Samkhya System

The Samkhya System brings new life to an ancient Hindu system of thought. Samkhya spans the fields of philosophy, physics, metaphysics, psychology, and ethics. Although notably not theological, its key premises can be found in virtually all religious traditions that originate from India. Samkhya espouses a reciprocity between Prakrti, the realm of activity, and Purusa, the silent witness. It also delineates the phenomenal experiences that arise from Prakrti, including the operations of the human body, the five great elements, and the eight mental states. Samkhya proclaims that knowledge of world and self can lead to freedom.This book presents a new translation of Isvarakrsna's Samkhya Karika, with grammatical analysis. It includes interpretive essays that explore the philosophical aspects of the Samkhya system by Geoffrey Ashton, Ana Funes Maderey, Mikel Burley, Christopher Key Chapple, and Srivatsa Ramaswami, as well as its sociological and psychological applications as delineated by Marzenna Jakubczak, McKim Marriott, and Alfred Collins.