Sāṃkhya Pravacana Sūtras
The Sāṃkhya Pravacana Sūtras (Aphorisms of Sāṃkhya Teaching) are a systematic collection of Sāṃkhya philosophical aphorisms, attributed to the legendary founder Kāpila. The text provides a more comprehensive treatment of Sāṃkhya than the Sāṃkhya Kārikā.
Overview
The text consists of approximately 526 sūtras organized into six chapters (adhyāyas). It is attributed to Kāpila, but modern scholarship generally places its final form in the late medieval period (c. 14th century CE or after), later than the Sāṃkhya Kārikā. The text systematizes the Sāṃkhya philosophy in a format similar to the Brahma Sūtras.
Content and Structure
The Sāṃkhya Pravacana Sūtras present the complete Sāṃkhya system: the twenty-five tattvas (principles of reality), the theory of the three guṇas, the mechanism of cosmic evolution (pariṇāma), the nature of the Self (puruṣa), and the path to liberation through discriminative knowledge. The text also addresses objections from rival philosophical schools and provides detailed analysis of the process of creation.
Significance
The text is significant as the most comprehensive surviving systematization of classical Sāṃkhya philosophy. It was commented upon by Aniruddha (c. 15th century) and Vijñānabhikṣu (c. 16th century), providing the foundation for the later development of Sāṃkhya philosophy.
Verification Notes
- Traditional attribution to Kāpila; the text reached its final form in the late medieval period (c. 14th century CE).
- Audited against Wikipedia (September 2026).