---
type: Reference
title: "Sāṃkhya Kārikā"
description: "Īśvarakṛṣṇa's classical verse exposition of the Sāṃkhya darśana — Puruṣa, Prakṛti, the guṇas, and the 24 tattvas."
tags:
  - primary-source
  - Samkhya
  - karika
darshana:
  - Sāṃkhya
timestamp: "2026-06-24"
okf_version: "0.2"
---

# Sāṃkhya Kārikā

## What It Is

The earliest surviving systematic text of Sāṃkhya, ~72 verses by Īśvarakṛṣṇa, expounding the dualism of Puruṣa (consciousness) and Prakṛti (the tri-guṇa substrate) and the evolution of the tattvas.

## Why It Matters Here

The source for the bundle's treatment of Prakṛti, the antaḥkaraṇa (Manas, Buddhi, Ahankāra, Chitta), and the guṇas.
