The Six Philosophy's of the World
These are the intellectual section of the Hindu writings, while the first four are intuitional, and the fifth inspirational and emotional. Darsanas are schools of philosophy based on the Vedas. The Agamas are theological. The Darsana literature is philosophical. The Darsanas are meant for the erudite scholars who are endowed with acute acumen, good understanding, and power of reasoning and subtle intellect. The Itihasas, Puranas and Agamas are meant for the masses. The Darsanas appeal to the intellect, while the Itihasas, Puranas, etc., appeal to the heart.
Philosophy has six divisions-Shad-darsana-the six Darsanas or ways of seeing things, usually called the six systems or six different schools of thought. The six schools of philosophy are the six instruments of true teaching or the six demonstrations of Truth. Each school has developed, systematised and correlated the various parts of the Veda in its own way. Each system has its Sutrakara, i.e., the one great Rishi who systematised the doctrines of the school and put them in short aphorisms or Sutras.
The Sutras are terse and laconic. The Rishis have condensed their thoughts in the aphorisms. It is very difficult to understand them without the help of commentaries by great sages or Rishis. Hence, there arose many commentators or Bhashyakaras. There are glosses, notes and, later, commentaries on the original commentaries.
The Shad-Darsanas (the six schools of philosophy) or the Shat-Sastras are: the NYAYA, founded by Gautama Rishi, the VAISESHIKA by Kanada Rishi, the SANKHYA by Kapila Muni, the YOGA by Patanjali Maharshi, the PURVA MIMAMSA by Jaimini, and the UTTARA MIMAMSA or VEDANTA by Badarayana or Vyasa. The Darsanas are divided into three pairs of aphoristic compositions which explain the philosophy of the Vedas in a rationalistic method of approach. They are: the Nyaya and the Vaiseshika, the Sankhya and the Yoga, and the Mimamsa and the Vedanta. Each set of Sutras has got its Bhashya, Vritti, Varttika, Vyakhyana or Tika and Tippani.
Sutra
- Svalpaksharam-asandigdham
- Saravad-visvatomukham
- Astobham-anavadyam cha
- Sutram sutravido viduh
A Sutra or an aphorism is a short formula with the least possible number of letters, without any ambiguity or doubtful assertion, containing the very essence, embracing all meanings, without any stop or obstruction and absolutely faultless in nature.
The Sutrakara or the composer of the aphorisms is said to be as happy as one would be while getting the first male child, if he is but able to reduce one letter in his abstruse Sutra of far-fetched words and ideas. The best example of the greatest, the tersest and the most perfect of Sutra literature is the series of aphorisms called the Ashtadhyayi composed by Panini. Panini is the father of all Sutrakaras from whom all others seem to have borrowed the method of composition. The Sutras are meant to explain a big volume of knowledge in short assertions suitable to be kept in memory at all times. The six Vedangas and the six systems of Hindu philosophy form the twelve sets of Sutra literature of the world. In addition to these, there are later compositions like the Narada-Bhakti Sutras, the Sandilya-Bhakti Sutras, etc., which also wish to assume an equal form with the famous Sutras mentioned above.
Bhasya
- Svalpaksharam-asandigdham
- Saravad-visvatomukham
- Astobham-anavadyam cha
- Sutram sutravido viduh
A Sutra or an aphorism is a short formula with the least possible number of letters, without any ambiguity or doubtful assertion, containing the very essence, embracing all meanings, without any stop or obstruction and absolutely faultless in nature.
The Sutrakara or the composer of the aphorisms is said to be as happy as one would be while getting the first male child, if he is but able to reduce one letter in his abstruse Sutra of far-fetched words and ideas. The best example of the greatest, the tersest and the most perfect of Sutra literature is the series of aphorisms called the Ashtadhyayi composed by Panini. Panini is the father of all Sutrakaras from whom all others seem to have borrowed the method of composition. The Sutras are meant to explain a big volume of knowledge in short assertions suitable to be kept in memory at all times. The six Vedangas and the six systems of Hindu philosophy form the twelve sets of Sutra literature of the world. In addition to these, there are later compositions like the Narada-Bhakti Sutras, the Sandilya-Bhakti Sutras, etc., which also wish to assume an equal form with the famous Sutras mentioned above.
Vritti
Sadvrittih sannibandhana
A Vritti is a short gloss explaining the aphorisms in a more elaborate way, but not as extensively as a Bhashya. An example is Bodhayana’s Vritti on the Brahma Sutras.
Varttika
- Uktanuktaduruktanam
- Chinta yatra pravartate
- Tam grantham varttikam prahuh
- Varttikajnavichakshanah
A Varttika is a work where a critical study is made of that which is said and left unsaid or imperfectly said in a Bhashya, and the ways of making it perfect by supplying the omissions therein, are given. Examples are the Varttikas of Katyayana on Panini’s Sutras, of Suresvara on Sankara’s Upanishad-Bhashyas, and of Kumarila Bhatta on the Sabara-Bhashya on the Karma-Mimamsa
Vyakhyan Or Tika
A Vyakhyana is a running explanation in an easier language of what is said in the original, with little elucidations here and there. A Vyakhyana, particularly of a Kavya, deals with eight different modes of dissection of the Sloka, like Pada-Chheda, Vigraha, Sandhi, Alankara, Anuvada, etc. This forms an important aspect in the study of Sanskrit Sahitya Sastra. An Anu-Vyakhyana-like the one written by Sri Madhva-is a repetition of what is already written, but in greater detail. An Anuvada is merely a running translation or statement of an abstruse text of the original. Tika is only another name for Vyakhyana. The best Vyakhyanas are of Vachaspati Misra on the Darsanas, especially on Sankara’s Brahmasutra-Bhashya.
Tippani
Tippani is just like a Vritti, but is less orthodox than the Vritti. It is an explanation of difficult words or phrases occurring in the original. Examples are Kaiyata’s gloss on the Mahabhashya of Patanjali, Nagojibhatta’s gloss on Kaiyata’s gloss, or Appayya’s gloss on Amalananda’s gloss on the Bhamati of Vachaspati Misra.
Other Scripture
The Tevaram and the Tiruvachakam which are the hymns of the Saiva saints of South India, the Divya-Prabandham of the Alvar saints of South India, the songs of Kabir, the Abhangas of Tukaram and the Ramayana of Tulasi Das-all of which are the outpourings of great realised souls-are wonderful scriptures. They contain the essence of the Vedas.
Definition – What does Nyaya mean?
Nyaya is Sanskrit word that means “method,” “rules” or “judgment.” It is one of the six darshans, or ways of viewing the world, according to Hindu philosophy. The other five darshans are yoga, samkhya, vaisheshika, mimamsa and Vedanta.
The Nyaya school of thought developed a system of logic that most of the other Hindu schools of philosophy adopted. Metaphysically, it is most similar to the Vaisheshika School – so much so that the two schools of thought are often studied together as the Nyaya-Vaisheshika school.
Nyaya
The ultimate concern of Nyaya is ending human suffering, which this school of philosophy postulates is the result of ignorance of reality. Liberation from suffering – a key component of yoga dashana – comes through right knowledge, according to Nyaya scholars.
The Nyaya School made significant contributions to epistemology, the branch of philosophy concerning knowledge, belief, nature and origin. Nyaya followers believe in four pramanas, or sources of knowledge:
- Pratyaksha (perception)
- Anumana (inference)
- Upamana (comparison)
- Shabda (testimony)
Nyaya scholars have argued for the existence of God and for monotheism.
Definition – What does Vaisheshika mean?
Vaisheshika is derived from the Sanskrit, vishesa, meaning “distinction” or “distinguishing feature.” It is one of the six darshans, or ways of viewing the world, according to Hindu philosophy. The other five darshans of Hindu philosophy are yoga, samkhya, nyaya, mimamsa and vedanta.
What distinguishes Vaisheshika from the other Hindu schools of philosophy is its emphasis on metaphysics and naturalism. It is most similar to the Nyaya (logic) school – so much so that the two schools of thought are often studied together as the Nyaya-Vaisheshika school.
Vaisheshika believes in perception and inference as the two reliable means to knowledge, while nyaya followers believe in four sources of knowledge: perception, inference, verbal testimony and comparison.
Vaisheshika classifies life into seven padarthas (categories of being) and contends that all physical objects are made up of atoms, which this school of thought postulates are the smallest entity in the physical world. The seven padarthas are:
- Dravya – substance, of which there are nine: earth, water, fire, air, ether, time, space, spirit and mind
- Guna – quality
- Karma – action
- Samanya – genus
- Vishesa – specific difference
- Samavaya – things inseparably connected
- Abhava – nonexistence or absence
Definition – What does Samkhya-Yoga mean?
Samkhya-Yoga is an ancient tradition, and one of the six major traditions of Hinduism. It is also one of the paths of yoga described in the yogic text, the Bhagavad Gita, where it is explained as the path of correctly discerning the principles or tattva of existence.
As a philosophical tradition therefore, Samkhya, which means “number” or “to count” is concerned with the proper classification of elements of prakriti and purusha. The goal of Samkhya-Yoga is for practitioners to realize the difference between the spirit or purusha, and matter or prakriti.
Samkhya was codified in 350CE in the Sankhya-Karika, and this remains the most important text of the Samkhya School. Although it does recognise the authority of the Vedas, Samkhya is primarily built upon foundations of deep reflection and independent experience.
Patanjali’s Yoga Sutras, which inform much of our modern-day understanding of the philosophy of yoga, were based on Samkhya, and as such Samkhya defines the language of yoga. Some believe that understanding and studying Samkhya can take practitioners to deeper levels of awareness in their yoga practice.
Because Sankhya-Yoga helps its practitioners to know on an intellectual and analytical level what the nature of spirit and matter is, it is considered a path best suited for people who prefer to engage with the world and their spiritual development through experiments, deep thought and philosophy.
Definition – What does Mimamsa mean?
Mimamsa is a Sanskrit word meaning “reflection” or “revered thought.” It is one of the six darshans, or ways of viewing the world, according to Hindu philosophy. The other five darshans are yoga, samkhya, vaisheshika, nyaya and vedanta.
Mimamsa is generally believed to be the oldest of the six orthodox schools of Hindu philosophy and has had a significant influence on Hindu law. Mimamsa provides rules for interpreting the early Hindu scriptures known as the Vedas and offers philosophical rationale for observing Vedic rituals.
Mimamsa is also called karma-mimamsa (“study of actions”) or purva-mimamsa (“prior study”) because it is concerned with the earliest of the Vedas, the Samhitas and the Brahmanas, which focus on the rituals. Another of the six darshans, vedanta, is also called uttara-mimamsa (“posterior study”) because it focuses on the Upanishads, which are the later part of Vedic scripture.
The Mimamsa school’s goal is enlightenment about dharma, which Mimamsa scholars define as ritual obligations and privileges that maintain harmony for the individual and the world. The Vedas are seen as infallible and, therefore, as the authority for knowing dharma.
On a metaphysical level, the Mimamsa school believes in the reality of the individual soul and the external world, but postulates that there is no reason to believe that God exists or ever did exist. Everything in the universe came, and continues to come, into existence via natural processes.
Uttar Mimamsa is the Vedanta, one of the most significant of all Indian philosophies. As compared to other systems, its advent and growth is recent. Still it is the most influential orthodox philosophical systems of India.
The Vedas are the most valuable scriptures of the mankind. They present the most exalted form of superhuman knowledge and wisdom. The Vedas are eternal. They are timeless since they might have taken ages to acquire the written form.
The four Vedas are: Rig Veda, Yajur Veda, Sama Veda and Atharva Veda. Each of the Vedas is divided into four parts: The Samhitas, the Brahmanas, the Aranyakas and the Upanishads. The Upanishads are the concluding parts of the Vedas. They expound the supreme philosophical knowledge. The word ‘Vedanta’ usually refers to the Upanishads. The word is a compound of ‘Veda’ and ‘Anta’. It means the ending portion of the Vedas. However, the word ‘Vedanta’, in a broad sense, covers not only the Upanishads but all the commentaries and interpretations associated with the Upanishads. All these works constitute the Vedanta philosophy.
The great scholar Badarayana ( 500-200 B.C) initiated the efforts to simplify the Upanishadic philosophy. Badarayana is also known as Ved Vyasa. He was the first scholar to take up the challenging task of systemizing the immensely vast philosophical doctrines of the Upanishads. The result of his efforts was one of the most illustrious works on Vedanta. Badarayana’s work is known as Brahma-Sutra or Vedanta-Sutra. It is also referred to as Uttar-Mimamsa-Sutra. The Brahma-Sutra has 555 sutras. Most of them are aphoristic and almost unintelligible at first sight. Hence, a number of commentaries were written to interpret them. Among these the commentaries of Shamkaracharya, Ramnujacharya and Madhavacharya are regarded authentic and are held in very high view. They are regarded as the greatest scholars of Indian philosophy. They are not only the principal commentators of Brahma-Sutra (Vedanta-Sutra) but are also its leading interpreters. Thus, we have three major schools of Vedanta based on the philosophy of the distinguished trio: Advaita(non-dualism) of Shamkaracharya, Vishishtadvaita (qualified non-dualism) of Ramnujacharya and Dvaita(dualism) of Madhvacharya.
All three schools are founded on the Vedanta philosophy. However, there have been differences among them. Even the followers of a particular system, within their own fold, differ to some degree on certain issues.
The Vedanta philosophy is focused on the Jagat(the universe), the Jiva(individual soul) and the Brahman (the Supreme Being). Brahman is the repository of all knowledge and power. Jivas are trapped in the Jagat. Attached to the physical world and driven by passions and desires, they remain chained to ceaseless actions (karma). As a result, they subject themselves to countless births in various forms. Their transmigration from this birth (life) to the next depends on the karma (the quality of action). Moksha or mukti (liberation) is the goal of life. This philosophy, in general, is accepted by all the three schools. Now let us understand the basic difference among the three schools.
Dvaita refers to ‘two’. Dvaita school is based on the concept of dualism. Madhavacharya emphasizes the distinction between God and individual soul (Jiva). In addition, the school differentiates God from matter as well as the soul from matter. The school maintains that the God, Jiva and the Jagat are three separate and everlasting entities. God governs the world and has control over the souls. The souls in its ignorance remains shackled in the world. By devotion and God’s mercy, the soul can migrate to the Heaven above. It can obtain Mukti from the cycle of life and death and live with God forever in the Heaven.
Vishishtadvaita literally means “qualified non-dualism”. Ramanujacharya stresses that God alone exists. He says that Brahman is God. He is not formless. The Cosmos and the Jivas form his body. When the Jiva (soul) realises that he is a part of Paramatman (God), the soul is liberated. On liberation, his soul enjoys infinite consciousness and infinite bliss of God. The soul is in communion with God, but it does not share the power of the creation or destruction.
Advaita means “non-dualism”. Brahman is the sole Supreme Reality. Brahman, Jagat and Jiva are not different, separate entities.