Indian Philosophy:

Religion: Physical and applicable in life

Philosophy: Meta physical (it questions religion)

4 elements of Indian philosophy:

 Soul: migrates from one form to another based on Karma; imperishable

 Karma: Conduct / behaviour
 Rebirth: transmigration of soul into another body
 Moksha: Freedom from the cycle of birth and death
o Atma merges with Paramatma (Supreme Soul) upon
attainment of Moksha
o Buddhism and Jainism talk about Nirvana (self becomes
the supreme soul)

No concept of Heaven or Hell in Upanishads. Heaven mentioned for the 1st time
in Ashoka literature.

Orthodox Philosophy:

Shada-Darshana: Divided into six āstika (orthodox) schools of thought, or

darśanam, which accept the Vedas as supreme revealed scriptures.

6 Pramanas to attain knowledge:

 Pratyaksha — perception
 Anumana — inference
 Shabda — testimony of reliable sources
 Upamana — comparison and analogy
 Arthāpatti — postulation, derivation from circumstances
 Anupalabdi — non-perception, negative/cognitive proof

The āstika schools are:

1. Samkhya: Kapil Muni (wrote Samkhyasutra)
o Rationalist school
o An Atheistic and strongly dualist theoretical exposition of
consciousness and matter.
o NO GOD, KARMA YES
o Soul and Matter are different entities
o Jiva: Purusha bounded to prakriti in some living form
o Moksha can be achieved through knowledge.
 K/W can be acquired through 3 main
concepts: Pratyaksha, Anumana and Shabda
o Original View: Materialistic School of Philosophy
 Divine agency not needed to create universe
 Propounded rationalist and scientific view of
creation of universe
 World owed its existence to Prakriti (matter)
o New View: Spiritual School of Philosophy
 Along with nature, Purusha (consciousness) was
necessary to create universe
 Spiritual view of the creation of universe
 Coming together of nature and spiritual elements
created world.
o It provided the materialistic ontology for Nyaya
and Vaisheshik, but there is very little original
literature in Samkhya.
2. Yoga: Patanjali (wrote Yogasutra)
o Yoga literally means union of 2 major entities
o Theistic as it accepts the principle of personal god
although it doesn't require it.
o It also relies on Pratyaksha, Anumana and Sabda to gain
knowledge
o A school emphasising on meditation, contemplation and
liberation.
o Meditation and Physical application of yogic techniques
(asanas and pranayamas) will lead to salvation (in addition
to what is being done in Samkhya — gaining knowledge).
o Means of achieving freedom / mukti:
 Yama: Self control
  Niyama: Observation of rules
 Pratyahara: Choosing an object
 Dharna: Fixing the mind over the object
 Dhyana: Concentrating on the object
 Samadhi: Merging of the mind and object that
leads to the final dissolution of the self.
3. Nyaya (or logic): Gautam Rishi (wrote NyāyaSūtras)
o Realist school
o Explores sources of knowledge
o 4 / 6 pramanas accepted — Pratyaksha, Anumana,
Upamana, Sabda
o Believes in the technique of logical thinking to achieve
salvation.
o Life, death and salvation are mysteries that can be solved
through logical thinking.
 Using tools like — inference, hearing and analogy
o Only “real knowledge” will lead to salvation.
4. Vaisheshika: Kanada Rishi
o Naturalist school
o It believes in the physicality of the universe
o Universe created by 5 main elements called Dravya: Air,
Water, Earth, Fire and Ether (sky)
o Being an empiricist school it also created the theory
of atomism.
o Theory that all knowledge is based on experience derived
from the senses.
o It accepts only 2 methods to gain knowledge — Pratyaksha
and Anumana
o They believed in God, Karma and Salvation — but it was
like creation and destruction of Universe, a cycle under the
control of God
5. Mimāṃsā: Jaimini
o An anti-ascetic and anti-mysticist school of orthopraxy.
o Focuses on the analysis of Samhita and Brahmana portion
of Vedas
o Mimamsa: Art of reasoning, interpretation and application
 o Fulfil all the duties prescribed in the Vedas to achieve
salvation. Rituals must be performed and with appropriate
knowledge and reasoning . Only then salvation can be
achieved.
o Depending on good and bad deeds committed, bliss of
heaven can be enjoyed and the cycle continues. Only
salvation can break this cycle.
o People took help from Brahmanas to perform the rituals
which elevated the status of Brahmanas.
6. Vedanta: Badrayana (wrote Brahmasutra)
o The last segment of knowledge in the Vedas, or the 'Jnan'
(knowledge) 'Kanda' (section).
o Vedanta came to be the dominant current of Hinduism in
the post-medieval period.
o Brahma is the reality of life and rest all is Maya
o Atma is similar to Brahma and if a person achieves
knowledge of self, he would understand brahma and that
will lead to salvation.
o Shankaracharya: Brahma is without attributes and
knowledge is the way to reach salvation
o Ramanuja: Brahma possesses attributes and devotion leads
to salvation
o All 5/6 methods allowed (depending on sub form)
- Pratyaksha, Pramana, Anumana, Upamana, Arthāpatti,
Anupalabdi
o Believed in Punarjanma and Theory of Karma
o Advaita by Adi Shankaracharya
 Monism — atma and parmatma in the same
person
 4 Mutts: Badrinath, Puri, Dwarka, Sringari
 Revivalist of Hinduism
o Vishista Advaita by Ramanujacharya
 Qualified Monism - only special person who have
strong will can achieve it.
 Promoted Vaishanvism
o Dvaita by Madhavacharya
 Merger of Atma and Paramatma is too difficult
 o Shuddha dvaita by Vallabhacharya
 Impossible to merge atma and parmatma
 Only through Bhakti, you can get close to
parmatma.
 Philosophy merged with religion

Of the historical division into six darsanas, only two schools, Vedanta and Yoga,
survive.

Heterodox Philosophy:

They do not believe in God and authenticity of the Vedas.

1. Cārvāka: Brihaspati
o Mentioned in Vedas — Brihadarankya Upanishad
o Didn’t survive.
o Philosophy of Hedonism / materialism
o Lokāyata: — more geared towards common people, hence
the name
o Only Philosophy which doesn’t believe in atma and
reincarnation.
o They consider only 4 elements of universe as Ether cannot
be experienced
o Buddha contemporary: “Ajita Keshakambli"
2. Ājīvika: Gosāla
o Niyati: Philosophy of destiny, faith and fatalism
o No need to do any action, you’ll get what the fate has for
you
o Popularity in the Mauryan Period: “Bindusar" (Ashoka’s
father followed this school)
o Barabara hills near Bodhgaya: Caves donated by Ashoka to
Ajivika monks
3. Buddhism
4. Jainism
Comparison between Buddhism and Jainism:

 Believed both were same but they weren’t

 Similarities:
o Same region, Both were princes in real, Both against
Brahmanical rituals
 Difference:
o Jainism: extreme form of conduct
o Buddhism: Middle Path like you can eat meat if you don’t kill
the animal yourself.
 Buddhism went outside India but Jainism stayed confined to India
 Buddhism disappeared in India due to middle path.
 Over time, Buddhism tilted towards Hinduism (emergence of idolatry)
and merged with it.
 Jainism survived due to strict code of conduct and individuality.

Out of these nine systems, eight are atheistic as there is no place for God
in them. Only Uttara Mimansa, which is also called Vedanta, has a place for
God in it.

Materialist View: Samkhya, Vaishiska, Ajivikas, Charvaka

Idealist: Overshadowed materialism — recommended rituals and spiritualism. It

hindered scientific inquiry and rational thinking.