The Positive Sciences of the Ancient Hindus c4.s3.16

c4.s3.16

The Vedántists resolve all activity—physical, vital, as well as psychical—into modes of motion, subtile cosmic motion (परिस्पन्द, सर्व्वलोकपरिस्पन्द—Śaṅkara; वायोः परिस्पन्दात्मकत्वात्,—प्राणस्य परिस्पन्दात्मकत्वादेव—यद्द्वैतं स्थूलं सूक्ष्मं च तत्सर्व्वं मनःस्पन्दितमात्रम्—Śaṅkara); but they give a separate substantive existence to the agents, the vital principle (प्राण), and the mind (मनः), though these are also evolutionary transformations of the Súkshma Bhútas (forms of subtile matter). What is common to the Nyáya, the Vedánta, and the Sáṅkhya is that Consciousness or Intelligence (चैतन्य) transcends Matter; but the Naiyáyikas, as pluralists, hold that vital and psychical activities are also immaterial and cannot be resolved into motion (परिस्पन्द). The Vedántists resolve these activities into subtile motion, but ascribe them to a substantive quasi-material Life Principle and Mind, the all-mirroring Intelligence (चैतन्य) alone being immaterial and transcendent; and the Sáṅkhyas accept the substantive existence of the Mind Principle (मनः) as derived co-ordinately with the Súkshma Bhútas or Tanmátras from individualised Prakriti (Ahaṅkára), but resolve Life into a mere resultant activity of the bodily organs, viz. the organs of sense and movement and the psychic principle (मनः).