11-06-2003, 09:10 PM
The philosophy of pa~nchshikha asurAyana a~ngirasa and sulabhA prAdhani
The essence of hindu atomism is seen in sulabhA's discourse , to the king of mithilA, dharmadhvaja jAnaka. sulabhA was a student of he student of pa~nchshika asurAyaNa.
Mbh. shAntiparvA 309.113-125 (Pune edition); 321 (Bengal edition)
avyaktaM prakR^iti.n tvAsAM kalAnAM kash chidichchhati .
vyakta.n chAsAM tathaivAnyaH sthUladarshI prapashyati .. 113..
Some believe that all existence emerges solely from the unmanifest prakR^iti, while others believe that it emerges from the always manifest prakR^iti.
avyakta.n yadi vA vyakta.n dvayImatha chatuShTayIm .
prakR^iti.n sarvabhUtAnAM pashyantyadhyAtmachintakAH .. 114..
Whether it emerges from the manifest, or the unmanifest, or a combination of two principles or of four principles, the knowers term the basis of all existence to be prakR^iti
seyaM prakR^itiravyaktA kalAbhirvyaktatA.n gatA .
aha.n cha tvaM cha rAjendra ye chApyanye sharIriNaH .. 115..
Myself and yourself, oh indra of the rajanyas, and other entities that occupy space are as result of prakR^iti.
bindunyAsAdayo.avasthAH shukrashonita sambhavAH .
yAsAmeva nipAtena kalalaM nAma jAyate .. 116..
A point formed by the union the spermatic and female principles is beginning of our existence. It then transforms itself into the primary embryonic globule called kalala
kalalAdarbudotpattiH peshI chApyarbudodbhavA .
peshyAstva~NgAbhinirvR^ittirnakharomANi chA~NgataH .. 117..
The kalala divides to a state with numerous bubbles called (arbuda), and the the arbuda gives rise to an elongated sheath like form (peshi). From the peshi, emerges the a~NgA, where the rudiments of all the organs are seen, from this form differentiates the external elements like hair and nails.
sampUrNe navame mAse jantorjAtasya maithila .
jAyate nAma rUpatva.n strI pumAnveti li~NgataH .. 118..
Upon the expiration of the 9th month emerges a neonate, Oh Maithila. It is female or male depending on the li~nga it had developed.
jAtamAtra.n tu tadrUpaM dR^iShTvA tAmranakhA~Nguli .
kaumAra rUpamApanna.n rUpato na palabhyate .. 119..
When a being issues forth from the womb it has nails and fingers of the hue of blood. The next step is infancy when the form seen at birth changes.
kaumArAdyauvana.n chApi sthAviryaM chApi yauvanAt .
anena kramayogena pUrvaM pUrvaM na labhyate .. 120..
from infancy, youth is reached and from that old age is reached. As the creature advances from stage to stage irreversibly, there is constant change in the body.
kalAnAM pR^ithagarthAnAM pratibhedaH kShaNe kShaNe .
vartate sarvabhUteShu saukShmyAttu na vibhAvyate .. 121..
This is because the body is made of minute particles which serve diverse functions and undergo changes, that are hard to perceive from second to second.
na chaiShAmapyayo rAja.NllakShyate prabhavo na cha .
avasthAyAmavasthAyA.n dIpasyevArchiSho gatiH .. 122..
The birth and death of these particles is continous, with one leading to the other, just as the changes in flame of a burning lamp, oh King.
tasyApyevaM prabhAvasya sadashvasyeva dhAvataH .
ajasra.n sarvalokasya kaH kuto vA na vA kutaH .. 123..
Thus is the existence of the body of all creatures, with their elements constantly in rapid locomotion like a good horse in run. Ever state comes and goes.
kasyeda.n kasya vA nedaM kuto vedaM na vA kutaH .
sambandhaH ko.asti bhUtAnA.n svairapyavayavairiha .. 124..
Who then has come whence? from what? what has it not come from? what is the relationship between the elements and the body of a creature?
yathAdityAnmaNeshchaiva vIrudbhyashchaiva pAvakaH .
bhavetyeva.n samudayAtkalAnAmapi jantavaH .. 125..
As fire come from the contact of wood pieces or sun's (rays) through bead, some combinations of the fundamental elements gives rise to the constituents of bodies.
The essence of hindu atomism is seen in sulabhA's discourse , to the king of mithilA, dharmadhvaja jAnaka. sulabhA was a student of he student of pa~nchshika asurAyaNa.
Mbh. shAntiparvA 309.113-125 (Pune edition); 321 (Bengal edition)
avyaktaM prakR^iti.n tvAsAM kalAnAM kash chidichchhati .
vyakta.n chAsAM tathaivAnyaH sthUladarshI prapashyati .. 113..
Some believe that all existence emerges solely from the unmanifest prakR^iti, while others believe that it emerges from the always manifest prakR^iti.
avyakta.n yadi vA vyakta.n dvayImatha chatuShTayIm .
prakR^iti.n sarvabhUtAnAM pashyantyadhyAtmachintakAH .. 114..
Whether it emerges from the manifest, or the unmanifest, or a combination of two principles or of four principles, the knowers term the basis of all existence to be prakR^iti
seyaM prakR^itiravyaktA kalAbhirvyaktatA.n gatA .
aha.n cha tvaM cha rAjendra ye chApyanye sharIriNaH .. 115..
Myself and yourself, oh indra of the rajanyas, and other entities that occupy space are as result of prakR^iti.
bindunyAsAdayo.avasthAH shukrashonita sambhavAH .
yAsAmeva nipAtena kalalaM nAma jAyate .. 116..
A point formed by the union the spermatic and female principles is beginning of our existence. It then transforms itself into the primary embryonic globule called kalala
kalalAdarbudotpattiH peshI chApyarbudodbhavA .
peshyAstva~NgAbhinirvR^ittirnakharomANi chA~NgataH .. 117..
The kalala divides to a state with numerous bubbles called (arbuda), and the the arbuda gives rise to an elongated sheath like form (peshi). From the peshi, emerges the a~NgA, where the rudiments of all the organs are seen, from this form differentiates the external elements like hair and nails.
sampUrNe navame mAse jantorjAtasya maithila .
jAyate nAma rUpatva.n strI pumAnveti li~NgataH .. 118..
Upon the expiration of the 9th month emerges a neonate, Oh Maithila. It is female or male depending on the li~nga it had developed.
jAtamAtra.n tu tadrUpaM dR^iShTvA tAmranakhA~Nguli .
kaumAra rUpamApanna.n rUpato na palabhyate .. 119..
When a being issues forth from the womb it has nails and fingers of the hue of blood. The next step is infancy when the form seen at birth changes.
kaumArAdyauvana.n chApi sthAviryaM chApi yauvanAt .
anena kramayogena pUrvaM pUrvaM na labhyate .. 120..
from infancy, youth is reached and from that old age is reached. As the creature advances from stage to stage irreversibly, there is constant change in the body.
kalAnAM pR^ithagarthAnAM pratibhedaH kShaNe kShaNe .
vartate sarvabhUteShu saukShmyAttu na vibhAvyate .. 121..
This is because the body is made of minute particles which serve diverse functions and undergo changes, that are hard to perceive from second to second.
na chaiShAmapyayo rAja.NllakShyate prabhavo na cha .
avasthAyAmavasthAyA.n dIpasyevArchiSho gatiH .. 122..
The birth and death of these particles is continous, with one leading to the other, just as the changes in flame of a burning lamp, oh King.
tasyApyevaM prabhAvasya sadashvasyeva dhAvataH .
ajasra.n sarvalokasya kaH kuto vA na vA kutaH .. 123..
Thus is the existence of the body of all creatures, with their elements constantly in rapid locomotion like a good horse in run. Ever state comes and goes.
kasyeda.n kasya vA nedaM kuto vedaM na vA kutaH .
sambandhaH ko.asti bhUtAnA.n svairapyavayavairiha .. 124..
Who then has come whence? from what? what has it not come from? what is the relationship between the elements and the body of a creature?
yathAdityAnmaNeshchaiva vIrudbhyashchaiva pAvakaH .
bhavetyeva.n samudayAtkalAnAmapi jantavaH .. 125..
As fire come from the contact of wood pieces or sun's (rays) through bead, some combinations of the fundamental elements gives rise to the constituents of bodies.