Samkhya Karika

By Ishvara Krishna
This is just a gist of whatever the content is told in the Sankhya Dharshana. The
other content such as Tarka, Poorvapaksha, Uttarapaksha are all left out.

The first Karika is very important since it tells the four important aspects.
Mangalacharana is an important thing. The first
“Prayojanam Anudhishya Mandhopina Pravarthathe”
Even a person with Mandha Buddhi would not do a work without knowing the
Prayojana.
“Mangalaadhini, Mangalamadhyani, Mangalamadhyani prathanthe”
Whichever karya that has mangala in start mid and end is considered to be
successful. If we take a drama, Naandhi is the mangalacharana at the start and at
the end, we finish it with a mangala.

First Verse:
Three fold pain
Abhigaat-
There is a jignayasa that we could eradicate this three fold pains that is there
everyday in our life.

Adhyathmika- Two kinds

Sharirik and Manasik – Aadhi and Vyaadhi respy.
Ayurveda will be a remedy for Sharirk
Manasik – Go to temple, watch movies, listen to music

Aadhiboutika
Guard the fence so that the animals, stay indoors
Aadhidaivika
Yajna can be done, Yantra, Pariharas can be done.
So loukika we have the remedies. Why not use that? Why this grantha?
This remedy given by the laukika is not permanent. The illness would come back,
mental pressure would come back. So tattva jnana is important to get a permanent
solution.

2) We’ll see the Vedic solutions

Yajna of all kinds can be done to remove these obtacles. Why not that?

These solutions are also like the laukika solution. How?

1. Avishuddhi – Cows are killed, blood split and hence become A shuddhi,
impure.
2. Kshaya- All sadhanas and the fruit of the Yajna when it becomes empty, you
have to come back. Do not go into the details of what is swarga
3. Athishaya Yuktha – For the people come to a Yajna, people would be of
higher position to lower postion. For example, one sadhu would come with
ten servants. They would give Ahuthi. If a person comes with only two
servants, he is at the back in a competition. We always look at what others
have, not what we have. So there would be a thing in the mind that the other
person has so much more than me. This would happen even for big people
also. For example, Vashishta and Vishwamitra. Vishwamitra wanted
Vashishta to tell him as Brahma Rishi but it was not happening. Once he had
even thought of killing him.

Vyaktha – The one that is visible to us – This world (Prakriti)- From this only all
things evolve.
Avyaktha- Athyantha Sookshma, not visible – From which the Vyaktha is formed, the
one that is formed by the Satva Rajas and Tamas. Another name of it is Pradhaan.
Whichever is foremost and important, it is called Pradhaan. (Refer well)

Prakrithi is the one that we see through th eyes- the tress, animals etc. But in
dharshan’s eyes, all these tress and nature are vikruthi.
Ja sabdha
Pramaan – Jaanne ka upaaya or sadhana
Pramatha – Jaanne wala
Prame – The one who eligible for understand (Jaanne ka yoga hai)
Prama – Jnana
25 tattvas are there in Premeya

3) Satva Rajas Tamas are moolaprakruthi. They are Avikruthi – which means they
are not derived from anything, they are the root.
Mahad Adhya – Mahad, Ahamkar and Pancha Tanmatra( Shabdha, Sparsha,Roopa,
Rasa, Gandha) are born from the moolaprakruthi hence called Vikruthi.
(Prakruthivikruthi)
Another 16 Tattva will be born from these, hence they are Prakruthi to the ones
come
Grandfather – Father and Son. Grandfather is only a father, son is only son, but
father is a son as well as a father.

16 Vikaras – 5 gnanendriya, 5 Karmendriya, 5 Panchabootha, Manas. This is final

so, these are just Vikaras.

Na Prakruthi Na Vikruthi – Purusha( Atma) neither it is born and nor does it give birth
to anything.

Pramana
In Nyaya dharshan, paribhasha- ?
“Pramaanair artha Parikshanam ithi Nyayaha” –Prathyaksha aadi pramanonke
dwara artha( samsaar ke padharthonke pariksha karna)
In nyaya 16 tattavas are told – Pramaana Prameya aadi 16 tattvas are discussed.
First tattva is Pramaana.

Sankhya does not cover about Pramana but without discussing it, we cant go further
hence.
Chaarvaka tells that there is only Pramana, i.e Prathyakha. The one that is visible is
present, the one that is not visible is not there.
“yaavam jeeveth sukahm jeevet….”
If one drinks and becomes unconconious he enjoys the full happiness”

In sankhya we see three Pramana

 1. Prathyaksha (Drushtam)
2. Anumana
3. Athmavachanam (Shabdha pramanam)
Why only three?

It is dualistic in nature. It talks about Purusha and Prakruthi.

It does not talk about God whereasn Yoga talks aboutbthe Ishwara Pranidhana.
Ishwara is one whom the klesha and karma does not touch it.