanmātrās) -

• Sound (शब्द)

• Touch (स्पर्श)

• Form (रूप)

• Taste (रस)

• Smell (गंध)

From these Tanmātrās, we get the gross elements (the Māhābhūtās):

• Space (आकाश)

• Wind (वायु)

• Water (आपः)

• Fire (तैजस)

• Earth (पृथ्वी)

A representation of the Sāṃkhya cosmology. Explore it in detail.

Sāṃkhyakarīkā describes all the 25 elements in detail along with their relationships to physical, mental, and normative tendencies of beings.

Sāṃkhya provides a unique metaphysical theory that defines the creation of the universe through abstract principles. It influenced philosophical schools and shaped religious thoughts and traditions. The objective is to reach the highest state of pure consciousness through knowing. It is definitely one of the most creative metaphysical theories that have come from the Indian subcontinent.
In our upcoming issues, we will take a look at some more interesting metaphysical and epistemological theories.