Change: Thinking through Sāṅkhya
This paper explores the ways change is addressed in Sāṅkhya, one of the major Hindu schools of philosophy, specifically in light of the classical debate between Hindu and the Buddhist philosophers regarding intrinsic nature (<i>svabhāva</i>) and the concept of transformation (<i>pa...
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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MDPI AG
2022-06-01
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| Series: | Religions |
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| Online Access: | https://www.mdpi.com/2077-1444/13/6/549 |
| _version_ | 1797482797449871360 |
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| author | Sthaneshwar Timalsina |
| author_facet | Sthaneshwar Timalsina |
| author_sort | Sthaneshwar Timalsina |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | This paper explores the ways change is addressed in Sāṅkhya, one of the major Hindu schools of philosophy, specifically in light of the classical debate between Hindu and the Buddhist philosophers regarding intrinsic nature (<i>svabhāva</i>) and the concept of transformation (<i>pariṇāma</i>). When we closely analyze Sāṅkhya categories, the issue of temporality stands out, because for Sāṅkhya philosophers time is not a distinct category and is infrequently addressed in classical Sāṅkhya. Nonetheless, we can still extract two different notions related to time, dynamism intrinsic to <i>rajas,</i> and temporality that is enclosed within the notion of space and spatial objects. What this implies is that the temporality implicit within the concept of change is only applicable to the last of the evolutes, according to Sāṅkhya cosmology. However, the Sāṅkhyan idea of 16 transformations (<i>pariṇāma</i>) applies to all categories, except <i>puruṣa</i>. By exploiting the parameters of these arguments, this paper makes the case for a closer analysis of the category of transformation in classical Sāṅkhya. Reading about change in the light of <i>svabhāva</i>, the intrinsic nature of an entity, versus the idea of its termination, allows us to have a wider conversation on what it means for something to change from within the Sāṅkhya paradigm. |
| first_indexed | 2024-03-09T22:37:37Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-4acef11201e44aaaa93f2d9130ba8cf9 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 2077-1444 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-03-09T22:37:37Z |
| publishDate | 2022-06-01 |
| publisher | MDPI AG |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Religions |
| spelling | doaj.art-4acef11201e44aaaa93f2d9130ba8cf92023-11-23T18:45:30ZengMDPI AGReligions2077-14442022-06-0113654910.3390/rel13060549Change: Thinking through SāṅkhyaSthaneshwar Timalsina0Department for the Study of Religion, San Diego State University, San Diego, CA 92182, USAThis paper explores the ways change is addressed in Sāṅkhya, one of the major Hindu schools of philosophy, specifically in light of the classical debate between Hindu and the Buddhist philosophers regarding intrinsic nature (<i>svabhāva</i>) and the concept of transformation (<i>pariṇāma</i>). When we closely analyze Sāṅkhya categories, the issue of temporality stands out, because for Sāṅkhya philosophers time is not a distinct category and is infrequently addressed in classical Sāṅkhya. Nonetheless, we can still extract two different notions related to time, dynamism intrinsic to <i>rajas,</i> and temporality that is enclosed within the notion of space and spatial objects. What this implies is that the temporality implicit within the concept of change is only applicable to the last of the evolutes, according to Sāṅkhya cosmology. However, the Sāṅkhyan idea of 16 transformations (<i>pariṇāma</i>) applies to all categories, except <i>puruṣa</i>. By exploiting the parameters of these arguments, this paper makes the case for a closer analysis of the category of transformation in classical Sāṅkhya. Reading about change in the light of <i>svabhāva</i>, the intrinsic nature of an entity, versus the idea of its termination, allows us to have a wider conversation on what it means for something to change from within the Sāṅkhya paradigm.https://www.mdpi.com/2077-1444/13/6/549transformation (<i>pariṇāma</i>)changeSāṅkhya philosophytime<i>prakṛti</i><i>guṇa</i> |
| spellingShingle | Sthaneshwar Timalsina Change: Thinking through Sāṅkhya Religions transformation (<i>pariṇāma</i>) change Sāṅkhya philosophy time <i>prakṛti</i> <i>guṇa</i> |
| title | Change: Thinking through Sāṅkhya |
| title_full | Change: Thinking through Sāṅkhya |
| title_fullStr | Change: Thinking through Sāṅkhya |
| title_full_unstemmed | Change: Thinking through Sāṅkhya |
| title_short | Change: Thinking through Sāṅkhya |
| title_sort | change thinking through sankhya |
| topic | transformation (<i>pariṇāma</i>) change Sāṅkhya philosophy time <i>prakṛti</i> <i>guṇa</i> |
| url | https://www.mdpi.com/2077-1444/13/6/549 |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT sthaneshwartimalsina changethinkingthroughsankhya |