Sankhyadarshanam’s View on The Creation of The Universe

The Universal Entities

The first concept that Sankhya argues for is that ‘Nothing comes from nothing’[1] , i.e., the Universe is not created starting from nothing. It also argues that the Universe is not a dream from which we will wake up one day, or an illusion[2]. Thus, it argues that the Universe is real, and that it is built up of basic building blocks. These blocks are eternal – without a beginning or an end. That is the only way we can have something without originating from nothing, when the Universe itself runs through cycles of creation and dissolution in an infinite circle, i.e., there is no beginning and no end to the process of creation and dissolution itself.

The Darshana further asserts that, of these eternal entities, there are two Purushas, or animate entities, and the third is Prakrti, or primordial matter – प्रकृतिपुरुषयोरन्यत् सर्वमनित्यम् ॥५।६८॥ – Other than the Purusha and Prakrti, everything else in this world is transient. The Purushas consist of Paramatma, or God, which is single, and of Jeevatma, or Soul, which are many in number. The Darshana puts it as follows:

  1. About God – स हि सर्ववित् सर्वकर्ता । ईदृशेश्वरसिद्धिः सिद्धाः ॥३।५६-५७॥ – That Lord alone is Omniscient and Omnipotent.
  2. About the Soul – जन्मादिव्यवस्थातः पुरुषबहुत्वम् ॥१।११४॥ – By the order in place of many different beings, Souls are many.
  3. About Matter – आद्यहेतुता तद्द्वारापारम्पर्येऽप्यणुवत् ॥१।३९॥ – Prakrti is the primordial cause from which everything else is created by one transformation after another. 

Matter undergoes multiple transformations to make up all the objects in the Universe. These transformations are further discussed in the next section. The Jeevatma becomes associated with particular chunks of it, called Shareera. God is the force behind most of the transformations and other occurrences in the Universe.

The Creation of the Universe 

Sankhya specifies that Prakrti comes in three flavours. These are Sattva, Raja and Tama. They have the following properties –

प्रीत्यप्रीतिविषादाद्यैर्गुणानामन्योऽन्यं वैधर्म्यम् ॥ १।९२ ॥

This states that Sattva has attractive properties, Tama has repulsive properties and Raja is neutral. Neutrality is expressed as Vishada here, which typically implies sorrow. However, that meaning has relevance only when in association with an animate entity. In fact, Sattva and Tama are also described with their animate equivalents – love and hate. These – love, hate and sorrow – are considered primary emotions that prove the existence of these three flavours, as well as the three parallels in the inanimate world.

In the beginning of the Universe, these three flavours exist uniformly[3]. Then, a churning begins that starts their transformation that ultimately leads to the evolution of the widely accepted elements of space, air, light/heat, water and earth. The transformations described are quite intriguing. However, arguments have been presented as to why they have to be as described and why more granular transformations have not been considered. Below is the summary of the metamorphoses specified.

The undifferentiated Prakriti starts differentiating at the beginning of the cycle of creation, or Srshti (as opposed to Pralaya, or dissolution). The first milestone in the process is Mahat. This is alternatively called ‘Mana’ or ‘Buddhi’, too. ‘Buddhi’ is that element which, in association with the Soul, recognizes, i.e., determines the values of the inputs coming in from the senses[4].

Part of Mahat differentiates into ‘Ahankara’, which can loosely be called Ego. This substance helps to create the illusion in the Soul that it is actually the body[5].

From some of Ahankar are generated the precursors of the five elements, called the Panch Tanmatra, and also two types of senses[6]. The five senses of perception, or Jnanendriya, of hearing, touch, sight, taste and smell are well-known. However, here the subtle forms of these are considered, not the organs that enable them in the gross body, like the eye or the nose. In addition, there are five senses of action, or Karmendriya. These include the two arms, the two legs, speech, excretory and reproductive functions, again in their subtle forms. Also, the mind, or Mana – the organ that receives, processes and sends signals from/to the senses – is included here. This makes up a total of eleven substances[7]. Till this point, the substances described are supposed to be beyond the reach of the perceptive senses, as they are subtler than, or at the same level as, the senses.

From the Tanmatras emerges gross matter, comprising of the five gross elements mentioned above. Very surprisingly, one finds a relationship between space and time, as Einstein proved. Thus, a Sutra declares –

दिक्कालावाकाशादिभ्यः ॥२।१२॥

Directions (in space) and time have originated from Space and other (space related transformations).

Along with the Purusha (Soul), this makes up a set of twenty-five substances that make up the Universe. God stays detached from it, like a person would maintain a separate identity from the machine s/he is building. The Purusha, as in Jivatma, however, participates as the consciousness inside all living beings that mould the Universe to a minor extent.

The Causes of the Universe

This, in fact, is the most interesting part of the conundrum. 

We first need to be clear about the meaning of the word ‘cause’ as used in the philosophical context. Cause, or Karana, does not only refer to the reason, but the base from which something else originates. This something else is called the effect, or Karya. The great Indian thinkers divided causes into three types –

  1. Nimitta Karana or Efficient Cause – This refers to the creator, or, the one that puts the other items together but remains separate from the final substance. It also refers to the reason behind an act, say. In the standard example of a potter making a pot, the potter is the Nimitta Karana.
  2. Upadana Karana or Material Cause – This consists of the base substances that transform into the end-product, or Karya. In our example, the clay is the Upadana Karana.
  3. Sadharana Karana or Effective Cause – This refers to all other instruments/forces that do not form part of the Karya, but are employed in its making. In our example, the potter’s wheel and his stick are the Sadharana Karana. In a very strict analysis, time, space and water would also be considered here.

Returning to the creation of the Universe, primordial matter, or Prakrti, is the root Material Cause, and is the originator of all other effects. Being at the base of the pyramid, it itself has no cause –

मूले मूलाभावादमूलं मूलम् ॥१।३२॥

There being no root in the root, the root is rootless, i.e., one should not look for a cause ad infinitum, when one has reached the ultimate cause, one has to recognize the fact that the process of dissection goes no further. This again highlights the concept that nothing comes out of nothing – we cannot decompose anything to nothing; in the end we will be left with something and, for this reason, that something has to be eternal. Prakrti, the Soul and God form those eternal entities.

The Nimitta Karana for all the transformations of Prakrti is God. But there should also be a reason for God to act in this way. This brings us to what might be called ‘the motivation behind the Universe’.

Many arguments are considered, finally arriving at the following conclusions –

  1. It is clear that the transformation of matter is not for itself – प्रधानसृष्टिः परार्थं स्वतोऽप्यभोक्तृत्वादुष्ट्रकुङ्कुमवहनवत् ॥३।५८॥ i.e., just as the camel carries a load of saffron, without knowing its worth, so also the creation of the Universe through the primordial matter is for another, since matter is unable to enjoy it itself.
  2. On the other hand, the Soul enjoys the fruits of the transformation. Therefore, it must be surmised that the Universe has been created for the benefit of the Soul – 
    आत्मार्थत्वात् सृष्टेर्नैषामात्मार्थ आरम्भः ॥२।११॥ i.e., creation is for the Soul, (as the five elements) have not been created for themselves.
  3. The other Nimitta Karana of the Universe is related to the Soul – 
    रागविरागयोर्योगः सृष्टिः ॥२।९॥ i.e., creation originates from like/attraction (Raga) and dislike/repulsion/revulsion (Viraga = Dvesha).

The third point, in a sense, covers the essence of the entire work. Let us consider it more in detail, as it is obviously incomprehensible in itself. Attraction and repulsion can be seen in matter, as between a proton and an electron, and between two electrons, respectively. These same forces operate in the intellect to attract us towards enjoyable experiences and repel us from distasteful experiences of life. Thus, all experiences (except a rare few, like in meditation) are material in nature – what we see, what we taste, etc. Since the Soul is not material, even though it resides in the body, it is incapable of actually seeing or tasting those substances. The connection between the body and the Soul somehow creates an illusion that the experience is happening to the Soul – the taste is going to the Soul, so to speak. While the Soul does provide the animation to create an understanding of the taste, which an inanimate object can never possess, in the ultimate reality the taste stops at the brain –

चिदवसानो भोगः ॥१।६९॥

Nothing can or does reach the Soul – असङ्गोऽयं पुरुष इति ॥१।१५॥. This is quite a difficult concept to digest! For this reason, the text itself has to be read in order to see the arguments for and against it.

The corollary of these facts is even more stunning! The day that the Soul realizes, through direct perception, that it is not its body, and all that it is experiencing are actually the body’s experiences, suddenly the worthlessness of the world dawns on it. In that moment, the Universe loses its purpose and stops transforming for it. Kapila says, “नर्तकीवत् प्रवृत्तस्यापि निवृत्तिश्चारितार्थ्यात् ॥३।६९॥, i.e., it is like a dancer who dances for the one taking interest, but not for the one who ignores her. Thus, personal Moksha is achieved! This represents the culmination of the Universe for the enlightened Soul.

Conclusion 

The ideas that Sankhya presents are not completely as per, and sometimes beyond existing science. However, they cannot be rejected outright as foolish, simplistic or mythical. Some convincing arguments have been put forward in their defence. These arguments should be debated in the light of modern science. If found worth examining, research should be conducted in order to prove their veracity. Considering that ancient Indian science has been proven to be correct in the weirdest of cases, e.g., in Yoga and Ayurveda, it is indeed worth looking at this alternate view of creation in detail.

[1] नावस्तुनो वस्तुसिद्धिः ॥१।४३॥

[2] अबाधातदुष्टकारणजन्यत्वाच्च नावस्तुत्वम् ॥१।४४॥

[3] सत्त्वरजस्तमसां साम्यावस्था प्रकृतिः प्रकृतेर्महान् महतोऽहङ्कारोऽहङ्कारात् पञ्चतन्मात्राण्युभयमिन्द्रियं तन्मात्रेभ्यः स्थूलभूतानि पुरुष इति पञ्चविंशतिर्गणः ॥१।२६॥

[4] अध्यवसायो बुद्धिः ॥२।१३॥

[5] अभिमानोऽहङ्कारः ॥२।१६॥

[6] एकादशपञ्चतन्मात्रं तत्कार्यम् ॥२।१७॥

[7] कर्मेन्द्रियबुद्धीन्द्रियैरान्तरमेकादशकम् ॥२।१९॥