Canto 11: General HistoryChapter 24: The Philosophy of Sāńkhya

Bhaktivedanta VedaBase: Śrīmad Bhāgavatam 11.24.1

śrī-bhagavān uvāca

atha te sampravakṣyāmi

sāńkhyaḿ pūrvair viniścitam

yad vijñāya pumān sadyo

jahyād vaikalpikaḿ bhramam

SYNONYMS

śrī-bhagavān uvāca — the Supreme Personality of Godhead said; atha — now; te — unto you; sampravakṣyāmiI shall speak; sāńkhyam — the knowledge of the evolution of the elements of creation; pūrvaiḥ — by previous authorities; viniścitam — ascertained; yat — which; vijṇāya — knowing; pumāna person; sadyaḥ — immediately; jahyāt — can give up; vaikalpikam — based on false duality; bhramam — the illusion.

TRANSLATION

Lord Śrī Kṛṣṇa said: Now I shall describe to you the science of Sāńkhya, which has been perfectly established by ancient authorities. By understanding this science a person can immediately give up the illusion of material duality.

PURPORT

In the previous chapter the Lord explained that one can give up material duality by controlling the mind and fixing it in Kṛṣṇa consciousness. This chapter describes the Sāńkhya system, in which the difference between matter and spirit is elaborately explained. By hearing this knowledge one can easily separate the mind from material contamination and fix it on the spiritual platform in Kṛṣṇa consciousness. The Sāńkhya philosophy system mentioned here is that presented by Lord Kapila in the Third Canto of Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam and not the atheistic Sāńkhya presented later by materialists and Māyāvādīs. The material elements, which emanate from the potency of the Lord, evolve in a progressive sequence. One should not foolishly think that such evolution begins from an original material element without the assistance of the Lord. This speculative theory is generated from the false ego of conditioned life and constitutes gross ignorance, unacceptable to the Personality of Godhead and His followers.

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