Samkhya

Samkhya is one of the six classical schools of Hindu philosophy (astika). It presents a dualistic ontology, distinguishing Purusha, pure consciousness, from Prakriti, primordial matter. In its most common exposition, liberation (kaivalya) arises when a person discriminates between the knower (Purusha) and the known (Prakriti) and thereby ceases identification with prakriti's transformations.

Prakriti is described as the source of all experience and is composed of the three gunas—sattva, rajas, and tamas—which in varying combinations generate the entire cosmos. Through the predominance of gunas, Prakriti evolves into Mahat (cosmic intellect), Ahamkara (ego), the mind (manas), the senses (jnanendriyas and karmendriyas), and the five gross elements (earth, water, fire, air, ether). Purusha, by contrast, is a passive witness; its distinctness from prakriti is the key to liberation.

Epistemology in Samkhya relies on pramana such as perception, inference, and testimony. The system is often considered atheistic in its classical form, since it does not require a creator God to explain the world and liberation proceeds through knowledge alone. It later influences the Yoga school, which adopts its ontology while adding disciplined practice to quiet the mind and achieve kaivalya.

Traditionally, Samkhya is attributed to the sage Kapila, and its core doctrine appears in texts such as the Samkhya Karika and various commentaries. Its historical dating is debated, but it remains foundational to Indian philosophy and significantly shaped subsequent Hindu thought.