---
type: Reference
bundle: sankhya-darshana
bundle_version: 0.13.0
id: samkhya-karika
title: Sāṃkhya-Kārikā
description: The foundational extant systematic text of classical Samkhya, composed by Isvarakrishna circa the 4th-5th century CE. Its 72 teaching stanzas state the satkaryavada argument (Karika 9), the 25-tattva structure with purusha's plurality, the triguna apparatus, and the viveka-khyati path to kaivalya. This bundle's primary textual anchor for purusha, prakriti, satkaryavada, parinamavada, vyakta-avyakta, guna-samkhya, sattva, rajas, viveka-khyati, kaivalya-samkhya, avidya-samkhya, bandha-samkhya, pramana-samkhya, anumana-samkhya, and samkhya-as-enumeration.
tags:
- reference
- samkhya-karika
- isvarakrishna
- primary-text
timestamp: '2026-07-10'
okf_version: '0.2'
license: CC BY-SA 4.0
---

# Sāṃkhya-Kārikā

The foundational extant systematic text of classical Samkhya, composed by Isvarakrishna circa the 4th-5th century CE. Its 72 teaching stanzas state the satkaryavada argument (Karika 9), the 25-tattva structure with purusha's plurality, the triguna apparatus, and the viveka-khyati path to kaivalya. This bundle's primary textual anchor for purusha, prakriti, satkaryavada, parinamavada, vyakta-avyakta, guna-samkhya, sattva, rajas, viveka-khyati, kaivalya-samkhya, avidya-samkhya, bandha-samkhya, pramana-samkhya, anumana-samkhya, and samkhya-as-enumeration.
