The Nectar of Gita…for you, me and all! Essay 13 - Introduction to Sankhya Yoga (Cosmic Wisdom)- Chapter 2

Om Namo Bhagavathe Vaasudevaayaa!

                                                                                                                                

Introduction to Sankhya Yoga (Cosmic Wisdom)

Chapter 2

Right medicine is the need of the hour for a patient. Similarly, for someone caught in a trap of ignorance or delusion, ‘Gyan’ or ‘Wisdom’ through the medium of a Guru is the need of the hour. Arjuna was in a state of despair caught in the trap of ‘Moha’(attachment) or Delusion or Maya. He needs a strong dose of wisdom and here Lord Krishna who is called the ‘Jagadguru’ was by his side. He starts with ‘Sankhya Yoga’ or ‘Cosmic Wisdom’ which mainly discusses with Aatma and its nature.

This chapter is called ‘Sankhya Yoga’ because it deals with ‘Sankhya’ or numbers. It is held that ‘Prakruthi’ or the human being is made of 24 ‘Tatvas’ or systems. These are ∞Pancha MahaBhootas (5 elements), €Pancha Gnanendriyas(5 sensory organs), £Pancha Tanmatralu (5 mediums of the sensory organs), ¥Pancha Karmendriyas (5 organs of action), Manas (Conciousness), Chitta (Sub-consciousness), Buddhi (Intellect) and Ahamkara ( the I).

Sankhya is the wisdom that discusses about ‘Aatman’(Soul) and ‘Anatma’ (Non-Soul) matters and discriminates between these two. To put it differently, it discriminates between what is eternal and what is temporary; which is indestructible and which is destructible; which is ‘vidya’(knowledge) and which is ‘avidya’(Ignorance).  This in effect is cosmic wisdom as different from the knowledge of worldly sciences and arts. 

Sankhya considers these 24 Tatvas and discriminates as to which is an item of ‘Aatma’ and eliminates all those which are items of ‘Anatma’ as per the definition given above. It recognizes the one which is permanent and which is witnessing with detachment, the actions of the combination of these 24 elements in the form of a human body.

For someone like Arjuna who is caught in the worldly illusion or ‘Moha’, the Guru sets out to impart the Cosmic Wisdom or ‘Gyana’. This is in nutshell, the Cosmic Wisdom or ‘Sankhya Shastra’ is about. 

Let us see this more in detail as we go on.

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∞Pancha MahaBhootas: (The 5 elements of Nature)

1. Prudhvi -Earth
2. Apas – Water
3. Tejas – Fire
4. Vayu – Air
5. Akash - Ether

 €Pancha Gnanendriyas: (Sensory Organs)

1. Ghroona – Nose
2. Rasana – Tongue
3. Akshu – Eyes
4. Tvak – Skin
5. Srotra - Ear

 £Pancha Tanmatralu: (The Medium of Sensations)

1. Gandha – Smell
2. Rasa – Taste
3. Roopa – Sight
4. Sparsa – Touch
5. Shabda – Sound

 ¥Pancha Karmendriyalu: (The 5 Physical Organs of Action)

1. Payu – The Excretory Organ
2. Upastha – The Sexual Organ
3. Pada – The Feet for locomotion
4. Pani – The Hands for action
5. Vak – the Speech Organ

 Anthakarana Chatustayam: (The 4 Inner Instruments)

1. Manas – the lower mind
2. Chitta – The sub-conscious mind
3. Buddhi – The Intellect
4. Ahamkara – The empirical Ego

 Total 24 elements