Vedic Science International Multidisciplinary Peer-reviewed Journal 

The articles below are the official digital versions of peer-reviewed papers from the print edition of the Vedic Science Journal.

Article  Information

Journal: Vedic Science
Volume: 28 | Issue: 3 | Year: 2026
Pages: 137–147
DOI:  https://doi.org/10.66718/vsj.v28.i3.11    
Received: 29 July, 2026
Accepted:  6 Sept., 2026
Published: 30 Sept., 2026

Intelligence and the Yogic Conception of Ṛtambharā Prajñā

Dr. Siddharth Arya, Vedic Science Virtual Vishva-Vidyapeeth,USA

Abstract

The nature of intelligence has been examined from diverse philosophical and psychological perspectives. Modern psychology has developed theories of intelligence primarily in terms of general cognitive ability, specific mental abilities, reasoning, problem solving, adaptation, and measurable intellectual performance (Guilford, 1967; Spearman, 1927; Thurstone, 1938; Vernon, 1950; Wechsler, 1944). The classical Indian tradition, particularly the Sāṃkhya-Yoga framework, approaches intelligence from a broader epistemological and developmental perspective. Within this tradition, buddhi is associated with determination, ascertainment, discernment, and the capacity to arrive at confirmed knowledge. Thus, intelligence is not merely the possession of mental faculties but the effective capacity to determine what is appropriate and what is inappropriate. Yoga Darśana further maintains that cognition can be refined through disciplined practice and can culminate in ṛtambharā prajñā, a higher form of truth-bearing cognition described by Patañjali as distinct from knowledge derived through verbal testimony and inference (Arya, 2021, Yoga Sūtras 1.48–1.49). The present paper examines selected Western theories of intelligence in comparison with the Yogic conception of buddhi, analyzes the nature of ṛtambharā prajñā, and discusses the role of sanskāras in the dynamics and transformation of cognition. It further examines the progression from ṛtambharā prajñā to nirbīja samādhi and ultimately kaivalya. The paper argues that Yoga Darśana presents intelligence not as a fixed or exclusively functional capacity but as a developmental faculty that can be sharpened, purified, elevated, and ultimately transcended in the pursuit of higher knowledge and liberation.

Keywords

 Intelligence, buddhi, Yoga Darśana, ṛtambharā prajñā, sanskāra, samādhi, Patañjali, cognition, kaivalya.

References

Arya, R. P. (2021). The Yogadarśana: The science of psycho-engineering. Indian Foundation for Vedic Science.

Guilford, J. P. (1967). The nature of human intelligence. McGraw-Hill.

Spearman, C. (1927). The abilities of man: Their nature and measurement. Macmillan.

Thurstone, L. L. (1938). Primary mental abilities. University of Chicago Press.

Vernon, P. E. (1950). The structure of human abilities. Methuen.

Wechsler, D. (1944). The measurement of adult intelligence. Williams & Wilkins.

How to cite this article

Arya, S. (2026). Intelligence and the Yogic Conception of Ṛtambharā Prajñā. Vedic Science, 2026 (3), 137-147. ISSN: 0975-0312 (Print). DOI:  https://doi.org/10.66718/vsj.v28.i3.11