A 5th-century birch-bark scroll has been found within a naturally preserved cave in the Western Ghats. The text, titled Samkhya-Sarga, provides a detailed account of the Philosophy of Manifestation, tracing the evolution of the cosmos from the primordial Prakriti (nature) through the interaction with Purusha (consciousness).
The scroll is one of the earliest physical specimens of Samkhya thought and includes unique diagrams representing the twenty-four Tattvas or elements of existence. Its discovery offers researchers a direct look into the pre-classical development of dualistic cosmology and the origins of ethical behavior based on the balance of the three Gunas (qualities).