Read the following statements and choose the correct option: **Statement I:** Kapila is the earliest exponent of Samkhya system. **Statement II:** Kapila teaches that a man's life is shaped by the forces of nature and not by any divine agency.
Chhattisgarh P.C.S. (Pre) 2020
A. Statement I and Statement II both are true.
B. Statement I is false, but Statement II is true.
C. Statement I and Statement II both are false.
D. Statement I is true, but Statement II is false.
Answer: Statement I and Statement II both are true.
Option a is the correct answer.
Statement 1 is correct: Kapila is the earliest exponent of Samkhya system, one of the six orthodox schools of Hindu philosophy. Samkhya means "enumeration" or "analysis" and it deals with the dualism of purusha (consciousness) and prakriti (matter). Kapila is regarded as the founder and author of the Samkhya Sutras, the main text of the school.
Statement 2 is correct: Kapila teaches that a man's life is shaped by the forces of nature and not by any divine agency.
He rejects the existence of God or any supreme creator, and argues that the world is a product of the evolution of prakriti under the influence of purusha. He also denies the authority of the Vedas and the rituals prescribed by them. He advocates a path of knowledge and discrimination, by which one can attain liberation from the cycle of rebirths. He holds that the ultimate goal of life is to realize one's true nature as purusha, which is distinct from prakriti.