INDIAN PHILOSOPHICAL SCHOOLS

By the beginning of the Christian era six schools of Indian Philosophy developed. They were known as Samkhya, Yoga, Nyaya, Vaisheshika, Mimamsa and Vedanta.

SAMKHYA
• According to the early Samkhya philosophy the presence of the divine agency is not essential to the creation of the world. The creation is more owed to Prakriti.
• It was a rational and scientific view.
• Around the fourth century A.D. in addition to Prakriti, Purusha or spirit was introduced as an element in the Samkhya system and the creation of the world was attributed to both .
• The propounder of this philosophy was Kapila, who wrote the Samkhya sutra.

YOGA
• It foundation is based upon the Yoga Sutras of Patanjali dated from the first half of the 1st millennium A.D.
• According to it, a person can attain salvation through meditation and physical application.
• Practice and control over pleasure, senses and bodily organs is central to this system.
• Exercises include physical and breathing exercises called asanas and pranayam.
• There is a broad variety of Yoga schools, practices, and goals in Hinduism, Buddhism, and Jainism. Among the most well-known types of yoga are Hatha yoga and Raja yoga.
• International Day of Yoga is celebrated on 21st June every year, since its inception in 2015.

NYAYA
• Nyaya or the school of analysis was developed as a system of logic. According to it salvation can be attained through acquisition of knowledge.
• The veracity of a proposition or a statement can be tested through inference, hearing and analogy.
• Gautama is said to be the author of the Nyaya Sutras.

VAISHESHIKA
• It gives importance to the discussion of material elements or dravya.
• This school propounded the atom theory and thus marked the beginning of physics in India.
• However the scientific view was diluted with belief in God and spiritualism, and this school put its faith in both heaven and salvation.
• This school was founded by Kanada.

MIMAMSA
• Mimamsa literally means the art of reasoning and interpretation.
• According to it, the Vedas contain the eternal truth.
• The principal object of this philosophy was to acquire heaven and salvation.
• In order to attain salvation it strongly recommended the performance of Vedic sacrifices which needed the services of priests and legitimized the social distance between various varnas.
• It was founded by Jaimini. 

VEDANATA
• Vedanta means the end of Veda. The Brahmasutra of Badarayana compiled in the second century B.C. formed its basic text.
• Later famous commentaries include that of Ramanuja (Brahma posses attributes) and Shankara (Brahma is without attributes).
• According to it, Brahma is the reality and everything else is unreal (maya). The self or atma is identical with Brahma.
• It propounded the theory of karma and the theory of rebirth.

MATERIALISTIC VIEW OF LIFE
• The schools of philosophy with emphasis on materialism developed in the period of expanding economy and society between 500 B.C. and 300 A.D. It is outside the ambit of 6 major philosophical schools.
• This view appeared in the doctrines of the Ajivikas, a heterodox sect in the time of Buddha. But Charvaka was the main exponent under of the materialistic philosophy.
• Charvaka’s philosophy came to known as Lokayata or the ideas derived from common people.
• Charvaka denies the operation of divine and supernatural agencies and makes man the centre of all activities.