Shatdarshana
Hindu philosophy is traditionally divided into six āstika (orthodox) schools of thought, or darśanam, which accept the Vedas as supreme revealed scriptures. The āstika schools are:
- Samkhya, an atheistic and strongly dualist theoretical exposition of consciousness and matter.
- Yoga, a school emphasizing meditation, contemplation and liberation.
- Nyaya or logic, explores sources of knowledge (Nyāya Sūtras).
- Vaisheshika, an empiricist school of atomism.
- Mimāṃsā, an anti-ascetic and anti-mysticist school of orthopraxy.
- Vedanta, the last segment of knowledge in the Vedas, or the ‘Jnan’ (knowledge) ‘Kanda’ (section). Vedanta came to be the dominant current of Hinduism in the post-medieval period.
Of the historical division into six darsanas, only two schools, Vedanta and Yoga, survive.
The basic information about them is as follows:
| Darshana | Founder | Scriptures | Key Concepts | Branches/Sub-schools | Influence |
| Nyaya | Gautama | Nyaya Sutras | Logic and epistemology, four sources of knowledge (pramana): perception, inference, comparison, and testimony | Vaisheshika (often combined) | Development of Indian logic, influence on other philosophical schools |
| Vaisheshika | Kanada | Vaisheshika Sutras | Atomism, categories of reality: substance, quality, activity, generality, particularity, and inherence | Nyaya-Vaisheshika | Contributions to metaphysics and natural philosophy, influence on Hindu and Buddhist thought |
| Samkhya | Kapila | Samkhya Karika, Samkhya Sutras | Dualism of Purusha (consciousness) and Prakriti (matter), evolution of the universe, enumeration of 25 tattvas | None | Foundational to Yoga and Vedanta, impact on Hindu cosmology and psychology |
| Yoga | Patanjali | Yoga Sutras | Eightfold path (Ashtanga Yoga), physical and mental discipline, meditation, and liberation (moksha) | Hatha Yoga, Raja Yoga | Widespread influence on physical and spiritual practices, integration with various spiritual traditions |
| Purva Mimamsa | Jaimini | Mimamsa Sutras | Rituals and dharma, exegesis of Vedas, emphasis on karma and yajna (sacrificial rites) | Kumarila Bhatta, Prabhakara | Preservation and interpretation of Vedic rituals, impact on Hindu religious practices |
| Vedanta | Badarayana | Brahma Sutras, Upanishads, Bhagavad Gita | Philosophy of the Upanishads, nature of Brahman (ultimate reality), three main sub-schools: Advaita, Vishishtadvaita, Dvaita | Advaita, Vishishtadvaita, Dvaita | Profound impact on Hindu spirituality, theology, and philosophy, integration into various religious and philosophical traditions |
Nyaya:
Literally means recursion. It is based on texts known as the Nyaya Sutras, which were written by Aksapada Gautama from around the 2nd century AD. Nyaya Sutras say that there are four means of attaining valid knowledge: perception, inference, comparison, and verbal testimony.
Vaisheshika
It was proposed by Maharishi Kanaad. It postulates that all objects in the physical universe are reducible to a finite number of atoms. The school deals in detail with “Padarth” or Matter.
Samkya
Samkya or Samkhya means Enumeration. The founder of the Sankya school of Philosophy was Maharishi Kapil. The school denies the “existence of God” and postulated that there are two realities Purusha and Prakriti. Purusha is the consciousness and Prakriti is the phenomenal realm of matter.
Yoga
Founder of this school of Philosophy was Patanjali. Yuj means “control” and Yoga also mean to “add”. Rāja Yoga, Karma Yoga, Jnana Yoga, Bhakti Yoga, and Hatha Yoga are its main branches. The Yogasutras of Patanjali which mainly postulate the Raj Yoga , date back to Mauryan Period while Hathayoga was introduced by Yogi Swatmarama. The major difference between Raj Yoga and Hathayoga is that Raja Yoga aims at controlling all thought-waves or mental modifications, while a Hatha Yogi starts his Sadhana, or spiritual practice, with Asanas (postures) and Pranayama. So Raj Yoga starts from Mind and Hathyoga starts from Body.
Mimansa
Mimansa means investigation or enquiry. The primary enquiry is into the nature of dharma based on close theology of the Vedas. it has two divisions, Poorva Mimansa and Uttar Mimansa. Uttar Mimansa is treated as Vedanta. The poorva Mimansa was postulated by Jamini. The ideology of Poorva Mimansa was to counteract the challenge by Buddhism and vedanta which marginalized the Vedic sacrifices. This school got momentum in Gupta period and reached its climax in 7-8th century. Sabara and Kumaril Bhatta were two main interpretators. It was one of the major forces to decline Buddhism in India , but later itself was eclipsed by Vedanta.
Vedanta:
Vedanta means Veda end or the purpose or goal of the Vedas. It was given by Badrayana or maharishi Vyasa who is one of the 7 chiranjivis and wrote “Mahabharta“.
