[Advaita-l] Patanjali Yoga Sutra. I.3

[Jaldhar H. Vyas]

On Fri, 1 May 2009, Ramesh Krishnamurthy wrote:

> The theistic-atheistic distinction is a western concept that cannot be
> directly mapped onto the Indic traditions.
>

Then use the terms seshvara and nirIshvara if you like.  The fact is the 
classical Samkhya position on this topic is atheistic enough that the 
brahmasutras repeatedly criticize it and reject it as authoritative.  See 
I-4 upto 2.1.2.  2.1.3 also says the criticism applies mutatis mutandis to 
yoga even though it does have an Ishvara concept.

Again as we have discussed previously Samkhya/Yoga have undergone a 
vedantic reinterpretation and it is the vedantized versions that we are 
familiar with today.  But this just goes to prove my point that all 
instances of the words "samkhya" and "yoga" do not refer to the same 
thing.

-- 
Jaldhar H. Vyas <jaldhar at braincells.com>