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07 | Sankhya Theory of Evolution

Prakṛti is regarded as essentially dynamic. If motion were not inherent in Prakṛti, it could not be given to it by any outside agency, and if motion once ceased in Prakṛti, it could not reappear. Hence, Prakṛti is always changing.

  • Even in dissolution, there is a homogeneous change in Prakṛti when all three guṇas are in a state of equilibrium.
  • Evolution begins only when a heterogeneous change takes place, and rajas (the principle of activity) vibrates, making sattva and tamas vibrate. This disturbs the equilibrium.
  • Before evolution, sattva (manifestation) and rajas (activity) are held in check by tamas (non-manifestation and non-activity).
  • When rajas vibrates and activates the other two, the process of creation begins.
  • Creation is not a new creation but only a manifestation of what was formerly implicit.

Characteristics of Evolution

  • Cyclic, not Linear: Evolution is not a continuous progress in one direction but involves alternating periods of evolution and dissolution in a cyclic order.
  • Teleological, not Mechanical: Evolution is purposive and takes place to serve the purpose of the Puruṣa.
  • Prakṛti, the guṇas, senses, mind, ego, intellect, and subtle body all constantly serve the end of the Puruṣa.
  • This end is either worldly experience (bhoga) or liberation (apavarga).
  • Puruṣa needs Prakṛti for both enjoyment (saṃsāra) and liberation (kaivalya).
  • Evolution supplies objects for the Puruṣa to enjoy and also works for his liberation by enabling him to discriminate between himself and Prakṛti.

The Problem of the Union of Puruṣa and Prakṛti

The central question: How does evolution begin? It begins when rajas disturbs the equilibrium of the guṇas. But how is the equilibrium disturbed?

  • Sāṅkhya fails to answer this question satisfactorily. The fundamental blunder of Sāṅkhya is separating Prakṛti and Puruṣa as absolute and independent entities.
  • If Prakṛti and Puruṣa are absolutely separate, they can never unite. And if they cannot unite, evolution cannot take place.

Sāṅkhya's explanation is that the disturbance of equilibrium is made possible by the contact of Puruṣa and Prakṛti.

  • "Puruṣa without Prakṛti is lame, and Prakṛti without Puruṣa is blind."
  • Prakṛti needs Puruṣa to be known, seen, and enjoyed.
  • Puruṣa needs Prakṛti to enjoy and also to obtain liberation by discriminating between himself and Prakṛti.
  • For creation, they must unite. This union of the inactive Puruṣa and the non-intelligent Prakṛti disturbs the equilibrium of the guṇas and leads to evolution.

But how can two opposed and independent entities really come into contact?

  • To avoid this difficulty, Sāṅkhya says there is no real contact, but only the proximity of the Puruṣa to Prakṛti is sufficient to disturb the equilibrium.
  • New problem: If the Puruṣa is always near to Prakṛti, evolution should never stop, and dissolution would become impossible. Evolution would be beginningless, and the concept of Prakṛti as a state of equilibrium would be impossible.

Sāṅkhya finds itself in a dilemma: either no contact and hence no evolution, or else no equilibrium and hence no Prakṛti and no dissolution.

  • To avoid these difficulties, Sāṅkhya posits the theory of a semblance of a contact.
  • There is no real contact; it is this semblance that leads to evolution.
  • Puruṣa is reflected in the intellect (buddhi) and wrongly identifies himself with his own reflection.
  • It is this reflection of the Puruṣa that comes into contact with Prakṛti, not the Puruṣa himself.
  • New problem: Buddhi (or mahat) is regarded as the first evolute of Prakṛti. How can it arise before evolution to receive the reflection of the Puruṣa?
  • If it is said that the Puruṣa is reflected in Prakṛti itself, then liberation and dissolution would become impossible because Prakṛti is always there, and the Puruṣa would never get liberated.
  • If a semblance of a contact is sufficient to disturb the equilibrium, then evolution itself becomes a semblance of evolution—an appearance only (vivarta) and not a real transformation (pariṇāma) of Prakṛti.

Thus, in order to defend the initial blunder of regarding Puruṣa and Prakṛti as absolute and independent entities, Sāṅkhya commits blunder after blunder.

The Evolutes

  1. Mahat (The Great):

    • The first product of evolution. It is the germ of the vast world of objects, including intellect, ego, and mind.
    • It is cosmic in nature.
    • Its psychological aspect is called buddhi or intellect.
    • Buddhi is distinguished from consciousness. Puruṣa alone is pure consciousness. Buddhi, being an evolute of Prakṛti, is material but made of the finest matter, capable of reflecting the consciousness of the Puruṣa.
    • Its original attributes (when sattva predominates) are virtue (dharma), knowledge (jñāna), detachment (vairāgya), and power (aiśvarya). When vitiated by tamas, these are replaced by their opposites.

  2. Ahaṅkāra (Ego):

    • Produced from Mahat. It is the principle of individuation.
    • Its function is to generate the self-sense (the notion of 'I' and 'mine').
    • Puruṣa wrongly identifies with this ego and knows himself as the agent of actions, desirer of desires, and enjoyer of experiences.

    Ahaṅkāra has three types based on the predominant guṇa:

    • (1) Vaikārika or Sāttvika (sattva predominates):
    • Cosmic: Produces manas, five sense organs, and five motor organs.
    • Psychological: Produces good deeds.
    • (2) Bhūtādi or Tāmasa (tamas predominates):
    • Cosmic: Produces the five subtle elements (tanmātras).
    • Psychological: Leads to indifferent acts, idleness, and sloth.
    • (3) Taijasa or Rājasa (rajas predominates):
    • Cosmic: Supplies the energy by which the Sāttvika and Tāmasa types produce their respective evolutes.
    • Psychological: Produces evil deeds.

  3. Manas (Mind):

    • Arises from Sāttvika Ahaṅkāra. It is the subtle and central sense-organ.
    • Unlike the Nyāya-Vaiśeṣika view, it is not eternal or atomic. It is made up of parts and can contact different senses simultaneously.
    • Its function is to synthesize sense-data into determinate perceptions, pass them to the ego, and carry out the ego's orders through the motor organs.

  4. The Ten Organs:

    • Arise from Sāttvika Ahaṅkāra.
    • Five Sensory Organs (Jñānendriya): Functions of sight, smell, taste, touch, and sound.
    • Five Motor Organs (Karmendriya): Functions of speech, apprehension, movement, excretion, and reproduction.
    • Buddhi, ahaṅkāra, and manas are the three internal organs (antaḥkaraṇa).
    • The ten sensory and motor organs are the external organs (bāhyakaraṇa).

  5. The Five Subtle Elements (Tanmātras):

    • Arise from Tāmasa Ahaṅkāra. They are the essences of sight, smell, taste, touch, and sound.
    • These are "things-in-themselves" and are the cause of the gross elements.

  6. The Five Gross Elements (Mahābhūtas):

    • From the essence of sound arises ether (ākāśa).
    • From the essence of touch + sound arises air.
    • From the essence of color + sound + touch arises fire.
    • From the essence of taste + sound + touch + color arises water.
    • From the essence of smell + sound + touch + color + taste arises earth.

Evolution is the play of these twenty-four principles, along with the Puruṣa, who is a mere spectator.

  • Puruṣa: Neither a cause nor an effect.
  • Prakṛti: Only the cause, not an effect.
  • Mahat, Ahaṅkāra, and the five Tanmātras: Both causes and effects.
  • Manas, the ten organs, and the five Mahābhūtas: Only effects.

Chart of Evolutes

  • Prakṛti
  • Mahat
    • Ahaṅkāra
    • Sāttvika Ahaṅkāra
      • Manas
      • 5 Sensory Organs
      • 5 Motor Organs
    • Tāmasa Ahaṅkāra
      • 5 Tanmātras
      • 5 Mahābhūtas