15. Consciousness is of two kinds: Nirvikalpaka or the undifferentiated consciousness illumines the Thing itself, while Savikalpa or the differentiated consciousness is manifold as illumining the designations, etc.

The Jnana-Sakti takes two forms. First, there is the consciousness which at the beginning of creation expressed itself in the form "may I become many," and relates to the external universe as a whole in general. It is known as nirvikalpaka or the undifferentiated consciousness. Again, the same consciousness, when relating to the objects of external universe in their respective special characteristics, such as the several elements of matter and material objects, becomes what is called savikalpa or differentiated consciousness.

Thus though consciousness is one and homogeneous in itself, it appears to be different in the different forms illumined by it. As, for instance:

16. Imagination, doubt, confusion, memory, consciousness of similarity, determination, guess, and non-apprehension; and so also other states of consciousness.

These other states of consciousness comprise those which are generally regarded as pramas,--forms of right knowledge as relating to the real state of things. They are differently enumerated in the different systems of philosophy, as follows:

17. The Charvakas hold to pratyaksha (sensuous perception) alone, whereas Kanada and Sugata recognise that as well as anumana (inference). Sankhyas recognise the two as well as Sabda (verbal statement);

18. And so do some of the Naiyayikas so called, while other (Naiyayikas) add upamana (comparison). Prabhakara

mentions these four along with arthapatti (presumption).

19. The Vedantins and the followers of Bhatta recognise a sixth one named Abhava; while the Pauranikas mention these with the addition of Sambhava (consistency) and Aitihya (tradition).

Charvakas: otherwise known as the Lokayatas, those who hold that nothing is real except what is revealed by the senses. Kanada: the founder of the Vaiseshika system of philosophy. Sugata: Buddha, who preached that Atman was nothing independent of the states of consciousness which change from moment to moment. Sankhyas: the followers of Kapila's and Patanjali's systems of philosophy. The followers of Gautama's system of Nyaya recognise upamana as an independent source of right knowledge. Prabhakara and Bhatta were leaders of two different schools of Jaimini's system of Karma-Mimamsa; Vedantins: those who follow the lead of Badarayana, the founder of the system called Sariraka-mimamsa, which treats of the nature of Brahman. Pauranikas: those who base their system of philosophy on the teaching of the Puranas.

Pratyaksha: sensuous perception; right knowledge obtained by sense-organs coming in contact with external objects, like our knowledge of colour, etc., obtained through the eye, etc.