A History of Indian Philosophy, Volume 1

Philosophy supplies the organising thread of Indian culture in Surendranath Dasgupta's account, linking religious inquiry with broader questions about thought and reality. His preface sets out a study of the chief systems and their relationships, intended both for specialists and for readers unfamiliar with Sanskrit texts. Early Vedic thought, Buddhism, Samkhya and Yoga enter this discussion. A pronunciation guide introduces Sanskrit and Pali terms, which the author retains to help readers follow the ideas in their original vocabulary.

The discussion of Samkhya examines material change through the three gunas. Dasgupta treats them as subtle substances associated with intelligence, activity and resistance, showing how their varying combinations produce different qualities. Their equilibrium forms prakriti, from which the system describes the development of the world. For readers comparing philosophical traditions, the volume offers sustained arguments and technical distinctions, alongside the author's effort to explain Indian ideas without reshaping them to fit European categories.