Page:A History of Indian Philosophy Vol 1.djvu/263

VII] Prakrti and its Evolution 247 For the truth is that one stage is produced after another; this second stage is the result of a new aggregation of some of the reals of the first stage. This deficiency of the reals of the first stage which had gone forth to form the new aggregate as the second stage is made good by a refilling from the prakrti. So also, as the third stage of aggregation takes place from out of the reals of the second stage, the deficiency of the reals of the second stage is made good by a refilling from the first stage and that of the first stage from the prakrti. Thus by a succession of refillings the process of evolution proceeds, till we come to its last limit, where there is no real evolution of new substance, but mere chemical and physical changes of qualities in things which had already evolved. Evolution (tattvii1ltarapari?liima) in Sarp.khya means the development of categories of existence and not mere changes of qualities of substances (physical. chemical, biological or mental). Thus each of the stages of evolution remains as a permanent category of being, and offers scope to the more and more differ- entiated and coherent groupings of the succeeding stages. Thus it is said that the evolutionary process is regarded as a differen- tiation of new stages as integrated in previous stages (Sa1'flsrs!a- viveka ). Pralaya and the disturbance of the Prakrti Equilibrium. But how or rather why prakrti should be disturbed is the most knotty point in Sarp.khya. It is postulated that the prakrti or the sum-total of the gU1)as is so connected with the puruas, and there is such an inherent teleology or blind purpose in the lifeless prakrti, that all its evolution and transformations take place for the sake of the diverse puruas, to serve the enjoyment of pleasures and sufferance of pain through experiences, and finally leading them to absolute freedom or rnukti. A return of this manifold world into the quiescent state (pralaya) of prakrti takes place when the karmas of all puru!?as collectively require that there should be such a temporary cessation of all experience. At such a moment the gU1)a compounds are gradually broken,and there is a backward movement (pratisaflcara) till everything is reduced to the gU1)as in their elementary disintegrated state when their mutual opposition brings about their equilibrium. This equilibrium however is not a mere passive state, but one of utmost tension; there is intense activity, but the activity here does not lead to the generation of new things and qualities (visadrsa-pariliima); this course of new