Samkhya - How the Universe is made

 Know through Vedas

 

There are three Gunas- elements- in the universe (Prakarti) and all three of them are different from each other and having different essence and attribute. When these three Gunas are at equilibrium then there is no creation in the universe. The Universe remains static and unmoved.

But when one Guna try to predominates over the other and there is about a commotion in the bosom of Universe (Prakarti) the creation started. This wonderful description of creation came from the oldest school of Samkhya Hindu philosophy that describes the creation and continuous flow of this world with the help of three different elements.

For Samkhya, universe is not emerged out of nothing or from anything but there is an logical means for the creation. Samkhya described the metaphysics with great caution and logical interpretation of oneness and many.

For Samkhya creation is evolution and universe is Prakarti and this Prakarti evolved within itself because this Prakarti is made up of three Gunas which is not essence or attribute but independent elements

Samkhya is the oldest Hindu philosophy which emerged from the Vedas and Samkhya is the first that came out logically to explain that how the universe is created with the metaphysics of Prakarti.

At first, before creation, it is said that 3 gunas are in unity and Prakarti held these 3 gunas in equilibrium (Gunaanam Samayavastha). At this point there is universe but there is no creation and thus the universe is at rest and without any activity.

 

The three Gunas of Samkhya are described as Satva (White), Rajas (Red) and Tamas (Black). These Gunas constitute the Prakarti and though it is of the worldly objects being subtle and imperceptible existence is inferred from their effects. The different combination of Gunas makes different objects and things and it depends which Guna is dominating in one object or one thing.

Despite worldly objects these Gunas also give rise to sensation in worldly beings in the form of pleasure, pain and indifference respectively. Although they are called Gunas yet they are not ordinary qualities or attributes. They possess qualities like activities, heaviness. They are extending and ever-changing elements and they make Prakarti which is nothing apart from them, they are not the qualities which prakarti is having but they are within, the substance, possesses, on the other hand they themselves constitute Prakarti.

 

The Sattva literary means real or existent and is responsible for the manifestation of objects in consciousness. It is called goodness and produces pleasure. It is light and bright, buoyant and small and also illuminating. Luminosity of light, power of reflection, upward movement, produces pleasure, happiness contentment and bliss. This Guna is responsible for brightness of the universe and always moving upward and bringing things into positive light.

While Rajas means foulness in the principle of motion, it produces pain, restless activity, and wild stimulation. It is mobile and stalemating and in red colour. This element remains always in motion and forcing thrush and bang.

Tamas which is literally means darkness is the principle of inertia and it produces apathy and indifference. Ignorance sloth confusion, bewilderment passivity and negativity are its results. It is heavy and evolving and as such is opposed to Sattva and Rajas as it arrests activity.

Interestingly the three Gunas which constitute Prakarti are never separate and they conflict and yet cooperate with one another and are always fund intermingled. When creation started these Gunas always trying to dominate each other and thus new substances and new creation and new energy is formed because these Gunas are trying to overcome each other and thus creation goes on. The object is identified by the dominating of the Gunas as if the Rajas is dominating then there is energy and if Sattva is dominating there is light or brightness and if Tamas is dominating then there is inertia. There is no static of objects or creation of any object but because of the conflict within, objects are formed and destroy everytime as the struggle continues to overcome and therefore nothing in this universe is static and permanent because these gunas are conflicting to overcome every time. The object or substance which seems to be something remains for the time being when one guna hold the dominancy in the substance and later when the guna left the hold the new substance or thing is created.  

When these gunas are held in a state of equilibrium that state is called Prakarti, Evolution of the world objects does not take place at this state. These Gunas are said to be changing and they cannot remain static even a movement.

 

 Now how these Gunas changes and therefore they are of two kinds homogeneous (Sarvpa Parinama) and heterogeneous (Virupa Parinama). During the state of dissolution of the world the gunas change homogeneously in which Sattva into Sattva and Rajas into Rajas and Tamas into Tamas. The change does not disturb the equilibrium of the Gunas and unless the equilibrium is disturbed and one pre dominate over the other two, the evolution. Evolution starts when there is hitherto generous change in the gunas and one predominates over the other and being about commotion in the bosom of the Prakarti.  

Despite Gunas of Prakarti, all individual things in the world are limited dependent, conditional and finite. The finite, therefore cannot be cause of the universe, logically, to proceed from finite to infinite from limited to unlimited to the pros to aperos, from temporary to permanent, from many to one. Therefore only Prakarti is the source of this universe – Bhedanaam Parmadit-.

All worldly things possess certain common characteristics by which they are capable of producing pleasure, pain and indifference. Hence there must be a common source composed of the Gunas from which all worldly things arise(Samanyata).

All effects arise from the activity of the potent source evolution means the manifestation of the hidden to implicit as the explicit the activity which generates evolution must be inherent in the world – cause and this cause is Prakarti(Kayat Pravartishch).

The effect differs from the cause and hence he limited effect cannot be regarded as its own cause. The effect is the explicit and the cause is the implicit state of the same process. The effect is the point to a world cause where there are potentially contained.

The Unity of the universe points to a single cause and this cause is Prakart (Avibhagad aishwasiyarupee).