The six Darshanas – 2

Purva Mimamsa and Uttara Mimamsa

Mimamsa means to analyze and understand thoroughly.  Purva Mimamsa emphasises the teachings of Veda in the light of rituals (Karma kanda), while Uttara Mimamsa emphasises the teachings of the Veda in the light of knowledge (Jnana kanda). We shall hereafter refer to Purva Mimamsa as Mimamsa only and to Uttara Mimamsa with its emphasis on anta bhagha of Vedas as Vedanta only. 

Mimamsa 
 The Mimamsa Sutras of Jaimini is the basic text of this system. The main objective of this school was to establish the authority of the Vedas. Its adherents called Mimamsakas believed that:

(1) there is a soul which survives the death of the body and enjoys the fruits of the rituals in heaven;

(2) the Vedas are infallible;

(3) this world is real;

To justify the supreme authority of the Vedas, the Mimamsa school has developed an elaborate epistemology which has been accepted by other schools also, including the Vedānta Darshana. It accepts all the six Pramanas; Pratyaksha, Anupalabdhi, Anumana, Upamana, Arthapathi, Sabda or Apta-vakhya and lays down the following three conditions for knowledge to be valid:

(1) It should yield some new information previously unknown.

(2) It should not be contradicted by any other knowledge.

(3) The conditions which generate that knowledge should be free from defects.

The Mimamsa school believes in the reality of the world with all the myriad objects in it. This world, according to it, comprises the living bodies, wherein the souls (Jivas) reside temporarily to reap the effects of their karmas, good or bad. The various other objects of the world serve as the fruits to be suffered or enjoyed. The souls are infinite and eternal but undergo transmigration due to their karmas performed when encased in bodies in the world. The soul has no consciousness of its own. Consciousness only rises in it due to its association with the mind, the sense-organs and the sense-objects, especially when the organs come into contact with their respective objects and cites the absence of consciousness in the deep-sleep state as the proof. A ritual is to be done because the Vedas command it and none has the choice not to do it or to do it in a different way. Such duties are classified into two broad groups: nitya or daily obligatory duties and naimithika or occasional (but obligatory) duties. These help in the purification of the soul through moral improvement. The ultimate goal for a person is to get mokṣa or liberation which is defined as total cessation of transmigratory existence. In this state the soul is permanently free from all pain and suffering though there is no consciousness or bliss!  Since all the materials that make up the physical world are eternally existing and since the karmas of the souls impel these materials in the process of creation, there is no need to accept any God as the agent or author of creation. So this system that champions the supremacy of the Vedas has no place for its Source! This system also discusses the science of sound and Mantra in detail.  Its influence can be seen in the performance of Hindu rituals and in observance of religious practices even today.  It was also influential and foundational to Vedanta school.

Vedanta 

  The Vedanta system is based on Upanishads, Brahmasutras and Bhagavad Gita, referred to as Sruthi-prasthana, Nyaya-prasthana and Smrithi-prasthana respectively and Prasthanathraya collectively. While Mimamsa Sutras of Jaimini tries to reconcile the various Vedic texts that seem to give different directions with regard to the same ritual system, Brahma Sutras of Vyasa attempts to make out a coherent philosophy of Brahman from the apparently conflicting statements in the Upanishads. But Brahma Sutras and the Upanishads themselves were variously interpreted by Vedanta scholars giving rise to many sub-schools. We shall see here briefly the three popular sub-schools of Vedanta viz. Advaita of Sri Sankara, Visishtadvaita of Sri Ramanuja and Dvaita of Sri Madhva

Advaita of Sri Sankara – Sri Sankara sums up his Advaita philosophy in a nutshell as “Brahma satyam jagan mithya jivo brahmaiva naparah” - Brahman alone is Real; this world is not Real and the Jiva is verily Brahman only and is not different from Him. Apart from Brahman, which only is the absolutely Reality, all others are only transactional Realities i.e. Real only under certain conditions and circumstances and not at all times. In his essential nature which is Pure Consciousness, Jiva is one with Brahman which is Pure Consciousness infinite. Brahman has no limiting adjuncts and is Nirguna. Maya is a unique concept of this philosophy.  Maya is the power of the limitless Lord. It is anadhi (beginningless) avidya and is of the nature of three Gunas viz. Satva, Rajas, and Tamas and is superior to their effects. With His power of Maya manifest, Brahman is Saguna and is called Iswara and it is Iswara who is the, srishti, sthithi laya karanam and also the upadhana karanam (material cause) and nimitha karanam (efficient cause) for the world, without undergoing any changes Himself, like the spider for its web and ourselves for our dream-world. The multiplicity of names and forms is only an appearance, due to avidya or ignorance, even as a snake is perceived in a rope in insufficient light. This is called `adhyasa' or `adhyaropa' (superimposition). Through Vidya or discriminative knowledge, `apavada' or desuper-imposition takes place, giving the true knowledge of the underlying Reality of all objects seen and experienced as Brahman only.  Liberation is the realisation of one’s true Self as Brahman only, which is one without a second, that can be attained even when alive.  This state of liberation while alive is termed Jivanmukthi. 

Visishtadvaita of Sri Ramanuja – As per Sri Ramanuja’s Visishtadvaita philosophy, all the three, Brahman, Jivas and Jagat, are Real. Jagat and Jivas form part of Brahman as His body.  Brahman is similar to a tree with branches, leaves and fruits. The several parts like leaves, branches etc., differ from one another while the tree itself remains as ‘one’ only. Brahman is the only one with independent Reality, while Jivas and Jagat have only dependant Reality, their Reality depending on Brahman. As per this philosophy, Lord Vishnu is the supreme Brahman who has three aspects: Ishvara (Vishnu), Cit (soul) and Acit (matter).  So Lord Vishnu is the only independent Reality, while souls (Jivas) and matter enjoy dependant Reality only.  Jivas are of three types; Nitya, eternally free, Muktha, free now but once were in Samsara and Baddha, in Samsara and not free. Jivas retain their identity even after Moksha and live in Fellowship with Lord Vishnu, either serving Him or meditating on Him.  Moksha is attained through liquidation of one’s karmas achieved through total devotion to Lord Vishnu, characterised by Saranagathi.  Visishtadvaita recognises only Videha Mukthi. 

Dvaita of Sri Madhva – As per Dvaita of Sri Madhva also Brahman is Lord Vishnu and He only is independently Real.  Jivas, sentient souls and Jada, insentient matter, are also Real but their Reality is dependant Reality, dependant on Brahman; but they do not form part of Brahman as in Visishtadvaita. The  differences between Brahman and Jiva, jiva and jada, jada and jada, jada and Brahman, jiva and jiva, termed Panchabheda, are an eternal fact. It also accepts three Pramanas only: Pratyaksha, Anumana and Sabda.  Jivas are of three clsseses; mukthi-yogas, eligible for Moksha, nitya-samsarins, subject to eternal Samsara, tamo-yogyas, condemned to eternal hell, the third group being unique to this system. Liberation is attaining the lotus feet of Lord Vishnu and this can be attained only through pure devotional service to Lord Vishnu. 

Most of the present sects of Hinduism are directly or indirectly influenced by the thought systems developed by Vedantic thinkers. So it is no exaggeration to say that Hinduism to a great extent owes its survival to the formation of the coherent and logically advanced systems of Vedanta.

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