John Davies - Hindu Philosophy

Trbners Oriental Series

HIND PHILOSOPHY

Trbners Oriental Series

INDIA: RELIGION AND PHILOSOPHY

In 10 Volumes

HIND PHILOSOPHY

THE SNKHYA KRIK OF WARA KISHA

JOHN DAVIES

First published in 1881 by

Trbner & Co Ltd

Reprinted in 2000, 2002 by

Routledge

2 Park Square, Milton Park, Abingdon, Oxon, OX14 4RN

Transferred to Digital Printing 2007

Routledge is an imprint of the Taylor & Francis Group

1881 John Davies

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British Library Cataloguing in Publication Data

A CIP catalogue record for this book

is available from the British Library

Hind Philosophy

ISBN 0-415-24519-2

India: Religion and Philosophy: 10 Volumes

ISBN 0-415-24291-6

Trbners Oriental Series

ISBN 0-415-23188-4

HIND PHILOSOPHY.

THE SNKHYA KRIK OF WARA KISHA.

An Exposition of the System of Kapila.

WITH

AN APPENDIX ON THE NYYA AND VAIESHIKA SYSTEMS.

BY

JOHN DAVIES, M.A. (CANTAB.),

MEMBER OF THE ROYAL ASIATIC SOCIETY.

LONDON:
TRBNER & CO., LUDGATE HILL.
1881.

[All rights reserved.]

CONTENTS.

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PREFACE.

I WISH to present to my readers the philosophy of Kapila as it has been set forth by his Indian exponent, wara Kisha. The system of Kapila, called the Snkhya or Rationalistic, in its original form, and in its theistic development by Patajali, contains nearly all that India has produced in the department of pure philosophy. Other systems, though classed as philosophic, are mainly devoted to logic and physical science, or to an exposition of the Vedas.

The system of Kapila may be said to have only an historical value, but on this account alone it is interesting as a chapter in the history of the human mind. It is the earliest attempt on record to give an answer, from reason alone, to the mysterious questions which arise in every thoughtful mind about the origin of the world, the nature and relations of man, and his future destiny. It is interesting, also, and instructive to note how often the human mind moves in a circle. The latest German philosophy, the system of Schopenhauer and Von Hartmann, is mainly a reproduction of the philosophic system of Kapila in its materialistic part, presented in a more elaborate form, but on the same fundamental lines. In this respect the human intellect has gone over the same ground that it occupied more than two thousand years ago, but on a more important question it has taken a step in retreat. Kapila recognised fully the existence of a soul in man, forming indeed his proper naturethe absolute Ego of Fichtedistinct from matter and immortal; but our latest philosophy, both here and in Germany, can see in man only a highly developed physical organisation. All external things, says Kapila, were formed that the soul might know itself and be free. The study of psychology is vain, says Schopenhauer, for there is no Psyche.

HIND PHILOSOPHY.

PART I.

THE Hind schools of philosophy are usually classed in the following order:

1. The Nyya, founded by Gautama.

2. The Vaieshika, by Kada.

3. The Snkhya, by Kapila.

4. The Yoga, by Patanjali.

5. The Mms, by Jaimini.

6. The Vednta, by Bdaryaa, sometimes called Vysa, or Veda Vysa.

They are called the six stras, or writings of authority, and sometimes the six Daranas, views or expositions of doctrine.

The term philosophy cannot be strictly applied to all these systems.

The Nyya is properly a system of logic, offering many points of resemblance to the methods of Aristotle.

The Vaieshika treats of physics, of the categories or general attributes of things, and of the formation of the kosmos, which it attributes to the qualities and movements of primitive atoms.

The Mms and Vednta systems are nearly related to each other.

The Mms, or Prva (Prior) Mms, arose from a desire to maintain and illustrate the Vedas. Its object was to support the supreme authority of these books, to maintain their ritual, and to determine the true meaning of such passages as had been misunderstood, or wrested in support of error.

The Vednta, or Uttara (Posterior); Mms, as it is sometimes called, was formed at a later date on the base of the Upanishads, or treatises relating generally to the Vedas. It differs from the Prva Mms chiefly in this, that its main object is to explain and enforce the religious doctrines of the Vedas. It teaches that there is in reality only one existence. It maintains the doctrine of a-dvaita, or non-dualism, as decidedly as Schelling or Hegel. All things, visible and invisible, are only forms of the one eternal Essence