नित्यो नित्यानां चेतनश्चेतनानामेको बहूनां यो विदधाति कामान्।
तत्कारणं साङ्ख्ययोगाधिगम्यम्। तमात्मस्थं अनुपश्यन्ति धीराः। (श्वेताश्वेतर, कठ) ।
The One, who is the 1) “Eternity” among eternals (नित्यो नित्यानाम्), 2) “Sentiency” among the sentient (चेतनश्चेतनानाम्) and 3) the “Ultimate Constituent” of everything (एको बहूनाम्), reveals all (कामान् – काम रजोगुणसमुद्भवः – गीता-3/37, कमुँ॒ कान्तौ॑, रजसा उद्घाटितम्) that is held in a specially compact manner (वि + दधँ॒ धार॑णे). IT can only be known through the concepts of Sankhya (साङ्ख्यम् – fundamental description about everything confined) practiced in accordance with the principles of Yoga (योग – coupling of the Observer and the Observed through the mechanism of Observation). Only the wise (धीराः – undisturbed due to resolution of all contradictions), who analyze and regress backwards to find the Ultimate Cause, will be able to perceive it. The first indicates Time (कालः – चिच्छक्तिर्नित्यसत्ताख्या कालः षड्भावयोगतः), the second Determinism (अन्यापेक्षणहेतोस्तु सङ्कोचान्नियतिः स्मृता) and the third Freewill (किञ्चित् कर्त्तृत्वरूपेण ज्ञानं सर्वज्ञता तथा । बुद्धिस्तत्प्रतिविम्बानां वस्तुनामेव बोधकः). The first also represents the fixed aspect that develops to become material aspect, the second the ever-changing primordial energy aspect and the third the all-revealing information aspect.
Only one Darshanam, which is the totality of concepts
There is much misunderstanding about the word Darshanam (दर्शनम्), which is often equated with what is called Indian Philosophy. The word Darshanam (दर्शनम्) literally means the mechanism of observation and has been defined by Panchashikha (पञ्चशिख), a disciple of Kapila and one of the greatest authorities quoted by Vyasa, as: EKAMEVA DARSHANAM. KSHYATIREVA DARSHANAM (एकमेव दर्शनम्। ख्यातिरेव दर्शनम्). The meaning is, there is only one Darshanam, which is the totality of concepts about everything. It is called Khyati (ख्याति – ख्या॒ प्र॒कथ॑ने) – the basic concepts by which something is described. When we apply the principle of Darshanam to any particular subject or object, the limited concept becomes Vijnanam – science (विज्ञानम् – विशिष्ट ज्ञानम् – Vishista Jnanam or knowledge of the special characteristics that distinguishes something from others – साधर्म्य-वैधर्म्य – SAADHARMYA-VAIDHARMYA – similarities and differences). When Vijnanam (विज्ञानम्) or science is put to practical use, it acts as per its specific characteristics (चरित्र – CHARITRA). Hence, it is called चारित्र्य – CHAARITRYA – technology. Thus, Darshanam is not philosophy, but universal basic concepts of everything fundamental that gives rise to science and technology. Since all Darshanam flow from the Veda, they are not contradictory, but complementary. Reductionist approach of treating the Darshanas as separate branches distorts their meaning.
Vedas is the universal book of wisdom not limited to a particular race or sect or time, space or culture. It can be interpreted from three different perspectives: ADHIDAIVA (अधिदैव) or the energy perspective qualitatively known as RAJA – रज, ADHIBHOOTA (अधिभूत) or the material perspective qualitatively known as TAMA – तम, and ADHYATMA (अध्यात्म) or the conscious or information perspective qualitatively known as SATTWA – सत्त्व. The operator for the energy perspective is called AKSHARA (अक्षरम् – literally non-perishable or always conserved), that for the matter perspective is called KSHARA (क्षरः – literally continuously perishable or mutable), and the conscious or information perspective is called AVYAYA (अव्ययः) literally not interacting – hence, not expendable (this refutes observer created reality), but which reflects as consciousness.
- The first Darshanam is Sankhya (साङ्ख्यम्). It is defined as: that which contains the total description about everything that is limited or confined (सम्यक् ख्यानं सङ्ख्या । सम्यक् ख्यायते प्रकाशते वस्तुतत्त्वमनेनेति सङ्ख्या । सा यस्मिन् वर्त्तते तत् साङ्ख्यम्). Sankhya (साङ्ख्यम्) deals with Akshara – the operator for energy of all types that leads to the creation (अक्षरात् सम्भवतीह विश्वम्). Hence it begins with Nature – PRAKRHTIH (प्रकृतिः – which literally means प्रक्रियतेऽनया इति – the ingredients that leads to creation, or प्रकृष्ट कृति – approaching towards the first operation of creation – the rest are due to inertia only, or प्रकृष्टा मुख्या कृतौ सृष्टौ या सा – the primal operation that leads to creation). It is the equivalence of RAJA-TAMA-SATTWA, which makes it inexplicable (कारणानां गुणानां तु साम्यं प्रकृतिरुच्यते – KAARANAANAAM GUNAANAAM TU SAAMYAM PRAKRHTIH UCHYATE). This is the same as singularity in modern science. This leads to the emergence of sentiency with its information content classified into various groups based on energy evolution and emergence of charge based on proximity and distance variables that leads to प्रसवः – creation with positive charge and संस्त्यान – confinement with negative charge.
Sankhya (साङ्ख्यम्) divides everything into three groups: 8 Prakriti – प्रकृतिः (1 fundamental Prakriti – मूलप्रकृतिः and 7 Prakriti-Vikriti – प्रकृतिः-विकृतिः) that are not perceptible and are capable of acting as cause for creating specific effects. These give rise to the intrinsic constituents of perception (अन्तःकरणमित्युक्तं तत्तदाधिक्यसम्भवम्). Also these create 11 instruments of perception and action (the senses and mind – ज्ञानेन्द्रिय-कर्मेन्द्रिय-मन); and 5 material constituents (भूत) as effect (कार्य षोडशक). These effects cannot act as cause and do not give rise to other constituents. These constituents (भूत) are outwardly directed (पराञ्चिखानि) – hence interact and combine in different proportions with others to create everything (nucleons, atoms, molecules, etc.). Consciousness is beyond these (न प्रकृतिर्न विकृतिः पुरुषः). It is neither the cause for anything nor is it the effect of anything.
Sankhya ends with the five BHOOTA (भूतम्). - Vaisheshika deals with the matter perspective called KSHARA (क्षरः), which are found (भू सत्ता॑याम्) in abundance (भूमा), can be obtained (भू प्राप्तौ) and can interact with others (भु॒वोऽव॒कल्क॑ने । मिश्री॒कर॑ण॒ इत्येके॑) – hence called BHOOTA (भूतम्).
- Nyaya (न्यायः) is the common research methodology for ALL Darshanam. The five BHOOTA (भूतम्) are not Earth, water, heat, air and sky (क्षिति-अप्-तेज-वायु-आकाश), as is commonly believed, but are universal description of everything mutable within a confinement – the inherent energies mutated due to interaction between themselves that make the same stuff behave differently. These mutable energies lead to five different types of interactions: अन्तर्याम – ANTARYAMA – now known as strong nuclear interaction, वहिर्याम – VAHIRYAMA – now known as beta decay part of weak nuclear interaction, उपयाम – UPAYAMA – electromagnetic interaction, यातयाम – YATAYAMA – now known as alpha decay, and उद्याम – UDYAMA – now known as gravity. When the field (क्षेत्र) is acted upon by these forces, they create the five elements.
These lead to five effects respectively, which are: creation of nucleons from the universal field through confinement – आकुञ्चन (process that generates quarks), creation of the confining layer within a limited area through contraction – अवक्षेपण (process that generate leptons), expansion to attain uniform density within a confinement – प्रसारण (process that generate electromagnetic interaction), all types of disintegration – उत्क्षेपण (process that leads to alpha decay) and placement of two bodies at the maximum possible distance against a common barycenter – उरूगायप्रतिष्ठा (process that generates gravity).
Akshara leads to the emergence of time (कालः) and then space, in a mechanism similar to the big bang or the big bounce, which leads to emergence of the all-pervading space (अक्षरात् सञ्जायते कालः कालात् व्यापकरुच्यते – AKSHARAAT SANJAAYATE KAALAH, KAALAAT VYAAPAKAH UCHYATE). Everything is perceived only when it is in a state of transition, which is possible only through energy (रजसा उद्घाटितम् – RAJASAA UDGHAATITAM). Time and space arise from our concepts of sequence and interval (परत्वापरत्व – PARATWA-APARATWA). Time is the sequential (ordered) intervals (क्रमिकअवकाशः) between events that require energy for its emergence. Space is the sequential (ordered) intervals between objects that are nothing but bundles of energy, which are created in events. It is also the universal base or field for everything that appears in 16 different ways. Since everything is described using some markers and intervals do not have any markers, they are described through alternative symbolism (विकल्पः – VIKALPAH) of the boundary events and objects respectively. Both time and space are infinite (अनन्तम्), as we cannot see any end of it. Infinities co-exist. Hence we have space-time.
Space is the cause for differentiation of positions of objects, universal base where all objects are found; and connects everything through the intervals (कालात् क्रिया विभज्यन्ते आकाशात् सर्वमूर्तयः). Fundamentally, time and space are non-changing bases (अमूर्तः) and are analog (आधारशक्तिः प्रथमा सर्वसंयोगिनां मता). We use different segments of this infinite field or common space or interval related to different objects for our specific use (संयोगिधर्मभेदेन देशे च परिकल्पते), which are its digitized versions (मूर्तः). Just like the space between two objects is not related to the objects, the infinite space (परमाकाशः) is also not related to the compartmentalized space (धटाकाशः) or the quantum space (दहराकाशः), which are temporary adjuncts (उपाधि) only.
To be continued.
