Sankhya and Yoga form the building blocks of Indian philosophy. Sankhya means “enumeration”. To understand this philosophy, we have to compare and contrast it with yoga. Yoga means “union” with “vi-yoga” meaning separation and “su-yoga” meaning “good alignment”. Now, when things are separated, you can list them into their constituent parts. And what is separated into its constituents can be brought together. Sankhya is analytics and is complemented by yoga which is synthesis. Sankhya is symbolised by an axe that cuts, and yoga by a rope that binds. Ravana is said to have written a commentary on Samkhya called Ravana Bhashya.

In Samkhya, the measurable is separated from the non-measurable. The former is called purusha. The latter is called prakriti. The former transforms objects into organisms. The latter is the body of all things, objects and organisms. Purusha can be called spirit or consciousness or soul. Prakriti is material reality.