Evolution of Samkhya Philosophy:

Prakrti is the substratum of the changing phenomena of the world. It is the equilibrium of sattva, rajas, and tamas. It is not a state of inactivity, but a kind of tension. The tendencies to manifestation and activity are held in check by the tendency to restraint and obstruct. Infinite number of sattva, rajas, and tamas counteract their activities and bring about a state of tension.

They relieve the tension and break the equilibrium under the influence of the individual souls. The equilibrium of the gunas is disturbed by some kind of influence of the individual souls. Prakrti evolves to realize their ends—experience and liberation.

When the equilibrium of the gunas is disturbed, some gunas overpower the other gunas, and start the process of evolution. There is neither creation nor destruction of the gunas. The total amount of sattva, rajas, and tamas can neither be created nor destroyed, increased nor decreased.

But within the universe some gunas can overweight the others and produce heterogeneous effects. Production is manifestation or evolu tion; destruction is non-manifestation or envelopment. The Samkhya clearly enunciated the doctrine of evolution.

The manifold world is not created by God out of The manifold world is not created by God out of nothing, but it is evolved from prakrti. The world is unconscious, and cannot be the transformation of a spirit which is unchangeable and immutable. It is the transformation of the unconscious prakrti or of sattva, rajas, and tamas. Prakrti and its evolutes (vikrti) are subject to transformation.

They can never be deprived of their essential nature of modifiability—evolution and dissolution. Evolution is the transformation of the homogeneous into the heterogeneous. Dissolution is the transformation of the heterogeneous into the homogeneous. The gunas are always changing and can never remain without modification for a moment.

Evolution is due to excess of some gunas and diminution of others. Some gunas are increased and others are decreased. The excessive gunas over power the other gunas owing to disturbance of their equili brium, and produce heterogeneous effects.

Evolution is transi tion from the homogeneous to the heterogeneous—from the undifferentiated to the differentiated; it is due to the integra tion of the gunas. Dissolution is the opposite process and due to disintegration of the gunas.

It is counter-evolution in which heterogeneous effects are disintegrated into the homo geneous real’s. Sattva, rajas, and tamas are transformed into their similar modifications. Sattva is transformed into sattva ; rajas, into rajas, and tamas, into tamas.

In dissolution the heterogeneous is transformed into the homogeneous. Evolu tion is due to disequilibrium of sattva, rajas, and tamas, and their transformation into heterogeneous modifications. Dis solution is due to disintegration of these heterogeneous modes into the homogeneous gunas.

Evolution is transition from the potential to the actual, from the undifferentiated to the differenti‐ ated, from the indeterminate or non-specific to the determinate or specific, from the un-manifest to the manifest, and from the separable to the inseparable. Evolution is transition from the homo geneous to the heterogeneous. The gunas are transformed into all the evolutes.

Prakrti is transformed into Mahat or cosmic intellect (buddhi). Mahat is transformed into Ahamkara or cosmic egoism. Ahamkara is transformed into the el‐ even sense- organs, and the five tanmatras or subtle essences of sound, touch, colour, taste and smell.

The five subtle essences are transformed into the five gross elements of ether, air, fire, water, and earth. These are the twenty four principles. In addition to these there are individual souls (purusas). These are the twenty five principles according to the Samkhya.

Vacaspati holds that Ahamkara in its sattvika aspect evolves into manas, the five organs of knowledge, and the five organs of action. Ahamkara in its tamasa aspect (bhutadi) evolves into the five subtle essences. Ahamkara in its rajasa aspect plays its part in both. The five subtle essences evolve into the five gross elements of earth, water, light, air, and ether by a preponderance of tamas.

Vijnanabhiksu gives a slightly different account of the evolution of the cosmos. Ahamkara is modified into the eleven sense-organs, on the one hand, and the five subtle essences, on the other. The five subtle essences are modified into the five gross elements. Ahamkara in its sattvika aspect evolves into manas.

Ahamkara in its rajasa aspect evolves into the ten sense-organs, the five organs of knowledge and the five organs of action. Ahamkara in its tamasa aspect evolves into the five tanmatras. The subtle essence of sound has the quality of sound only.

The subtle essence of touch has two qualities, sound and touch. The subtle essence of colour has three qualities, sound, touch, and colour. The subtle essence of taste has four qualities, sound, touch, colour, and taste. The subtle essence of smell has five qualities, sound, touch, colour, taste and smell. The subtle essences are called the fine elements. They are indeter minate or non-specific modes. The five gross elements, ether, air, light, water, and earth are the determinate or specific modes of the indeterminate or non-specific subtle essences.

The atoms of the five elements are generated from the subtle essences. They are not the finest and indivisible parts of gross elements. They are evolutes of the subtle essences. The earth atom is generated from the five subtle essences of smell, taste, colour, touch and sound, of which that of smell is the chief.

The wafer atom is generated from the four subtle essences of taste, colour, touch and sound, of which that of taste is the chief. The light atom is generated from the three subtle essences of colour, touch and sound, of which that of colour is the chief. The air atom is generated from the two subtle essences of touch and sound, of which that of touch is the chief. The ether atom is generated from the subtle essence of sound.

The subtle essence of smell is the chief cause of the earth atom. The subtle essence of taste is the chief cause of the water atom. The subtle essence of colour is the chief cause of the light atom. The subtle essence of touch is the chief cause of the air atom. The subtle essence of sound is the cause of the ether atom. Each of these subtle essences is the chief constituent of the specific kind of atom generated by it, though other subtle essences are combined with it.

The atoms are not partless and indivisible. They are effects, and so non-eternal, whereas prakrti is the ultimate cause. The Samkhya analyses the atoms into the subtle essences which are finer than the atoms, and traces the subtle essences finally to prakrti.

When the gross atoms combine with one another, their qualities are found in their products. The earth atom has solidity, the water atom, viscosity, the light atom, heat, the air atom, mobility and the ether atom, penetrability. The atoms combine with one another and form aggregates. An atom the predominant element. Its parts cannot be separated from one another without breaking its integrity.

The gross body is composed of the five elements— earth, water, light, air, and ether. Some hold that it is composed of the first four elements. They do not regard ether as its constituent. Others consider earth to be the only constituent of the gross body.

They consider the other elements as giving an impetus to the combination of the atoms of earth. Or there are different kinds of bodies composed of either earth, water, light, air, or ether. The human body is composed of earth.

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