Samkhya thoughts in the Mahabharata
by Shini M.V. | 2017 | 51,373 words
This page relates ‘Relation of the the individual soul and the the supreme soul’ of the study of Samkhya thought and philosophy as reflected in the Shanti-Parva of the Mahabharata. Samkhya represents one of the six orthodox schools of Indian Philosophy and primarily deals with metaphysical knowledge and explains the Universe without the need to introduce God. The Mahabharata is an ancient Sanskrit epic which includes many Sankhya theories while expounding twenty-five principles.
Relation of the the individual soul and the the supreme soul
The Ātman imprisoned within the body is called kṣetrajña or jīvātman. When this Ātman is released from the body, it is known as the absolute self. The Mahābhārata states that one, who considers the Ātman to be one who slays or one who is slain, is ignorant, because though he appears to have taken birth in the form of neither body nor is he born nor does he die. Having come in to being, it cannot be that he will not be born hereafter[1].
According to Mahābhārata the Lord says—
“I am lodged in the hearts of all. From me are memory and knowledge as well as their loss. I am indeed, one who is to be known by all the Vedas. I indeed am the author of the Vedānta and I, too am the knower of the Vedas, there are two persons in the world, the imperishable one and the perishable one.[2]
Thus the nearness, oneness of the two souls and the attainment of the supreme soul by the embodied soul has been brought out with manual skill.
Footnotes and references:
[1]:
Mahābhārata Bhī.p, 24-20.