Samkhya often written as Sankhya is one of India’s six philosophical schools (darshans). Samkhya maintains a coherent dualism between matter (Prakriti) and the eternal spirit (Purusha). Purusha and Prakriti are initially distinct, but over time, Purusha mistakenly connects themselves with parts of Prakriti. Purusha’s ability to distinguish itself from Prakriti is defined as the right knowledge. Despite several allusions to the philosophy in earlier writings, Samkhya got its canonical shape and expression, in the 3rd century CE, in Samkhya-karikas (“Stanzas of Samkhya”) by Ishvarakrishna, a philosopher. In the 16th century, Vijnanabhikshu authored an important book on the system. The Samkhya school of thought holds that there are two bodies: a temporal body and a body of subtle substance that survives biological death. When the former body dies, the latter migrates to a different temporal body. The higher functions of buddhi(“awareness”), ahamkara (“I-consciousness”), manas (“mind as the organiser of sensory impressions”), and prana (“breath,” the basis of vitality) comprise the body of subtle matter.
Prakriti stands is made of three primal qualities called Gunas:
- Tamas (“darkness”) is obscurity, ignorance, and inertia;
- 2)Rajas (“passion”) is energy, emotion, and expansiveness; and
- Sattava (“goodness”) is enlightenment, enlightened knowledge, and lightness.
This school’s development was categorised into two: Original Samkhya View and New Samkhya View. Both schools of thought argued that knowledge may lead to salvation.
