Abstract
This chapter analyses the equivalents of the term “nature” in Indian philosophy. After an initial survey of various concepts related to nature, I discuss in some detail a few terms like prakŗti, nisarga , padārtha, and dravya from different schools of Indian philosophy. The process of evolution and creation of the material world and the way things are related to each other is described. As some of these terms persist in the contemporary times as equivalents of nature, I dwell at length on some pre-modern interpretations of these concepts and also briefly suggest the ecological implications of such understandings.
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Notes
- 1.
For details on some of these sacred beliefs, see Chap. 7 of this book on the idea of nature landscapes as sacred.
- 2.
I am aware here that the idea is more about translation of “concepts” which can be regarded under the same theories and philosophy of translation. Many of these ideas presented here are a result of my discussion with Dr. Sundar Sarukkai on his paper “Translating Concepts: some issues in the methodology of history of non-Western science” (Sarukkai 2010).
- 3.
From a discussion with Dr. Sundar Sarukkai in February 2010.
- 4.
Detailed examples of such usages will be provided in the following sections of this chapter.
- 5.
This meaning was provided by Sri Siddharth Arya, one of the few traditional Sāṁkhya scholars of the gurukul system in India.
- 6.
Like in verbs such as nipatati—falls down, and niṣati—sits down.
- 7.
Emphasis in the original quotation.
- 8.
These elements will be discussed in detail in Chap. 4.
- 9.
The term used by Potter and Bhattacharyya (1993) is resider–residence, but since the primitive locus of the Nyāya is a loci relationship that can be defined by “in” or “at” or “on”, the translation “residence” seems to be biased to view of the loci as a container that I want to avoid. The possibilities of shelter are not spatiotemporal or related to materiality in this case.
- 10.
In philosophical context, the relation between whole and parts is a much debated subject and to refer to nature as whole constituted by parts is also problematic.
- 11.
Valid knowledge called prama can be obtained by direct perception according to almost all Indian philosophies.
- 12.
Prakṛti forms a part of the dyad the material principle that coexists with the Consciousness principle (Purușa). See the following Sect. 3.5 on Sāṃkhya philosophy for more details.
- 13.
For example, prakritic soundarya (in Hindi)—natural beauty, etc. The word paryāvaran (in Hindi) seems to indicate “environment” word in recent times. It means covered around and is very similar to the etymology of “environs”—“around,” from en- “in” + viron “circle, circuit,” from (French) virer “to turn”.
- 14.
The prefix “pari” refers to complete, entire. From S. v “Pari” in Monier-Williams, Leumann, and Cappeller, A Sanskrit English Dictionary, Parisara is used to refer to nature in the Kannada language.
- 15.
For the original verse, see “Sāṁkhya Kārika, Verse 3”, trans. Sinha (1979, II ed. Reprint, p. 4).
- 16.
Material does not refer to the gross matter alone but encompasses all created “stuff” of the universe.
- 17.
These elements are earth, water, fire, air, and ethereal space. See Chap. 4 for a discussion on the five elements.
- 18.
The Vaiśeṣika reference is in sense or quality, or property of something. See Narain (1961), for an interesting discussion on guṇa.
- 19.
See Vijnāna Bhikṣu’s commentary of “Sāṁkhya Pravachana-Sūtram, Book I, Sūtra 61” in Sinha (1979, p. 95).
- 20.
Summary and translation by Potter and Larson, in Larson and Bhattacharya (1987, p. 154).
- 21.
For a detailed discussion on tripartite process that links material effect and the material cause, see Larson and Bhattacharya (1987, pp. 99–101).
- 22.
Prakṛta is used in the geometry of altar construction where the measuring stick is divided into four lengths each called prakṛta prakrama—ordinary measure (from Jacobsen 2002, p. 31).
- 23.
And also from S. v “kṛtrima” in Monier-Williams, Leumann, and Cappeller, A Sanskrit English Dictionary, p. 303.
- 24.
This philosophy provides an interesting alternative to the problems of advaita where the reality of the world is only an appearance . For more on advaita, also see Nelson (2000).
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Baindur, M. (2015). Conceptualisations of Nature in Indian Traditions of Thought. In: Nature in Indian Philosophy and Cultural Traditions. Sophia Studies in Cross-cultural Philosophy of Traditions and Cultures, vol 12. Springer, New Delhi. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-81-322-2358-0_3
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