as Tattvakaumudi.  But before him Gaudapada and Raja wrote commentaries on the Sa@mkhya karika [Footnote ref 1].  Narayanatirtha wrote his Candrika on Gaudapada’s commentary.  The Sa@mkhya sutras which have been commented on by Vijnana Bhik@su (called Pravacanabha@sya) of the sixteenth century seems to be a work of some unknown author after the ninth century.  Aniruddha of the latter half of the fifteenth century was the first man to write a commentary on the Sa@mkhya sutras.  Vijnana Bhiksu wrote also another elementary work on Sa@mkhya known as Sa@mkhyasara.  Another short work of late origin is Tattvasamasa (probably fourteenth century).  Two other works on Sam@khya, viz Simananda’s Samkhyatattvavivecana and Bhavaga@nes’a’s Sa@mkhyatattvayatharthyadipana (both later than Vijnanabhik@su) of real philosophical value have also been freely consulted.  Patanjali’s Yoga sutra (not earlier than 147 B.C.) was commented on by Vaysa (400 A.D.) and Vyasa’s bhasya commented on by Vacaspati Mis’ra is called Tattvavais’aradi, by Vijnana Bhik@su Yogavarttika, by Bhoja in the tenth century Bhojav@rtti, and by Nages’a (seventeenth century) Chayavyakhya.

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[Footnote 1:  I suppose that Raja’s commentary on the Karika was the same as Rajavarttika quoted by Vacaspati.  Raja’s commentary on the Karika has been referred to by Jayanta in his Nyayamanjari, p. 109.  This book is probably now lost.]

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Amongst the modern works to which I owe an obligation I may mention the two treatises Mechanical, physical and chemical theories of the Ancient Hindus and the Positive Sciences of the Ancient Hindus by Dr B.N.  Seal and my two works on Yoga Study of Patanjali published by the Calcutta University, and Yoga Philosophy in relation to other Indian Systems of Thought which is shortly to be published, and my Natural Philosophy of the Ancient Hindus, awaiting publication with the Calcutta University.

Gu@naratna mentions two other authoritative Sa@mkhya works, viz. Ma@tharabha@sya and Atreyatantra.  Of these the second is probably the same as Caraka’s treatment of Sa@mkhya, for we know that the sage Atri is the speaker in Caraka’s work and for that it was called Atreyasa@mhita or Atreyatantra.  Nothing is known of the Matharabhasya [Footnote ref 1].

An Early School of Sa@mkhya.

It is important for the history of Sa@mkhya philosophy that Caraka’s treatment of it, which so far as I know has never been dealt with in any of the modern studies of Sa@mkhya, should be brought before the notice of the students of this philosophy.  According to Caraka there are six elements (dhatus), viz. the five elements such as akas’a, vayu etc. and cetana, called also puru@sa.