The Samkhya Term, Linga

Author(s): Ellwood Austin Welden

Source: The American Journal of Philology , 1910, Vol. 31, No. 4 (1910), pp. 445-459
Published by: The Johns Hopkins University Press

Stable URL: https://www.jstor.org/stable/288521

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 IV.-THE SAMKHYA TERM, LINGA.

The native commentaries to the formal treatises on the Sdam-

khya philosophy, in their treatment of the term liiga, are almost
invariably of one opinion, explaining this word by what in our
English vocabulary, approaches very nearly to the idea of mer-
gent, subject to absorption or the like. This is not the common,
nor original meaning, and at first glance, appears to be an inge-
nious construction, put upon the term, to harmonize with the
views obtaining amongst the masters of the school. Garbe, in
his Samkhya Philosophie, pp. 265-266, has already voiced the
opinion that the scholiasts are at fault in this assumption, remark-
ing: "Dieses Wort bedeutet nicht, wie die einheimische Er-
klarung sagt, das [bei der Befreiung der Seele in die Ur-
materie] aufgehende (layam gacchat), sondern das charakteris-
tische Merkmal, d. h., dasjenige, was Wesen und Charakter
des Individuums bestimmt". But these two significations of
" mergent " and of "characteristic mark" (charakteristische
Merkmal) do not differ so materially from one another, as at
first seems the case, and as Wilson has already observed in his
comment to Kdrikd io (The Sdnkhya Kdrikd, p. 43). His
remark reads: "' mergent' Zliga; that which merges into, or is
lost or resolved into its primary elements, as subsequently ex-
plained ". (Gduadapdda to Kdrikd io). " Intellect and the rest
are the lingas, signs, marks or characteristic circumstances of
nature; and when they lose their individuality, or discrete exist-
ence, they may be said to have been absorbed by, or to have
fused or merged into, their original source. Although, therefore,
the application of liiga as an attributive in this sense is technical,
the import is not so widely different from that of the substantive
as might at first be imagined".
Nowhere in the Vedas proper does the word lizga occur; it is
first met with in the Upaniqads and there, as in the later classical
literature is used solely with the meaning of mark, sign or
characteristic. In this sense it is said to be derived, together
with the cognate words, laksa and laksana, from the root / lag,

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446 AMERICAN JOURNAL OF PHILOLOGY.

" to adhere", "to stick to ".' The Vdifesika Sufras emp

this term to express the notion of proof or evidence, whils
Nydya school still further specializes it, making it equivale
the " vydpya " or the invariable mark, which proves the existe
of anything in an object. Thus in the logical proposit
" There is smoke, because there is fire ", smoke is the liiga
vyapya, and the process of inference, resulting from this is ca
a " linga-pardmarfa ", the groping about for the const
predicate, or seeking for the characteristic mark. So underl
both of these two uses of linga, as generally throughout
literature, we have constantly before us the original id
" mark " or " sign".
That the Sdhkhya teachers, recognized and made use of
term with the specialized signification of the logical schoo
have abundant traces, but their definitions, as Wilson has alrea
pointed out2 are not always in strict conformity with th
of the logicians. Sdrhkhya Kdrikd 5, reads: " rividham an
mdnam dkhydtam; tal lingalingipurvakam ".
' Inference is explained to be of three kinds; it is preceded
(a perception of) the constant predicate, or by the possessor
constant predicate ".
This, Gdudapdda explains in the following words:
" kim ca ' tal lingalingiparvakam ' ii. tad anumdnam ling
purvakah, yatra liigena lingf anumzyate,yathd datndenaya
liingiparvakamr ca, yalra ligingd liingam anumzyate, yathd drs
yatim, asyedart tridandam iti ".
"Moreover it is stated that it (i. e. inference) is preceded
(a perception of) the constant predicate or by the possessor

'In passing, it may well be mentioned here, that the Dhatupath

Pdnini, alludes to a verbal root /liFig, "to paint", " to variegate", wh
however, does not appear to have been met with in any manuscript,
simple form. It is found in many texts of the classical literature, wit
prepositional prefix " a ", as signifying "to clasp ", "to ertbrace ", and f
its present system, as " dlingati " or " dlingayati ", and its passive parti
" dlingita ". It is noteworthy, that a form " ullingita ", with the meani
'made manifest by marks or characteristics", occurs in the Kirdtdrjuns
Bhdravi (XIV 2), this form being apparently the passive participIe of a v
root ul/ling, forming its present in "aya ". If the simple root shoul
prove a mere fiction of the grammarians, it would be possible to con
liga with it, in the sense of " that which paints", "variegates" and th
"characterizes". [Certainly the verbal forms are denominal from l
Bloomf.]
2 The Sdnkhya Kdrikd, p. 23.

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 THE SAMKHYA TERM, LINGA. 447

constant
constant predicate.
predicate.
Inference,
Inference,
preceded
preceded
by (a perception
by (a perceptio
of)
the
theconstant
constant predicate
predicateis that,is in
that,
which inthe
which
possessor
theof possessor
a con- of a
stant
stantpredicate
predicate is inferred
is inferredthrough through
(that) constant
(that)predicate,
constant as predica
an
an ascetic,
ascetic, by by
his his
staff;staff;
and (inference)
and (inference)
preceded by preceded
(a percep- by (a per
tion
tionof) of)
the
thepossessor
possessorof a constant
of a constant
predicatepredicate
(is that), in(iswhich
that), in w
aa constant
constant predicate
predicateis inferred
is inferred
from the from
possessor
the ofpossessor
(such) of (su
constant
constant predicate;
predicate; to wit,
to (on)
wit,seeing
(on) anseeing
ascetican[the
ascetic
lingin],[the lingi
this
this(constant
(constant predicate,
predicate,
[linga])[linga])
of him isofthe
himtriple
is the
staff".
triple staff".
It
It isisnot,
not, however,
however, in passages
in passages
such as such
these, as
in these,
which lifiga
in which
is lifi
employed in its common sense, that we look for the more
specialized Sdahkhya form of the word, although there is no
doubt that the above-mentioned signification of "mergent",
derives from, or is intimately connected with, this primary mean-
ing. Excepting Kdrikd 5, within the body of the Sdihkhya
Kdrikds, " linga " occurs seven other times, namely in Kdrikds
I0, 20, 40, 41, 42, 52 and 55, and in the Sdmhkhya Sutras, it is to
be met with eight times (Sitras I I24, I36; III 9, i6; V 21, 6i,
0o6 and VI 69).
Now the Sdakhya system of philosophy, in conjunction with
that of the Veddnta, in its doctrine of the metempsychosis, or
transmigration of the soul into various gross bodies, assumed
the investment of this soul with an inner or subtle body, inas-
much as the dispositions or bhdvas, those intellectual forces,
which determine the entrance into the gross body of god, man
or beast, do not affect soul itself, but rather the intellectual
organ, the buddhi, the first evolvent of prakrii, or the material
substratum of all visible objects. As Professor Morton W.
Easton remarks:1
"As, at ordinary death, the soul is freed, for a time, from a
gross body, and as soul once altogether free, can never be
enchained again, there must be some other body than gross
body.
" Furthermore-you may remember-the corpse, at ordinary
death, contains all that belongs to gross body. None of our
mental and intellectual powers belong to it, and soul although
indeed it knows, is characterized by none of them ".
This subtle body, which serves as the investment of soul in its
constant round of re-birth, the Sdahkhya masters call by the
name of "sakqma-farira" " tanmdtrika-?arfra", "dtivdhika-
The Body in the Sdarkhya, read before the Modern Language Union,
I899.

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448 AMERICAN JOURNAL OF PHILOLOGY.

farira" and " lnga-arzra ". It is composed of the three

inner instruments or organs, to wit, the buddhi, or intellect,
the ahaihkdra, or organ of subjectivity and the manas, or
mind, plus the ten external organs of sight, hearing, taste,
touch and smell, and speech, grasp, locomotion, excretion and
generation, together with the five tan-mdtras, the subtle or rudi-
mentary elements of color, sound, taste, touch and smell, and
hence its designation as the " szukma", subtle, or " an-md-
trika ", rudimentary body.
That the elder Sdrhkhya authorities, such as Ifvara-Kr.na
and Gdudapdda distinguished between the " linga-farira" and
a " linga" proper, seems to result from an examination of the
former's Kdrikds and the comment of the latter and Professor
Wilson already made mention of this fact, in his edition of these
two works (The Sdnkhya Kdrikd, pp. I29, 132-5). The liiga,
as is intimated in the concluding sentence of the commentary to
Kdrikd 40 is composed merely of the inner organ with the ten
sensory organs, whilst the " linga-farra " is this " linga",
invested with the five tan-madras, which form a sort of sheath or
covering, to carry it, together with the puruqa or soul, into
successive rounds of re-birth.
Let us consider more in detail those passages in the Sadkhya
Kdrikds, in their connection with the comment of Gdudapdda,
which appear to set forth this original theory of the school. In
the commentary to Kdrikd 39, we read:
" sukqmds tanmdtrdani, yatsamgrahztam tan-mdirikam sukqma-
farzram mahadddilingamh sadd fiqthati sarsarati ca ".
" The subtle (ones)" [mentioned in the Kdrikd] "are the lan-
mdtras ", [the rudimentary elements] "contained " [samgrahlta]
" in which, the linga, consisting of the intellect " [mahat] " and
the following" (principles) "ever rests and enters upon its
rounds of re-birth ".
Further on in this comment, wherever our scholiast wishes to
denote the subtle body, made up of the thirteen organs and the
five tan-mdtras, he invariably employs the term sakfmafarzra"
and never linga.
The succeeding Kdrikd (40), reads as follows:
"purvotpannam, asakfa?a, niyataqh, mahadddisakqmapar-
yantam,
sarsarati, nirupabhogam; bhdvdir adhivdsitamh liigam ".
"(Being) pre-arisen, unattached, invariable, beginning with

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 THE SAMKHYA TERM, LINGA. 449

intellect"
intellect"[mahal]
[mahal]"and
"andending
endingin the
in the
subtle"
subtle"
(principles)
(principles)
"it "it
enters
entersupon
uponthe
therounds
rounds of of
re-birth,
re-birth,
(else)(else)
unenjoying;
unenjoying;
affectedaffec
by
by the
thedispositions
dispositions
is the
is the
linga
linga
". ".
In thus separating this verse into two distinct parts, I am
influenced by what appears to be its explanation in the comment
and this is also followed by Wilson (Sdn. Kdr., p. 128). This
gloss here reads:
"bhdvdir adhivdsitamh; purasldd bhdvdn dharmddin vaksva-
mas; tdir adhivdsilam, upara;ijilta, liigam iti. pralayakdle,
mahaddsakqmaparyantarh karanoipelam pradhane liyale, asamlsa-
rayuklam sad, asargakdlam alra varlale, prakrtimohabandha-
nabaddharh sal, samzsaranddikriydsv asamartham ill; punah
sargakdle sarzsarali; lasmdl liigamh suksmam. kimhprayojanena
trayodafavidhaih kara.narh saMhsaralily ? evamh codile saty dha ".
" Affected with the dispositions; further on" (Kadrikds 43, 44
and 45) " we shall explain the dispositions (to be) right conduct "
[dharma] "and so on; affected" [lit. perfumed] "(or) influ-
enced by them is the liiga. At the time of absorption, endowed
with" [upetaJ "the organs, possessing the intellect" [mahat]
" up to the tan-mdlras as a limit ", (the lihga) " is absorbed in
the originant " [Pradhdna]; being non-implicated in a round of
re-birth, here it abides up till the time of creation; being bound
in the bond of the stupefaction of the substratum" [prakrtzl
(it is) "incapable of actions of" (entering upon) "rounds of
re-birth and the like; again at the time of creation, it enters
upon a round of re-birth; therefore the subtle" [snk.sma] " is the
mergent"' [liiga]. " If it is said: ' With what aim does the
thirteenfold organ transmigrate?' he goes on to say" [Kdrikd
4I].
Here there is undoubted evidence that Gdudapdda, at least,
regarded the liniga, of the Kadrika, as separate and distinct from
the " liiga-?arira" or rather "saksma-farzra ',' in its con-
sistency. He apparently applies to it the name of the thirteen-
fold organ or instrument and states that it is " endowed with the
organs, or instruments ", " possessing the intellect [mahat] up to
the tan-malras as a limit ". Had this commentator been desirous
of including in the description of the liiga, the five subtle lan-
mdlras, he would most likely have employed, instead of the

1 See below.
2 " Linga-arzra " does not occur but once in either the Kdrikd or the com-
mentary. Namely, in the comment to Kdrikdi 55.

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450 AMERICAN JOURNAL OF PHILOLOGY.

term
term "" mahaddskk.rmaparyanl
mahaddskk.rmaparyanl amam ", ",
thethe
termtermusedused
above,
above,
in thi
Kdrikd,
Kdrikd, "" mahadddisuksmaparyantam
mahadddisuksmaparyantam ". Naturally,
". Naturally, a lacuna
a lacui
the
the original
originalmanuscript
manuscriptmay may bebe urged
urged against
againstthisthis
statement,
stateme
the
the fact,
fact, that
thatthe
theprepositional
prepositional prefix
prefix "a""a"
may mayalsoalso
be used
be ust
signify
signify "up
"upto"to"and
and"including
"including ininit",
it",
thetheword
wordfollowing,
followingbu
coupled
coupled with
withGdudapdda's
Gdudapdda's characterization
characterization of of
thethe
liiga
liiga
as the
as
thirteenfold
thirteenfoldinstrument
instrument andandthe
theterm
term " karanopetam
" karanopetam ", the
", the
weighw
of
of evidence
evidenceisisin
infavor
favorofof a difference
a difference between
between "linga"
"linga"
and an
" sukqma-fartra
sukqma-fartra".".Moreover,
Moreover, thetheword
word " sukma
" sukma ", not
", not
"sukq-
"s
ma-farzra
ma-farzra ""isisthe
thegloss,
gloss,applied
applied to to
" linga
" linga" in
" our
in our
commentary
commen
The
The next
next Kdrikd
Kdrikd(4I),
(4I),which
which is is
continuative
continuative of of
thethe
thought
thou
here
here mentioned,
mentioned,reads:
reads:
"citrarhyathdarayam
"citrarhyathdarayamrte,
rte,sthd.nvddibhyoyathd
sthd.nvddibhyoyathd
vind
vind
chdyd;
chdyd;
tadvad,
tadvad, vindvifeqdir1
vindvifeqdir1nana
ti.thati
ti.thati
nirdfrayam
nirdfrayam
lingam
lingam
" "
"Just
"Just as
as aa painting
paintingwithout
withoutdependence;
dependence;
as a
asshadow
a shadow
without
with
a post
post and
and the
thelike,
like,similarly,
similarly,
without
without
thethe
unspecific
unspecific
" (objects
" (objects
of
sense)
sense) [the
[the tanmdlras,
tanmdlras,seesee
Kdrikd
Kdrikd 38],
38],
" the
" the
linga,
linga,
being
being
devoid
de
of
of dependence,
dependence,doesdoesnot
notexist
exist
". ".
To
To this,
this, Gdu.dapdda
Gdu.dapddasays,says,
inin
part:
part:
"vindvifeadir,
"vindvifeadir,avifeCdis
avifeCdistanmdtrdir
tanmdtrdir vind
vind
na na
tithali.
tithali.
AthaAth
vifesabhutdny
vifesabhutdnyucyante;
ucyante;fariram
fariram pancabh9tamayarh;
pancabh9tamayarh; vdifeszn
vdife
farzrena
farzrena vind
vindkva,'
kva,'lingaszhdnarh
lingaszhdnarh ceti
ceti
kva?
kva?
ekadeham
ekadeham ujjhati
ujjh
tad
tad evdnyam
evdnyamdfrayati
dfrayatinirdfrayam,
nirdfrayam,dfrayarahitar
dfrayarahitar
linigam7,
linigam7,
trayo-
tra
da?avidhaih
da?avidhaihkaranam
karanamity
ityarthah
arthah
". ".
" Without
Without the
theunspecific
unspecific" "
(objects
(objects
of of
sense)
sense)
" (that
" (that
is), is),
without
witho
the
the unspecific
unspecifictanmdtras,
tanmdtras, it it
does
does
notnot
exist";
exist";
[or [or
cannot
cannot
stand st
" Next,
Next, the
thespecific
specificgross
grosselements
elements areare
declared
declared
(when
(when
it isitsaid
is
the
the body
body isisin
inpossession
possession ofofthethe
five
five
gross
gross
elements;
elements;
andand
wher w
is the
the place
placeofofthe
thelinga,
linga,without
without this
this
specific
specific
body.
body.
Where?
Whe
The
The liiga,
liiga, the
thethirteenfold
thirteenfold organ,
organ,without,
without, devoid
devoid
of, of,
depend
dep
ence,
ence, deserts
desertsone
onebody"
body"[to
[to
wit,
wit,
the
the
gross]
gross]
"(and)
"(and)
depends
depe
upon
upon just
just this
thisother
other(one)"
(one)"
[the
[the
subtle,
subtle,
consisting
consisting
of the
of the
tan-t
mdaras].
mdaras].
What
What isis clearer
clearerthan
thanthis?
this?
Our
Our
comment
comment distinctly
distinctly
glosses
glos
"liniga"
"liniga" by
by the
theterm
term"thirteenfold
"thirteenfold
organ
organ
", and
", and
asserts,
asserts,
in con
in
cord
cord with
with two
twolater
latercommentators,
commentators, thethe
assumption
assumption of the
of the
fiv

The
The Sdfkhya
SdfkhyaTattva
TattvaKdumu.d
Kdumu.dand
and
the
the
Sdmhkhya
Sdmhkhya
Candrikd,
Candrikd,
bothboth
rea
" vifesdih",
vifesdih",but
butinterpret
interpret similarly
similarly
to to
Gau.dapdda.
Gau.dapdda.
2 The
The reading
readingof
ofthe
thetext
text inin
the
the
Benares
Benares
Sanskrit
Sanskrit
Series.
Series.
Wilson's
Wilson's
text tex
has
"ka ".

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 THE SAMKHYA TERM, LINGA. 45I

subtle tanmadras
tanmadras by
by li7ga.
li7ga. Professor
ProfessorGarbe
Garbein
inhis
histranslation
translationofof
the Sdrhkhya
Sdrhkhya Taltva
Taltva Kdumudi
Kdumudi to tothis
thisKdrikd
Kdrikd(p.
(p.85)
85)renders:
renders:
" Das Wort
Wort linga
linga 'innere
'innere Kirper'
Kirper'ist
ist[hier]
[hier]von
vonlingay
lingay'zur
'zur
Erkenntniss
Erkenntniss bringen'
bringen' abzuleiten
abzuleitenund
undbezeichnet
bezeichnet[in[inunsrer
unsrer
Kdrikd
Kdrikd lediglich]
lediglich] das
das Urtheils-und
Urtheils-undanderen
anderenOrgane
Organe".".
But this
this passage
passage in
in the
the Kdrikd
Kdrikdisisnot
notan
anisolated
isolatedexample
exampleofof
this use.
use. Kdrikd
Kdrikd 42,
42, the
the next
next passage
passageto
tobe
beconsidered,
considered,runs:
runs:
"puruqdrthahetukam
"puruqdrthahetukam idarn
idarn nimitlandimittikaprasaigena,
nimitlandimittikaprasaigena,
prakrter
prakrter vibhutayogdn,
vibhutayogdn, natavad
natavadvyavatisthate
vyavatisthateliingam
liingam".".
"Occasioned
"Occasioned by
by the
the purpose
purpose of
of the
thesoul"
soul"[purusa]
[purusa]"this
"this
Zinga appears
appears differently,
differently, like
likean
anactor,
actor,due
dueto
tothe
theapplication
applicationofof
the omnipotence
omnipotence of
of the
the substratum"
substratum"[prakrti]
[prakrti]"through
"throughthe
the
union of cause and effect ".
Gdudapada notes:
" ingamh sik$mdi2ihl aramdnubhis /anmdtrdir upacitam farz-
ram trayodafavidhakaranopelam mdnu$adevatiryagyonisu vyava-
tithale ".
"The libgam, as a body, covered by the subtle, very minute
particles, the tan-mdtras, endowed with the thirteenfold organ,
appears differently in divine, human and animal wombs ".
Here, we find the lihga, explained as "covered " (upacita) by
the five tan-mdtras, ani endowed with the thirteenfold organ,
but not as, composed of the tan-mdtras.
A passage, in which linga seems to be equivalent to " linga-
farira " at first glance is in the comment to Kdrika 5I, which
reads:

"lingamz ca tanmdtrasargaf caturdafabhutaparyanta ukah ".

"And " [continuing a previous thought] " the linga, the tan-
mdira-creation, declared to end in the fourteen creatures "
In this use of " tan-matra-sarga " as a gloss to " linga", I am
inclined to see rather the idea of "a creation with the tanmd-
Iras ", and the same applies to the word, when found in the
comment to the next Kdrikd (52) and to the expression " linga-
sarga " found in Kdrikd 54, Comment.
Kdrikd 55, reads as follows:
" atrajardmaranakrtamr duhkham prdpnoti cetanah puru$ak,
lingasydvinivrttes; tasmdd duhkhar svabhdvena ".

1The reading of the text is "saksmah", which is undoubtedly an error.

" Suksmdih" and "s sksma" are possible readings, but better would be
suksmam".

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452 AMERICAN JOURNAL OF PHILOLOGY.

"In
"In these"
these"[previously
[previouslymentioned
mentionedforms
forms
of existence]
of existence]
"the "t
intelligent
intelligentpurua
purua" [soul]
" [soul]
"experiences
"experiences
pain,
pain,
occasioned
occasioned
by old
by
age
age and
anddeath,
death,until
untilthe
the
cessation
cessation
of the
of the
liiga;liiga;
hencehence
pain p
(arises)
(arises) through
throughthe
the
nature
nature
of of
creation
creation
". ".
Gduadapdda
Gduadapddacomments:
comments:
"liiigasydvinivrfter;
"liiigasydvinivrfter; yatyat
tantan
mahadddi
mahadddi lingafarzreinvifya,
lingafarzreinvif
tatra
tatra vyaktibhavati;
vyaktibhavati;tad,
tad,
ydvan
ydvannivartate
nivartate
samsdrafariram
samsdrafariram
iti
sanksepe.na,
sanksepe.na,triu
triu
sthdnequ
sthdnequ puruqo
puruqojardmaranakrtam
jardmaranakrtamduhkham
duhk
prdlpnoti,
prdlpnoti,lingasydvinivrtteh,
lingasydvinivrtteh,
lingasya
lingasya
vinivrtlim
vinivrtlim
ydvat".
ydvat".
"Until
"Until the
thecessation
cessation ofof
thethe
linga:
linga:
having
havingentered
entered
with with
a lingaa
body
body "" [zinga-farzra]
[zinga-farzra] " into
" into
thatthat
which
whichconsists
consists
of the
ofintellect"
the inte
[mahat]
[mahat]"and"andthe
thelike,
like, there"
there"
[in [in
thethe
formsformsof existence]
of existence]
(the
puruqa)
puruqa)"becomes
"becomes individualized.
individualized. ThatThat
is (tois say)
(to say)
briefly,
briefly,
until u
the
the body,
body,which
whichenters
enters upon
upon rounds
roundsof re-birth"
of re-birth"[samhsdra-
[samhs
farzra]
farzra] "ceases,
"ceases,inin thethe three
threeplaces,
places,
the the
soulsoul
experiences
experiences
pain p
caused
caused bybyold
oldage
ageandand death,
death,until
until
the the
cessation
cessation
of theoflinga".
the ling
Here,
Here, ininthe
theonly
only passage
passagein in
which
whichGdudapdda
Gdudapdda employs
employs
the
term
term "" linga-farira
linga-farira ", ",
a clear
a clear
distinction
distinctionis intended.
is intended.
That
That even
eventhethelater
later commentators
commentators to the
to the
Kdrikds
Kdrikds
accepted
accep
this
this theory
theoryof ofa adistinction
distinction between
betweenthe the
" linga"
" linga"
and the
and" the
liiga-
"
farira
farira ""appears
appearsfrom
fromthe
the
following
following
citations.
citations.
Sdikhya
SdikhyaCandrikd
Candrikd toto
Kdrikd
Kdrikd
41: 41:
" vifedir
vifediralisuksmafarirdir
alisuksmafarirdir
vind
vind
linigagm
linigagm
nirdarayam
nirdarayam
na tit-
na
hati,
hati, kim'
kim'tu
tusakqmafarirdfritam
sakqmafarirdfritam
tithati
tithati
". ".
"Without
"Withoutthe thespecific,
specific,
exceedingly
exceedingly subtle
subtle
bodies,
bodies,
the li5ga,
the li5
devoid
devoid ofofdependence,
dependence, does
does
notnot
exist;
exist;
but but
it exists
it exists
dependent
depende
on
a subtle
subtlebody
body".".
Sdrhkhya
SdrhkhyaTattva
TattvaKdumudi
Kdumudi to to
Kdrikd
Kdrikd41 : 41 :
vind
vind vifeldir
vifeldiriti
itisiakmafarirdir
siakmafarirdir
ity ity
arthah
arthah
". ".
"Without
"Withoutthe
thespecific,
specific,means
meanswithout
without
specific
specific
bodies
bodies
" [viz." the
[viz. t
linga
linga does
doesnot
notexist],
exist],
and
and
seesee
alsoalso
above,
above,
the the
quotation
quotation
fromfrom
the
Sdmkhya
SdmkhyaTativa
TativaKdumudz
Kdumudz to to
Kdrikd
Kdrikd
41. 41.
It
It seems
seemsprobable,
probable,furthermore,
furthermore,
that
that
Vijndna
Vijndna
Bhikqu
Bhikqu
was
influenced
influencedby
bythis
thisoriginal
original
theory
theory
in his
in his
assumption
assumption
of a third
of a
corporeal
corporealframe,
frame, into
into
which
which thethe
subtle
subtle
body
body
entered
entered
in itsi
entrance
entranceupon
upona around
roundof of
re-birth.
re-birth.
TheThe
earlier
earlier
distinction
distinc
between
betweenthe
the" "linga
linga
" and
" and
thethe
" saukma-"
" saukma-"
or " or
lizga-farZra
" lizga-farZra
" had
been lost with the course of time. Still a dim remembrance of
this former doctrine of the school must have lingered in the
minds of its authorities, and thus these were impelled to invent a

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 THE SAMKHYA TERM, LINGA. 453

widely
widely divergent
divergentand
andwholly
whollynew
new
conception,
conception,
in the
in the
form
form
of this
of this
third
third bodily
bodilyframe.
frame.
There
There is
is but
butone
onepassage
passageinin
the
the
Sdmhkhya
Sdmhkhya Satras,
Satras,where
where
the the
term
term linga
lingaoccurs,
occurs,which
whichmerits
meritsour
ourattention.
attention.
It isItSutra
is Sutra
III 9,III 9,
where we read:

" saptadafdikarn linam ".

"The seventeen, as one, are the linga ".
By the commentators, however, linga is here glossed either by
"li iga-fartra" or by " szksma-farzra ", and the fact that the
Sdmkhya Sitras belong to a much later period and that they are
in some measure influenced by the teachings of the Veddnta, in
which system no such distinction is made as in the earlier
Sdakhya, leads to the conclusion that here we have the confu-
sion of two previously different terms.
Two interesting Sztras are III ii and I2. The former reads:
" adadhis.thdndraye dehe tadvdddt tadvddah ".
"To the (gross) body, which depends upon the receptacle of
this, is applied this " [term, body] " since it is applied to that"
[subtle body].
The second runs:

" na svdtantrydt tad rte chdydvac citravac ca ".

"Not independently, without this " (does it exist) "just like a
shadow, and like a painting".
The first of these two is that Szutra, on the basis of which,
Vijnidna Bhikqu builds up his system of a third frame; the
second corresponds in sense to Kdrikd 41, but the commentators
have evidently overlooked this connection and given a varying
elucidation (cf. Ballantyne, The Sdmkhya Aphorisms of Kapila,
pp. 232-3). Assuming, however, that in these two aphorisms,
there remain traces of the original theory, their signification is
clear. In the first, the statement is made that just as the term
body is applied to the subtle body, so also is it applied to the
gross body, which is dependent upon this subtle body, namely,
the receptacle of the linga. In the second it is declared that
this linga, like a painting or a shadow, cannot exist independently,
without the support of the subtle body, and in the intervals
between two births, it assumes the subtle body consisting of the
five tan-mdtras.
The liniga generally throughout the Sdmhkhya treatises, when
not used in its ordinary sense of constant predicate, signifies this

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454 AMERICAN JOURNAL OF PHILOLOGY.

thirteenfold
thirteenfold organ
organ
or instrument,
or instrument,
which together
which together
with the soul
with th
and
andcovered
coveredby by
the the
tan-mdlras,
tan-mdlras,
enters enters
upon various
uponrounds
various
of roun
re-birth
re-birth inin
thethe
gross
gross
bodiesbodies
of gods,
of men
gods,or men
beasts.or
That
beasts.
this isThat t
the
thecase
caseinin
thethe
passages
passages
toward
toward
the endthe
of the
endKdrikds,
of the has
Kdrikds, h
already
alreadybeen
beenpointed
pointed
out above.
out above.
BesidesBesides
its occurrence
its occurrence
within wi
the
theverses
versesthemselves,
themselves,we find
we itfind
employed
it employed
in this sense
in this
in sense
Gdudapdda's
Gdudapdda's Commentary
Commentary
to Kdrikds
to Kdrikds
4I, 51 and
4I,54.
51Inand
its 54. In
ordinary
ordinary sense
sense
of characteristic,
of characteristic,
we havewean have
instance
an in
instance
the in t
comment
comment to to
Kdrikd
Kdrikd30, and
30,most
and probably
most probably
in Sdarkhya
in Sdarkhya
Sitras S
V
V 2121and
and6i.6i.
Where
Where
liiga liiga
occursoccurs
in the in
comments
the comments
to Kdrikdsto Kdrik
9, I4, I5, I6 and 17, and Sitras I I36, there is no reason to
assume a difference of meaning from that of the thirteenfold
organ, and a similar remark may be made as regards the word
" aliiga ",-viz., that which is not the linga, to wit, the Prakrti,
or substratum,-in the comment to Kdrikd 22. Indeed, from
that which I shall point out in the following remarks, there is
reason to accept this specialized signification.
In Gdudapdda's Commentary to Kdrikd 6, we read:
" pradhdnapuru?dv atZndriydu sdmdnyato drqtendnumdnena
sddhyete, yasmdn mahadddilingamh trigunam; yasyedamh trigu-
namh kdryam, tat pradhdnam iii; yataf cdcetanami celanam
ivdbhdti, ato 'nyo 'dhiqthdtd puruqa ii ".
" The originant" [pradhdna] " and the soul" [purusa], super-
sensuous (objects), are proven by inductive inference, since there
is a liiga, consisting of mahat [intellect] "and so on, possess-
ing the three gunas" [constituents]; "the originant is that, of
which this is the effect, possessing the three gunas " [constitu-
ents] "and since the unintelligent appears as (it were) intelli-
gent, hence (there is) another, a superintendent, the soul" [the
purusa].
It is useless to occupy ourselves here with the first portion of
this comment; the existence of an originant may indeed be
proven either from the linga, as consisting of the thirteenfold
instrument, or, of a " linga-(farzra) ", consisting of this, plus the
fine or subtle elements, the tan-mdtras, or, in fact, from a " linga ",
taken in the general sense of characteristic mark. The second
part, however, refers to the proofs for the existence of the soul,
or purusa, and is drawn from the statement made in Kdrika 20:
" tasmdd tatsamoyogdd, acetanam celandvad ivd lzngam ".
"Therefore, from the union with this ", [the soul, mentioned in

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 THE SAMKHYA TERM, LINGA. 455

the preceding Kdrika I9] "the unintelligent linga (is) as (it

were) possessing intelligence".
Gdudapdda's gloss here reads:
" iha, purusaf cetandkrl, tena ceiandvabhdsar yuktam maha-
dddilinigamh cetandvad iva bhavali", and "mahadddilingami
lasya samyogdt purusasamiyogdc celandvad iva bhavati; lasmdd
guznd adhyavasdyarh kurvanti, na purusal ".
"Here" [in this world], "(it is) purusa" [the soul] "(which)
possesses intelligence; implicated with this, the linga, consisting
of mahat" [the intellect] "and so on, having the appearance of
intelligence, is, as (it were) possessing intelligence" and "the
linga, consisting of mahat" [the intellect] "and so on, from the
union of this (that is), the union of purusa, is as (it were) pos-
sessing intelligence; hence (it is) the gunas" [constituents],
"(which) perform a certain ascertainment" [adhyavasdya], "not
purusa " [the soul].
Now, neither the five mahabhatas, or gross elements, nor yet
the five tan-mdtras, or servile elements, are ever regarded, as
having any function, which would give them the appearance of
intelligence; the buddhi (mahat) or intellect performs the func-
tion of certain ascertainment (Karikd 23), but in its performance
of this function it is assisted by the two remaining inner organs,
and one, or more of the external sensory organs (Kdrikd 30),
and in this functionating, it has the appearance of intelligence,
because of -its union with soul. In consequence, I am of the
opinion that the linga here mentioned is not a characteristic
mark, consisting of the twenty-three products of prakrti, or the
substratum (Karikds 3 and 22), as Wilson renders it (The
Sdnkhya Kdrikd, pp. 74-75), nor yet the " linga-farzra ", con-
sisting of the thirteenfold instrument, plus the tan-mdtras (cf.
Garbe, Mondschein der Sdmkhya Wahrheit, p. 66), but simply
the " linga", the transmigrating thirteenfold instrument. A
similar remark applies to the passage, occurring in the Sdthkhya
Sutras (V 6I): "nddvditam dimano lingdt ladbhedapratlteh".
"(There is) no non-duality of the soul " [daman] (and matter),
"since the difference of these (two) is recognized from the
linga ".
In regard to the employment of the word " linga" with the
signification of thirteenfold organ or instrument, there now remain

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456 AMERICAN JOURNAL OF PHILOLOGY.

two
two passages
passagesfor
for
consideration,
consideration,to wit,
to wit,
Kdrikd
Kdrikd
Io, with
Io,its
with
com-it
ment
mentandandSdahkhya
Sdahkhya Sitras
Sitras
I I24.
I I24.
The former
The former
reads: reads:
"hetumad,
"hetumad,anityam,
anityam,
avydpi,
avydpi,
sakriyam,
sakriyam,
anekam,
anekam,
dfrifam,,
dfrifam,,
lizgam,
sdvayavam, paratantram vyaktam ; viparitam avyaktam ".
"Possessing a cause, non-eternal, non-pervading, migratory
multiform, integrally dependent, linga, and functionally, de-
pendent is the non-manifest. The non-manifest is the reverse".
Sdmhkhya Satra I I24 is identical with the first half-verse of
this Kdrikd and I have already expressed my opinion, in my
article " I Metri delle Sdakhya Kdrikds ", published in " Studi
Italiani di Filologia Indo-Iranica ", that, for metrical reasons, I
am inclined to regard this as representing an earlier original,
from which the Kdrikds also derived their materials. If such
should prove the case, liiga would most likely form the subject
of the phrase and the preceding words predicates. The attri-
butes "hetumat", possessing, a cause, "anitya", non-eternal,
" avydpin ", non-pervading, " aneka ", multiform, "dfrita " might
equally apply to the manifest universe, made up of the twenty-
three evolutions of prakrti, the substratum, or of the linga, as
representing the thirteenfold instrument, but why "sakriya"
should refer to the "vyakia ", as a whole, I cannot see. Gdu4a-
pada, in fact says:
"sakriyam; samhsdrakdle samsarati; trayodafavidhena kara-
nena samyuklami, sukqmam fariram dfr-iya samisarati; tasmdt
sakrlyam".
" Migratory: at the periods of rounds of re-birth, it transmi-
grates; furnished with " [or, composed of (?)] "the thirteenfold
instrument, depending upon a subtle body, it transmigrates;
therefore it is migratory ".
Surely this can mean nothing more than the linga, which, to
repeat, is made up of the thirteenfold organ, and dependent on,
or assuming, a subtle body, namely, the "liniga-farira". A
similar treatment of this attribute is found in the comment to the
Sitras (cf. Ballantyne, The Sdnkhya Aphorisms, p. I46), but the
Sdahkhya Tattva Kaumudz seeks to explain this more in conso-
nance with the Kdrikd (cf. Garbe, Mondschein der Sdmkhya
Wahrheit, pp. 49-50).
We now come to a treatment of the signification of the word
"liiga", with which this paper opened, and in this connection,

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 THE SAMKHYA TERM, LINGA. 457

permit
permitme metoto
quote
quote
thethe
twotwo
passages
passages
fromfrom
the commentary
the commentary
of o
Gdudapdda,
Gdudapdda,bearing
bearing
on on
thisthis
subject,
subject,
the first
the first
in his in
gloss
histogloss to
"iiga" in Kdrikd o1, above-mentioned, the second to the
succeeding verse (ii).
a. "lingarm, layayuktamh ; layakdle panca mahdbhatdni tan-
mdtresu liyante, tdny ekddafendriydih sahdhamkdre, sa ca budd-
hdu, sd ca pradhdne layarh yatfi ".
" Iinga (means) implicated in absorption; at the time of absorp-
tion, the five gross elements are absorbed in the subtle elements,
these together with the eleven sensory organs" [indriya] in the
organ of subjectivity " [aharikdra], and this in the intellect, and
this goes to absorption in the originant" [pradhdna].
b. " liigam vyaktam, alingam pradhdnamz, tathd ca pumdn
apy alingah. na kva cil liyala itz ".
"The manifest is linga, the originant is not, and so also the
soul" [pumdn] "is not". (For "it is said) nowhere is it
absorbed ".
In the first of these two passages under discussion, the treat-
ment of " liga " by Gdudapdda seems to contradict the concep-
tion of " linga", at least here, as signifying the thirteenfold
instrument and to construe it as equivalent to the entire manifest
creation of the substratum, prakrti. Yet, it occurs to me that
here, our author, as Vacaspati Migra, in his explanation of
" sakriya " given above, has simply erred in his effort to harmo-
nize what really was an inharmonious sentence, as far as the
philosophy goes; in other words, he seeks to construe " lihnga",
originally intended as a substantive form and subject, as an adjec-
tive form and predicate of the noun " vyaktam ", and this thought
he carries over into the following Kdrikd, in consequence, read-
ing: "pumdn apy aliigah". Leaving this aside, however, the
fact remains that here the commentator illustrates "linga" by
the term "layayukta", "implicated in absorption", in other
words, renders it by "mergent", "dissoluble", and he is not
alone in his explanation of the word, as such. Vacaspati Migra,
in his notes to Kdrikd 40, says:
" iingar layarh gacchaitzi liigamh, hetumattvena casya lingat-
vam izi bhdvah ".
"The liznea is so-called, (since) it goes to absorption; and this
condition of its being iinga, (is) due to its condition of possessing
a cause "; [the substratum,prakrii]; "(this is) the meaning".
3I

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458 AMERICAN JOURNAL OF PHILOLOGY.

Aniruddha in his commentary to Sdrhkhya Sutras VI 6

explains similarly (cf. Garbe, Sdaikhya Philosophie, p. 269), an
Vijiana Bhiksu in the Sdakhya Pravacana Bhdsya admits both
this meaning and that of characteristic mark. The Sdmikhy
Candrikd, at best a very late composition, alone takes "linga
as always signifying characteristic mark.
" liigah lihigayati, jidpayai". " liniga (is that which char
acterizes, makes known" ( Candrikd to Kdrikd io).
" liIgandj, jidpandl lingam ". " linga is from characterizing
making known" (Candrikd to Kdrikd 40).
Thus we see that all the earlier authorities are in agreemen
in their acceptance of this meaning. These masters of th
school, nearer in point of time than we are, cannot be ignored in
a treatment of such a word as " liniga ", and indeed as has be
said before, there is not such a radical disagreement between
these two senses, as at first seems apparent. The liiga was th
characteristic mark through which the frakrti, the substratum o
the universe-as well as the purusa or soul, but secondarily-
was demonstrated, just as anything, according to the Nydya
logicians, is demonstrated by a linga, or characteristic mark
But through the very fact of its being that which denoted,
pointed out, or characterized this substratum, a transfer of mean
ing took place and the Sdahkhya teachers adopted a term fo
merly used in this more general sense, to express a philosophic
conception, for which their actual vocabulary was deficient. T
liiga was that which issued forth from prakrti, at the time o
creation, when the equilibrium of thegunas, constituting prakrti,
had been destroyed, but at the period of absorption, it re-entered
or merged into prakrti, becoming a part and parcel of this latter
and existing as such till a new creation began. "To use a com
parison", says Professor Morton W. Easton,1 "which woul
have had the force of logic to the Hindoo mind, I might tak
from a mass of molten metal enough to make a tool to stir th
mass with. On finishing the operation, I might merge the too
into the molten mass again". Thus, then, being a part of the
substratum of the visible universe, and merging into it at stated
periods, the linga characterized it as a mark. But why shoul
this linga merge into the prakrii? Because it is affected by th
dispositions of right conduct, and the like (Kdrikd 40), and being

Article on the Body in the Sdahkhya, see above, p. 7.

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 THE SAMKHYA TERM, LINGA. 459

still
stillaffected
affected by by
these
these
dispositions,
dispositions,
at the at
endthe
of aend
world-period,
of a world-per
it
it cannot
cannot withdraw
withdraw itself
itself
fromfrom
the soul,
theorpurusa
soul, orpurusa
and leave and
this leave
free
freeandandisolated.
isolated.
It must
It must
expiate,
expiate,
so to speak,
so to or
speak,
make or
neutral
make neut
this
thisdisposition
dispositionin another
in another
roundround
of re-birth
of re-birth
or several,
or and
several,
thus and thu
merges
mergesinto
into
prakrti,
prakrti,
untiluntil
the beginning
the beginning
of a newofcreation
a new may
creation m
permit
permitofof
itsits
entrance,
entrance,
into into
another
another
subtle body
subtle
and
body
then and
a gross
then a gro
body.
body.Moreover,
Moreover, werewere
it not
it covered
not covered
by the byfinethe
elements,
fine elements,
as a
subtle
subtlebody,
body,during
duringthe the
periodperiod
betweenbetween
two births
twoinbirths
gross in gros
bodies,
bodies,it,it,
being
beingdevoid
devoid
of a of
support,
a support,
would vanish,
would merge
vanish,into
merge i
the
the all-present
all-present prakrti,
prakrti,
as at as
theatend
theofend
a world-period
of a world-period
(Kdrikd (Kdr
41).
41).From
From allall
thisthis
it results
it results
that the
thatlinga
theislinga
both the
is both
character-
the charac
istic
isticmark,
mark, or or
that
that
whichwhich
points points
out theout
prakrti
the prakrti
and also that
and also t
which
whichmerges
mergesinto,
into,
or vanishes
or vanishes
in prakryi.
in prakryi.
That
Thatthere
there may
maybe some
be some
erotic
erotic
connection
connection
with thiswith
meaning
this mean
in
in the
thedesignation
designation of the
of male
the male
organsorgans
of generation
of generation
by the term
by the t
linga,
linga,isispossible,
possible,butbut
suchsuch
a relation
a relation
I must Ilet
must
rest for
let rest
the for th
moment.
moment. InIn
this
this
paper,
paper,
I have
I have
sought
sought
to showtomerely
show the
merely t
special
specialSdrhkhya
Sdrhkhya use use
of the
of word.
the word.
That this
Thatschool
thisappreciated
school appreci
and
andemployed
employedlinga
linga
in the
in ordinary
the ordinary
sense, is
sense,
undoubted,
is undoubted,
but on but
the
the other
otherhand,
hand,
I feel,
I feel,
that that
at least
at in
least
the in
earlier
the Sdmkhya
earlier Sdmk
treatises,
treatises, there
there
is to
is be
toseen
be seen
a purely
a purely
specialized
specialized
and technical
and techn
meaning,
meaning, toto
wit,
wit,
the the
signification
signification
of the of
"thirteenfold
the "thirteenfold
instrument,
instrum
the
the mergent
mergent ". ".
ADDITIONAL NOTE.

Since the conclusion of the present article, I have had the

opportunity of studying the Chinese version of the Sdmkh
Kdrikds, with its commentary, by Paramartha, translated b
Dr. M. J. Takakusu, in the "Bulletin de ']Ecole Frangaise
d'Extr6me Orient, Janv., Juin, and Oct., Dec., I904". On
1027, in his translation of Kdrikd 41, I find:
" Comme il n'y a pas de peinture; comme il n'y a pas d'omb
sans un poteau ou autre chose de semblable; ainsi, sans un
corps compos6 des cinq e66ments subtils, les treize (substances
grossieres) n'auraient pas de support ".
In this case, we actually have the Sanskrit "lifga" occurring
in the Chinese version, as " the thirteenfold instrument "; as well
as in the Chinese commentary, to Kdrikds 40, 41 and 42.

ELLWOOD AUSTIN WELDEN.

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