The Serpent Power — Arthur Avalon (Sir John Woodroffe) (1924)
Manas is the desire which follows on such experience, and the Senses (Indriya) and their objects are the means whereby that enjoyment is had which is the end of all will to life. Whilst, however, in the order of evolution Buddhi is the first principle, in the actual working of the Antahkarana after creation has taken place it comes last.
It is more convenient, therefore, to commence with the sense-objects and the sensations they evoke. The
1 Sāngkhya Pravachana Sūtra, II. 16. See my vol. on “Mind”.
experiencer is affected by Matter in five different ways, giving rise in him to the sensations of hearing, touch and feel,¹ colour and form² and sight, taste, and smell.³ But sensible perception exists only in respect of particular objects and is thus perceived in its variations only. But there exist also general elements of the particulars of sense-perception. That generul ideas may be formed of particular senseobjects indicates, it is said,⁴ their existence in some parts of the Jīva’s nature as facts of experience; otherwise the generals could not be formed from the particulars given by the senses as the physical facts of experience. This general is called a Tanmātra, which means the “mere thatness,” or abstract quality, of an object. Thus, the Tanmātra of a sound (Shabdatanmātra) is not any particular sensible form of it, but the “thatness” of that sound—that is, that sound apart from any of its particular variations stated. The Tanmātras have, therefore, aptly been called the “generals of the sense particulars”⁵—that is, the general elements of sense perception. These necessarily come into existence when the senses (Indriya) are produced; for a sense necessitates something which can be the object of sensation. These Sūkshma (subtle) Bhūtas, as they are also called, are not ordinarily themselves perceived, for they are supersensible (Atīndriya). Their existence is only
1 See post; also my volume on “Matter”.
2 Rūpā is primarily colour. By means of colour form is perceived, for a perfectly colourless thing in not perceivable by the gross senses.
3 The other objects of the senses are the speakable, prehensible, approachable, excitable (that which is within the genitals), and excretable. “Each sense is suited to a particular class of influences—touch to solid pressure, hearing to aerial pressure, taste to liquid, light to luminous rays” (Bain: “Mind and Body,” p. 22, 1892).
See Sāngkhya Pravachana Sūtra, II. 26-28, 40; Sāngkhya Tattva
Kaumudī, 27 Kārikā.
4 See for this in greater detail J. C. Chatterji’s “Kashmir
Shaivaism,” 125.
5 See post.
mediately perceived through the gross particular objects of which they are the generals, and which proceed from them. They can be the objects of immediate (Pratyaksha) perception only to Yogis.¹ They are, like the gross senseobjects derived from them, five in number—namely, sound (Shabdatanmātra), touch and feel² (Sparshatanmātra), colour and form (Rūpatanmātra), flavour (Rasatanmātra), and odour (Gandhatanmātra) as universals. Each of these evolves from that which precedes it.³
Manas is the desire which follows on such experience, and the Senses (Indriya) and their objects are the means whereby that enjoyment is had which is the end of all will to life. Whilst, however, in the order of evolution Buddhi is the first principle, in the actual working of the Antahkarana after creation has taken place it comes last.
It is more convenient, therefore, to commence with the sense-objects and the sensations they evoke. The
1 Sāngkhya Pravachana Sūtra, II. 16. See my vol. on “Mind”.
experiencer is affected by Matter in five different ways, giving rise in him to the sensations of hearing, touch and feel,¹ colour and form² and sight, taste, and smell.³ But sensible perception exists only in respect of particular objects and is thus perceived in its variations only. But there exist also general elements of the particulars of sense-perception. That generul ideas may be formed of particular senseobjects indicates, it is said,⁴ their existence in some parts of the Jīva’s nature as facts of experience; otherwise the generals could not be formed from the particulars given by the senses as the physical facts of experience. This general is called a Tanmātra, which means the “mere thatness,” or abstract quality, of an object. Thus, the Tanmātra of a sound (Shabdatanmātra) is not any particular sensible form of it, but the “thatness” of that sound—that is, that sound apart from any of its particular variations stated. The Tanmātras have, therefore, aptly been called the “generals of the sense particulars”⁵—that is, the general elements of sense perception. These necessarily come into existence when the senses (Indriya) are produced; for a sense necessitates something which can be the object of sensation. These Sūkshma (subtle) Bhūtas, as they are also called, are not ordinarily themselves perceived, for they are supersensible (Atīndriya). Their existence is only
1 See post; also my volume on “Matter”.
2 Rūpā is primarily colour. By means of colour form is perceived, for a perfectly colourless thing in not perceivable by the gross senses.
3 The other objects of the senses are the speakable, prehensible, approachable, excitable (that which is within the genitals), and excretable. “Each sense is suited to a particular class of influences—touch to solid pressure, hearing to aerial pressure, taste to liquid, light to luminous rays” (Bain: “Mind and Body,” p. 22, 1892).
See Sāngkhya Pravachana Sūtra, II. 26-28, 40; Sāngkhya Tattva
Kaumudī, 27 Kārikā.
4 See for this in greater detail J. C. Chatterji’s “Kashmir
Shaivaism,” 125.
5 See post.
mediately perceived through the gross particular objects of which they are the generals, and which proceed from them. They can be the objects of immediate (Pratyaksha) perception only to Yogis.¹ They are, like the gross senseobjects derived from them, five in number—namely, sound (Shabdatanmātra), touch and feel² (Sparshatanmātra), colour and form (Rūpatanmātra), flavour (Rasatanmātra), and odour (Gandhatanmātra) as universals. Each of these evolves from that which precedes it.³
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