Which of the following statements with regard to the Samkhya school of philosophy is/are correct? 1. Founded by Sage Kapila, Samkhya is a dualistic philosophy that posits two ultimate realities: Purusha and Prakriti. 2. Classical Samkhya system is strictly atheistic and does not consider a supreme creator God necessary to explain the universe. 3. Samkhya rejects the authority of the Vedas and relies exclusively on empirical perception for valid knowledge. Select the answer using the code given below: |ForumIAS

[A] 1 and 2 only

[B] 2 and 3 only

[C] 1 only

[D] 1, 2 and 3

Answer: A

Notes:

Explanation:

Statement 1 is correct: Samkhya (attributed to Sage Kapila in the Samkhya Sutra) is a dualistic system explaining creation through the interaction of pure consciousness (Purusha) and primordial matter (Prakriti).
Statement 2 is correct: Early classical Samkhya does not posit a supreme creator God (Ishvara); liberation comes from intellectual realization of the distinction between Purusha and Prakriti.
Statement 3 is incorrect: As an orthodox (Astika) school, Samkhya accepts Vedic testimony (Shabda) alongside perception (Pratyaksha) and inference (Anumana) as valid means of knowledge (Pramana).