BLOCK-1 INTRODUCTION
The term „Indian philosophy‟ may refer to any of the several traditions of philosophical thought
that originated in the Indian subcontinent: Hindu philosophy, Buddhist philosophy, Jain
philosophy, and Tribal and Dalit Philosophy. Having the same or rather intertwined origins, all
of these philosophies have a common underlying theme of world vision, and similarly attempt to
explain the attainment of truth and liberation. The characteristic of these philosophies is that they
may belong to one “school” and disagree with each other, or be in agreement while professing
allegiance to different banners. An example of the latter is the non-Vedic Jain and the Vedic
Samkhya schools, both of which have similar ideas on pluralism; an example of the former
would be the Dvaita and the Advaita schools, both of whom are Vedic. The Vedic thinkers /seers
centered philosophy on an assumption that there is a unitary underlying order, which is all
pervasive and omniscient. The efforts by various schools were concentrated on explaining this
order. All major phenomena like those observed in nature, fate, occurrences, etc., were results of
this order. The earliest mention of this appears in the Indian Scriptures, especially in the Rig
Veda, which speaks of the Brahman, or the universally transcendent building block of the whole
world. It is described as dimensionless, timeless and beyond reach of the known frontiers of
happiness and knowledge. The present block, consisting of 4 units, introduces Indian philosophy
beginning with the Indian Scriptures.
Unit 1 is on “General Characteristics of Indian Philosophy.” This unit helps you to understand
distinct aspects of Indian Philosophy. It is an outline of the differences between Western and
Indian philosophical traditions, and the aims of philosophy differently perceived by the Western
and Indian thinkers. This unit forms a sort of background study which should enable you to form
a proper perspective of Indian thought.
Unit 2 highlights the significance of the “Indian Scriptures” in the formation of Indian
philosophy. In this unit, you are exposed to the sources of Indian culture. However, the study
material excludes prominent texts like Vedas (also called Sruti) and sciptures of Buddhism and
Jainism. Since, there are other units reserved for these sources. This unit, therefore, includes
only the following; smriti, mythology, vedangas and epics.
Unit 3, “Vedas I,” introduces the salient features of Vedic literature. This is supposed to be the
earliest work in the world. Probable date and circumstances responsible for the development of
Vedic thought are given elementary discussion. You will become familiar with the contents of
three Vedas (fourth one will be taken up in the next unit). Though the Upanishads constitute the
concluding stage of the Vedas, they receive full-fledged treatment in unit 4. Also, you will be in
a position to trace the development of Vedic thought from primitive form to more refined form.
Unit 4, “Vedas II,” discusses chiefly the content of the Atherva Veda. In the previous unit, you
learnt about the significance of Vedic gods and transition from nature worship to philosophical
speculation. You could only access to an outline, which is more or less common to all the three
Vedas. In this unit, you will be familiarized with the development, which took place in all the
three Vedas over a period of time, in addition to the teachings of the Atherva Veda.
1
The above given 4 units will give you basic understanding of Indian philosophy required to grasp
the profound reflections of great philosophers / sages. In addition, this block will introduce you
to the common heritage of Indian culture that has further influenced later movements and
streams of thought.
