A comprehensive review on Basic Principles of Samkhya Darshana and their implications in Charaka Samhita

Abstract

Samkhya Darshana is considered as one of the oldest and prominent school of Indian theistic philosophy. Traditionally propounded by Maharshi Kapila and was written as Samkhya Sutra, it became lost with the passage of time. Around 8th century Ishwarakrishna compiled all the principles of Samkhya philosophy in Samkhyakarika which is now considered as the most important textual resource. Samkhya philosophy propounds various metaphysical theories notably theory of Karya Karana Siddhanta as Sat Karya Vada, theory of Prakriti and Purusha, theory of evolution of universe, theory of three Gunas of Prakriti along with its unique triad of epistemology. Charaka Samhita being the most important compendium of Ayurveda has got inspired by many such philosophical theories of different philosophical schools, Samkhya and Vaisheshika being the most important among them. Charaka Samhita has adopted many philosophical understandings of Samkhya and subsequently implied them to form its own unique philosophical principles. The implications of such many theories of Samkhya like Sat Karya Vada, Prakriti and Purusha, Tri-Guna, theory of evolution of this universe and application of Pramana Vigyana (theory of knowledge) can be found in throughout Charaka Samhita. It is interesting to see how instead of blindly adopting those theories of Samkhya, Charaka Samhita has modulated them incorporating the understandings of its authors to frame out its own philosophical principles and to apply them in fulfilment of the chief objectives of Ayurveda like maintenance of health of a healthy person and alleviation of disease from a diseased person. In this study the author has tried to analyse the principle philosophical understandings of Samkhya Darshana and how those are later adopted in Charaka Samhita.