What similes in Sākhya do: a comparison of the similes in the Sākhya texts in the Mahābhārata, the Sākhyakārikā and the Sākhyasūtra

Author: Jacobsen, K.¹

Source: Journal of Indian Philosophy, Volume 34, Number 6, December 2006 , pp. 587-605(19)

Publisher: Springer

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Abstract:

In Sākhya similes are an important means to communicate basic philosophical teachings. In the texts similes are frequently used, especially in the Sākhya passages in the Mahābhārata, in the Sākhyakārikā and in the Sākhyasūtra. This paper compares the similes in these three texts and analyses changes in the philosophy as revealed in the similes. A comparison of the similes of Sākhya texts produced over more than one thousand years reveals changes in the emphasis in this philosophical system. The purpose of the similes in the Sākhya passages of the Mahābhārata is to produce an intuitive understanding of the separateness of purua and prakti. The similes are designed to lead the listener to understand this basic dualism. In the Sākhyakārikā the most difficult issues are the relationship between prakti and purua and the idea of prakti working for the salvation of purua. One whole chapter of the Sākhyasūtra is devoted to similes.

Keywords: Sākhya; Prakti; Purua; Mahābhārata; Sākhyākārikā; Sākhyasūtra; Similes

Document Type: Research article

DOI: 10.1007/s10781-006-9007-z

Affiliations: 1: Email: knut.jacobsen@krr.uib.no

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