The Vedas are the basic scriptures of the Hindus. They study the totality of nature from two directions. That is from:
i. the unmanifest to the manifest and
ii. from the manifest to the unmanifest.
It is a ‘blending’ of both the holistic and the analytical approach. The Nyāya Vaiśeṣika, the Sānkhya philosophy and yoga of the Vedic science are closely associated with Āyurveda. Their concepts are applicable to everyday life when understood in the correct perspective.
The Sānkhya philosophy could be regarded as the earliest school of thought to postulate a continuous step-wise evolution of the universe as a result of the union of two eternal entities. It states that the eternal and incorporeal factor, known as Puruṣa or Ātmā, triggers primordial matter, known as Mūla prakṛti to commence the continuous process of evolution. Ātmā (Puruṣa) is the animating factor and the ‘Cosmic Psyche’. It is interesting to note that Sānkhya philosophers were the first to explain cosmic evolution considering Puruṣa as the masculine principle and Mūla prakṛti as the feminine principle and that the evolution takes place from the Mūla prakṛti. The Puruṣa is non-material and the Mūla prakṛti is material. The cosmic evolution is, in brief, differentiation within the integrated (saṁsṛīṣṭaviveka) subject to a ‘definite law’ and conforms to a definite pattern known as the ‘Pariṇāmakramaniyama’.
A comparative study of the Ātmā and Mūla Prakṛti
Ātmā as Pure Consciousness is known as Paramātmā. Ātmā *that is present in every organism is known as Jīvātmā (1).
The Sānkhya philosophy postulates that the cosmos and the human system are linked with the same basic components. It states that the microcosm represents the macrocosm. Further, it analyses the phenomenal world under ‘nine entities’ (nava-dravyas), namely,
1. Ākāśa
2. Vāyu
3. Tejas
4. Ap
5. Pṛthivi
6. Ātmā
7. Manas
8. Kāla
9. Dik (2).
The cosmic time-space (kāla and dik) complex owes its existence to the conscious mind (Manas) of the ‘observer’ who is also the ‘participant’ in the overall ‘drama of evolution’ in time (kāla) and space (dik).
The term Ākāśa has two specific interpretations which should be well understood. They are:
I. That which is the non-material space in which infinitesimal units of mass ‘float’;
II. That which is the all material and pervasive, undifferentiated, infinitesimal unit of mass or the basic unit of matter (bhūtādi) or the tamas of the mūla prakṛti. They await differentiation which then results in the diverse forms of beings (dravya), properties (guṇa) and effects (karma) which could be grouped as being similar (sāmānya) and dissimilar (viśeṣa).
Commencement of cosmic evolution
During the pre-evolution phase, the mūla prakṛiti, remains undifferentiated. The inherent threefold tendencies, sattva, rajas and tamas, (trigunas), of the mūla prakṛiti are in a state of equilibrium or least ‘excitement’.
The ‘union’ of the eternal, non-materialpure consciousness known as the Puruṣa (the ‘masculine principle’), but devoid of consciousness, disturbs the state of ‘least excitement’ of the triguṇas and triggers cosmic evolution.
The tendencies of sattva, rajas and tamas could be explained, in brief, as follows:
Once the state of equilibrium is disturbed, the triguṇas break up their uniform diffusion, Affinity comes into play. This leads to unequal aggregation and relative preponderance of one guṇa over the others. Thus the triguṇas continue to combine, separate and re-combine in various modes of formative combinations amongst them.
The threefold tendencies, sattva — rajas — tamas permeate the cosmic evolution and at no stage or time could there be a single guṇa without the other since they are always interdependent.
The unstable state of the triguṇas results in a series of reactions conforming to a specific pattern. The first manifestation is the Buddhi or Mahat. Buddhi could be interpreted as the Intellect or ‘cosmic will’ in operation that satisfies the urge for manifestation created by the disturbed state of equilibrium of sattva, rajas and tamas.
This is followed by the second evolute the Ahaṃkāra, the Ego or ‘I’ consciousness. It is that which identifies the individuality of every phenomenon. From this point onwards the sequence of evolution could be better explained by considering the ahaṃkāra, with the triguṇas in it, to bifurcate the series of cosmic evolution.
One series of evolution indicates the manifestation of Manas** (mind), the pañca jñana indiyas (the five sensory organs) and the pañca karma indiyas (the five motor organs). Such a series of evolution comes into being from sāttvic ahaṃkāra influenced by rājasic ahaṃkāra (see Figure 1).
The second series of evolution describes the genesis of matter which behaves as energy, vibrations or waves brought about by the tamasic ahaṃkāra (bhūtādi) being charged by increasing units of rājasic ahaṃkāra as energy. Tāmasic ahaṃkāra forms the substratum or the first ‘stadium’ for objective manifestations. The basic ‘unity beyond all diversities’ that we comprehend is intrinsically the mūla prakṛiti which permeates as bhūtādi (tamas) or the precursor or forerunner of the ‘cosmic state of matter’.
The pañca tanmātrās
The tāmasic ahaṃkāra (bhūtādi) which exists as an absolutely homogeneous and absolutely inert quantum or mass in cosmic space, when charged by rajas with specific units of energy, results in the manifestation of a series of ‘infra-atomic particles’ known as tanmātrās. These are five (pañca) in number and possess definite physical characteristics depending on the addition of each unit of energy received from rajas.
The manner in which the fivefold characteristic ‘packets of energy’ (pañca tanmātrās) appear, in order of succession, is briefly explained as follows:
