As I discuss in this question, by far the most popular school of Hindu philosophy is the Vedanta school. But there are five other Astika or orthodox schools of Hindu philosophy: Purva Mimamsa, Samkhya, Yoga, Vaisheshika, and Nyaya. My question is about the Samkhya school, founded by the sage Kapila. Verse 2 of Ishwara Krishna's Samkhya Karika, the defining text of the Samkhya school, describes the flaws of pursuing happiness through Dharma, and advocates pursuing happiness through knowledge of Purusha and Prakriti instead:
dṛṣṭavadānuśravikaḥ sa hyaviśuddhi kṣayātiśayayuktaḥ ।
tadviparītaḥ śreyān vyaktāvyaktajñavijñānāt ॥The [means of happiness revealed by the Vedas] is like the evident one, It is linked with impurity, destruction and inequality. Other than that is better,—proceeding from the right cognition of the Manifest, Unmanifest and the Knower.
Now I had assumed the word "impurity" referred to the Samkhya school's belief that animal sacrifice in Vedic Yagnas is a sin, albeit an easily remedied one as I discuss here. (This is in contrast to the Vedanta school which supports animal sacrifice, as I discuss here.) And indeed, that's exactly the sort of explanation given by the Samkhya Karika Bhashya, attributed to the Advaita philosopher Gaudapada:
Linked with impurity, because of the slaughter of animals. As it is said: “According to the injunction in the aśvamedha, six hundred animals, minus three, are employed (i.e., slaughtered) at midday.”
But this excerpt from the Tattva Kaumudi, a commentary on the Samkhya Karika by the Advaita philosopher Vachaspati Mishra, suggests that the supposed impurity of Vedic Yagnas is not limited to animal sacrifice:
[The means of happiness revealed by the Vedas] is "impure" because sacrifices like soma yagna, etc. are performed by the sacrifice of animals and destruction of corn, etc.
I'm interested in the part in bold. My question is, did the Samkhya school believe that the destruction of plants like corn in Vedic Yagnas is a sin? Or is this just a belief of Vachaspati Mishra, given that he was an Advaitin and not an actual follower of the Samkhya school?
I've never heard a Hindu criticize the destroying of plants in Yagnas before. I've only heard Charvakas and other non-Hindus criticizing wasting food in Yagnas. But are there any Samkhya works which discuss this issue?
