ABSTRACT
Of all the Indian systems of philosophy, Sa¯m. khya is perhaps the most ancient and also most respected in antiquity. Historical antecedents of this school can be traced to the Upanis.ads, especially the Sveta¯s´vatara and the Maitra¯yan. ı¯ya. The influential text of the Bhagavad Gı¯ta¯ is overwhelmingly Sa¯m. khya. This school has been a major influence on Ayurveda, the Hindu medicine. The main developments of this school occurred in the period extending from the first century CE to the eleventh century CE.
