Time = Space Series. Part 20 – Sankhya yoga and Sage Kapila

Now, let’s look at what Sankhyakarika one of the greatest scientific works by Sage Kapila. I need to highlight that the Sankhya philosophy is one of the most evolved philosophies about the secrets of nature; it contains only 72 verses of which 68 of them define the complete spectrum of universal manifestation. This Sankhya Yoga is referred in Bhagavad Gita – Chapter 2 is called Sankhya Yoga and in Chapter 10, verse 26, Lord Krishna identifies himself with Sage Kapila.

Sankhya in Sanskrit means numerals / numbers. Sage Kapila states:

·         Any measurement is a relational process and only a change can be measured but it takes time. The difference between the yardstick and the measured object constitutes the measured variable, which in effect is an incremental change. Since the observer can detect or measure only a change then logically, the incremental unit of measurement itself should form the basis to derive the whole. This is the genesis of F.

·         Correlate the above statement with the equation a + √a = 1. The unity is derived from the proportion “a” or 1/F.

·         As an example, the arch of a bow has expansive stress on the outer side and compressive stresses on the inner side, while the string is in tension and all are balanced at every instant. The expansive, compressive and tensile stresses can be expressed by one law.

·         Alternatively, a single variable describes the proportionality of three types of forces existing at the same time. Such a variable should be scale invariant, self-similar and have an axiomatic relationship to the whole.

·         So Sage Kapila called 1/F as a self-similar variable from which the unity can be derived.

·         So he postulated if x is the value of a measured increment then the total value 1+x must be related to the ratio of change as 1/x at the same instant of time or simultaneously. This means 1+x = 1/x, and would lead us to X² + X = 1.

·         He quotes that if the primordial rhythm has to be self sustaining then the proportion is certainly governed by 1/F. He gives the formula for this oscillations as follows:

o   X = 1/F = 0.61803399

o   Increment / Expansion = 1+x = 1.61803399 = F

o   Compression = 1-x = 0.38196601 = X²

o   Resonance = X³ = X - X²  = 0.23606798

Resonance or X³ is the factor which protects this rhythm from decaying and dying off. So F or 1/F is such an important ratio or proportion so it is called as the Golden mean or God’s ratio.

I shall highlight some of the factors / ratio which are part of Sankhya Yoga and what is amazing and you find formulas for Tamasic, Sattwic and Rajasic Guna states. (Please refer “Secret of Sankhya Yoga” – G. Srinivasan in the web).

·         Kapila defines the four qualities of the unmanifested state as Aikaantha (Synchronized), Aathyanta (perpetual), Atho (Dynamic)and Abhavath (unmanifest).

·         Taking C as cyclic rate of oscillation or vibration and x as rate of change per cycle then the three Guna self similar interactive states are shown as vibratory counts per cycle by the formula.

Thaama = C^1+x . Rajasic = C^x+x . Sathwa = C^1-x.

·         Some of the numbers that Sankhya Karika deals with are 1/7 (0.142857), π/10 (0.314159), 1/F (0.618034), √2 (1.414), F(1.61803399), √3 (1.732), √5 (2.23), e (2.718282), π (3.14159) and declares that the unmanifested state (Abhavaat) can exist only when the oscillations are between π/10 (0.314159) and e(2.718282). This is simply amazing since the state of Abhavvat is the state of Brahman.

Despite herculean efforts I am unable to understand the Bhashya for the 72 verses which is about 500 pages explaining the secrets of Sankhya in any significant measure. I wish someone can step in and help us by explaining Sankhya Yoga that is comprehensible to our level of intelligence.

We have a treasure of secrets and richness hidden in our scriptures and it seems we have already lost most of them and the fundamental reason being our indifference to Sanskrit and our mother tongue.

As a wise man said, “Indians are the most ignorant about their rich past and scientific traditions.”

Happy reading!

The passage produced below is just the summary of verse 1.

…The Sankhya view that evolves out of the complete theory is that only vibrations are detected by the observer... Since only relative changes can be be detected, any fundamental component that is not in a vibratory state cannot be detected. Vibrations are caused by components in an interactive state or a cyclic state of colliding and separating that is common to all interactions and wave phenomenon.

The interactions create three distinct modes of stresses. Collisions are compressive or inelastic. The resultant reaction is expansive or elastic. When the interacting components lack the freedom to move away the interactive state is maintained in a cyclic or shuttling mode in the same location in a resonant state.

This important Sutra lays emphasis that if the observed process of detection is dependant on vibrations, then fundamental space must contain components with those four characteristics described as states, which makes it function in a holographic way. That is all vibrations remain in fixed relationship relative to each vibratory point in a coherent and resonant state.

The following Sutras provide logically concatenating proof to show that manifestation is a holographic phenomenon. The Sankhya Sutras derive a unified theory that is self-similar, scale invariant, perpetual, self-organizing, self starting and clock-time independent. The same laws apply in evaluating the galaxy, sun, planets, protons, electrons etc…