Religion and Life - Swami Bhuteshanandaji’s Answers and Questions

The questions and answers being serialized in these columns are not meant to be scholarly expositions of various issues. People from different walks of life used to meet Swami Bhuteshanandaji Maharaj daily during his tenure as President of the Ramakrishna Order, and discuss with him their problems and doubts; and Revered Maharaj would clear their doubts in a characteristically simple way. These questions and answers were recorded and read out to him before he approved them all for publication

What is Samkhya?

Samkhya comes from samkhya. Sam, that is ‘perfectly’; khya, that is, ‘to know’, to know the Reality or Truth perfectly. According to the followers of Samkhya, the tattva or reality or philosophy is called samkhya.

What are the catur-vimsati tattvas?

By catur-vimsati tattvas the twenty-four cosmic principles are meant. According to the Samkhya philosophy, by this the materials of creation are meant. In the Tattva-samasa (1-3), it is said: ‘Asto prakrtayah, sodasa vikarah purusah.’ Mahat, buddhi, ahamkara and the five tanmatras—these are the eight prakrtis. The five organs of action (karmendriyas), the five sense organs (jnanendriyas), the five elements (mahabhutas), the mind, and the eight prakrtis go to form the 24 cosmic principles or caturvimsati tattvas. Tattva means the fundamental elements of the universe.

Maharaj, what is adhyasa?

To superimpose the qualities or dharmas of one thing on another is called adhyasa. Or to see something which is not there is called adhyasa. It is like seeing a piece of rope and saying that there is a snake. But there is no snake there. Though there is no snake, I am seeing the snake. This is adhyasa.

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