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Six Orthodox Schools of Hindu Philosophy

Indian philosophy is vast and profound, explored over centuries by many sages. Sage Vyasa systematized the Vedas into four groups and separated them into two sections - one focused on rituals and the other on philosophy called Vedanta. During Buddha's time, 62 schools of philosophy emerged in India, some criticizing Vedic culture. This led to the establishment of the six orthodox schools of Hindu philosophy that accepted the Vedas as authority but differed in their interpretations. The six schools - Nyaya, Vaisesika, Samkhya, Yoga, Purva mimamsa and Uttra mimamsa (Vedanta) - provided different approaches to understanding truth suited to various temperaments.

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Sarah May Evangelista Hermo
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121 views1 page

Six Orthodox Schools of Hindu Philosophy

Indian philosophy is vast and profound, explored over centuries by many sages. Sage Vyasa systematized the Vedas into four groups and separated them into two sections - one focused on rituals and the other on philosophy called Vedanta. During Buddha's time, 62 schools of philosophy emerged in India, some criticizing Vedic culture. This led to the establishment of the six orthodox schools of Hindu philosophy that accepted the Vedas as authority but differed in their interpretations. The six schools - Nyaya, Vaisesika, Samkhya, Yoga, Purva mimamsa and Uttra mimamsa (Vedanta) - provided different approaches to understanding truth suited to various temperaments.

Uploaded by

Sarah May Evangelista Hermo
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
Available Formats
Download as DOCX, PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd

SARAH MAY E.

HERMO BSBA-MM2

HINDUISM’S SCHOOL OF PHILOSOPHY

Indian philosophy is vast and profound. Many Sages have devoted their lifetime to make the
concepts of this philosophy clear to others. Without their valuable contribution we would not be
able to understand the reality. Many Sages have devoted their lifetime in systematizing this
profound philosophy according to the mentality of the people. Vedas are the scriptures of the
Hindu’s and they do not owe their authority to any one individual. Sage Vyasa codified and
arranged the Vedas into four groups as Rik, Yajur, Sama and Atharva Veda. He arranged the
Vedas as two sections and called the section with rituals and mantras as Karma Kanda, and the
second section (end part) as Jnana Kanda. The end part is also called Vedanta. It is the
philosophical part. Vedanta is not an imagination or speculation. It is the spiritual experience of
the race for centuries. It is the actual realization or the super conscious perception. The
thought of the profound Indian philosophy is explained in the Upanisads. The Indo-Aryans were
bold thinkers, and they initiated the search for Truth. At various periods of time, different groups
had opposed the ritualistic system of the Indian philosophy. One among them was Carvakas.
Carvakas were extremely materialistic and anti-religious. During the lifetime of Buddha and the
time after that, there was a religious and philosophical upheaval in India. During the period of
Buddha, sixty-two different schools were prevalent in India. Many schools criticized the Vedic
culture. This led to the foundation of the six systems of orthodox Hindu philosophy. These six
systems of orthodox Hindu philosophy accepted the authority of the Vedas, but they varied
widely. The six orthodox school of philosophy were Nyaya, Vaisesika, Samkhya, Yoga, Purva
mimamsa and Uttra mimamsa or Vedanta. The last two were intimately connected with the
Vedas. The six systems of thought were developed at different intellectual centers all over
India. The six schools are the six ways of looking at the Truth. The ways of approach to Truth
matched the people with different temperament, capacities, and mental caliber. The founders of
this system were Sages of the highest order and they had devoted their lives for the study and
propagation of philosophy. Each system of Indian philosophy is called a Darshana. The sutra
literature further systematized these schools of thoughts. Each system formed their own sutra
like Nyaya sutra, Kapila sutra, yoga sutra, Brahma sutra and so on. A sutra is a concise and
unambiguous essence of the arguments on a topic. It explains all the essential aspects of that
topic and free from repetition and faultiness. It is just like a formula. All the great thinkers are
bold and had clear vision, and they interpreted the eternal Vedas in the manner they thought
and interpreted. They developed the thought and passed on to the next generation. All the
great thinkers belonged to any one of these six systems

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