SAIVA-SIDDHANTA

THE UNION OF INDIAN PHILOSOPHIES. 1/5
evidences about it. We might propound a riddle whether
Theism or Atheism was first and which of these rose out of the
other. You might argue that Theism was next and grew out
of Atheism, as
materialists (Lokayitas) only admit the eternality
of matter and would not admit of the existence of any
other padartha. And you might say they came next because
Theists. Yet
they denied the existence of God admitted by
such is the argument covered up in statements frequently made
that, of the six systems of Philosophy, one was first and the other
arose out of it.
They do not at all refer to any historical growth
or chronological order. Even in the days of Rig Veda they
believed in Gods and in one God, and we presume there were
unbelievers also. Mr. Johnstone is also wrong in saying that the
postulate of three powers of nature we presume he means
Satva, Rajas and Tamas is peculiar to the Saiikhya, as
also the divisions of Jnatha, Jfteyam and Jnanam. We fail to
understand what he means by Sankhya Yoga reconciler.
Sankhya, if Kabila s (Pure atheism) postulated no God and
Yoga postulated God. And is there any meaning where one
talks of a book reconciling Atheism and Theism ? And of
course, another writer talks similarly of Vfcdanta-Saiikhya
reconciler. In every school there are certain postulates or
padarthas which are affirmed .and some which are denied.
Some postulate only one padartha, some two, some three and
some none, and are we to talk of reconciling these, one with the
other, simply because one of the postulates, very often things
and their qualities which could not be denied by any one, is
common to all or some ? This is often the kind of writing that
passes for sound knowledge and liberalism and universal
philosophy. We dare say the Vedanta as understood by Sankara
was not even in existence at the time of the battle of
Kurukshetra nor was it
probably known to the writer of the
Mahabharata and Gita, in his days whenever he wrote it. The
whole Mahabharata has to be studied to know what the teach
^
ing o y f Gita is and in its historical surroundings. The phrase
Saiikhya and Yoga is used throughout the Mahabharata as