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Examine The Different Philosophical Teachings found In Shaddarshana 2010

EXAMINE THE DIFFERENT PHILOSOPHICAL TEACHINGS


FOUND IN SHADDARSHANA

Introduction

Among the hundreds of Hindu darshanas known through history are six
classical philosophical systems: Nyaya, Vaisheshika, Sankhya, Yoga, Mimamsa and
Vedanta. Each was tersely formulated in sutra form by its "founder," and elaborated
in extensive commentaries by other writers. They are understood as varied attempts
at describing Truth and the path to it. Elements of each form part of the Hindu fabric
today.

- Nyaya: "System, rule; logic." A system of logical realism, founded sometime


around 300 bce by Gautama, known for its systems of logic and epistemology and
concerned with the means of acquiring right knowledge. Its tools of enquiry and
rules for argumentation were adopted by all schools of Hinduism.
- Vaisheshika: "Distinctionism." From "vishesha," differences. Philosophy
founded by Kanada (ca 300 bce) teaching that liberation is to be attained through
understanding the nature of existence, which is classified in nine basic realities
(dravyas): earth, water, light, air, ether, time, space, soul and mind. Nyaya and
Vaisheshika are viewed as a complementary pair, with Nyaya emphasizing logic, and
Vaisheshika analyzing the nature of the world.

Sankhya: "Enumeration, reckoning." A philosophy founded by the sage Kapila


(ca 500 bce), author of the Sankhya Sutras. Sankhya is primarily concerned with
"categories of existence," tattvas, which it understands as 25 in number. The first
two are the unmanifest purusha and the manifest primal nature, prakriti - the male-
female polarity, viewed as the foundation of all existence. Prakriti, out of which all
things evolve, is the unity of the three gunas: sattva, rajas and tamas. Sankhya and
Yoga are considered an inseparable pair whose principles permeate all of Hinduism.

Yoga: "Yoking; joining." Ancient tradition of philosophy and practice codified


by Patanjali (ca 200 bce) in the Yoga Sutras. It is also known as raja yoga, "king of
yogas," or ashtanga yoga, "eight-limbed yoga." Its object is to achieve, at will, the
cessation of all fluctuations of consciousness, and the attainment of Self Realization.

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Yoga is wholly dedicated to putting the high philosophy of Hinduism into practice, to
achieve personal transformation through transcendental experience, samadhi.

Mimamsa: "Inquiry" (or Purva, "early," Mimamsa). Founded by Jaimini (ca 200
bce), author of the Mimamsa Sutras, who taught the correct performance of Vedic
rites as the means to salvation.

Vedanta (or Uttara "later" Mimamsa): "End (or culmination) of the Vedas." For
Vedanta, the main basis is the Upanishads and Aranyakas (the "end," anta, of the
Vedas), rather than the hymns and ritual portions of the Vedas. The teaching of
Vedanta is that there is one Absolute Reality, Brahman. Man is one with Brahman,
and the object of life is to realize that truth through right knowledge, intuition and
personal experience. The Vedanta Sutras (or Brahma Sutras) were composed by
Rishi Badarayana (ca 400 bce).

The philosophy, process, disciplines and practices whose purpose is the


yoking of individual consciousness with transcendent or divine consciousness. One of
the six darshanas, or systems of orthodox Hindu philosophy.

Yoga was codified by Patanjali in his Yoga Sutras (ca 200 bce) as the eight
limbs (ashtanga) of raja yoga. It is essentially a one system, but historically, parts of
raja yoga have been developed and emphasized as yogas in themselves.

Prominent among the many forms of yoga are


- hatha yoga (emphasizing bodily perfection in preparation for meditation),
- kriya yoga (emphasizing breath control), as well as
- karma yoga (selfless service) and
- bhakti yoga (devotional practices) which could be regarded as an expression of
raja yoga's first two limbs (yama and niyama).

Darshanas are basically six systems of salvation. All six are equally valid ways
of salvation and are divided into three groups of two each and are thought to be
complimentary to each other. These are Nyaya and Vaisesika; Sankhya and Yoga
and Mimamsa and Vedanta. Some of these doctrines form the foundation for Jainism
and Buddhism. The purpose of all these six philosophical systems is the removal of

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ignorance and providing assistance to the student in acquiring knowledge that will
lead to attainment of perfection and bliss. The Jivatman has to be united with
Paramatman and this is immortality.

As usual there is confusion and speculation when the principles for the
differentiation are not understood. The word used is shad-darshana. Shad means six
and darshana means to see or sight and refers to the body of knowledge that
illumines the mind. Look at the basics: What is the source of all light and life? It is
the Sun God and the sun alone is the source of all original light that is adequate
enough to cause vision in the physical sence of the word and illumination in the
spiritual sence of the term. Thus, the SUN is the governor of all the darshana and
shall illumine different paths to the same God.

Now, the Jyotish aspect: There are nine planets or nava-graha. Of these, the
nodes are indicative of eclipses or darkness and lack of illumination. They
tend to obstruct the path to knowledge in some manner or the other. Hence, in
principle, they cannot rule any of the 'darshana' nor do they work for the Sun
in this noble cause. Excluding the nodes, we have seven planets remaining of
which the overall GOVERNOR for DARSHANA is the Sun.
The Sun indicates the completeness of the knowledge or the perfection
related to any body of knowledge. That is why Jaimini teaches " panchame surya
gitagya" where the gita is the crux of all the different systems of knowledge to know
Him. Having confirmed that the Sun is the final objective or the 'real' darshana, let
us examine the remaining six planets from Moon to Saturn.
Shad-Darshana

The shad-darshana is the six streams of philosophy that a person (of some
intelligence) adopts in his spiritual path. In fact darshana refers to the
knowledge or peculiar mode of thinking as well that shall illumine his path to
God. The path to God is referred to as the DEVI or SHAKTI or the mother. In
mantra-nyasa, this is SHAKTI nyasa is doe on the feet so that the path is not
changed and this is the real meaning of the word Durga as derived from
"Durgati-nashinyai" or the one Who removes us from the wrong path and takes us
to the right path towards God realisation. For example, the aspirants of
Krishna worship Radha as the mother and when Krishna takes the vesha of

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Jagannatha, then She is Gundicha or Vimala. Every mantra must have a shakti and
the nyasa of the shakti at the feet is important for the 'gati' or movement
towards God realisation.

Moon -Sankhya shastra


Mars -Nyaya shastra
Mercury -Mimamsa shastra
Jupiter -Veda shastra
Venus -Vaiseshika shastra
Saturn -Yoga shastra
For the sake of good record, the five crucial nyasa are:
1) RISHI at the head,
2) CHANNDA/metre or vibration in the mouth (Gayatri/Matrika),
3) DEVATA or deity (form or formless God as described by the mantra) in the heart,
4) BIJA or the seed syllable that causes creation in the Linga (Brahma (worship
prohibited and hence Shiva Linga) and,
5) SHAKTI (Devi/Durgati-nashinyai/Mother/Prakriti) at the feet

The shad-darshana are meaningless if (a) your head cannot reason clearly
being enraged by rajas or depressed by tamas thoughts, (b) your mouth does not
have the sweetness of the beautiful channda like the Gayatri, (c) your heart has no
place for the few souls in this planet - what to speak of the omni-present
Bhagavan Vishnu, (d) if your linga cannot create anything worthwhile for this
samsara (world) and (e) your feet do not take you to the right people at the
right place and at the right time for the right yoga.
Test yourself: List out the nyasa for the following mantra:
Q1. (a) the maha-mantra kirtana: Hare Krishna Hare Krishna Krishna Krishna Hare
Hare, Hare Rama Hare Rama Rama Rama Hare Hare; (b) Vasudeva dwadasakshari
mantra: Om namo bhagavate vasudevaaya; (c) Isana Panchakshari: namah Shivaya
(d) Mrityunjaya Mantra, and (d) Gayatri mantra. I have given simple and well
known mantra and this should be easy.

Q2. There are five parts of the mantra for which nyasa is performed as indicated
above and these are five tatwas. Match one tatwa to each of the mantra
parts/nyasa.

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Q3. There are five main deities in Hinduism. These are the panca-devata: Surya,
Ganesha, Vishnu, Siva and Shakti. Link each of the devata to one Tatwa, and
then the tatwa to one of the nyasa. Why is the worship of the pancha devata
considered essential in Hinduism?
Coming back to shad-darshana, let us take an example. Can Jyotish be
considered a shad-darshana, and if so, which darshana does it signify and how?
Extracts from Vedic remedies in Astrology by this scribe: " Some people have
expressed the opinion that Jyotish is not a vedanga and that the word “ Vedic” is a
misnomer. The six important parts of the Vedas are personified as its feet,
face, hands, eyes, nose and ears. Chandas, vyakarana, kalpa, jyotish, siksha
and nirukta represent these respectively. In the next stanza, prasna marga adds
that since jyotish (Astrology) is the eye of the Vedas it is given the highest
pedestal. Thus, there is no further doubt that jyotish is a vedanga." Thus,
Jyotish is a part of the Veda and the largest part as Sankaracharya has
referred to it as the ocean of knowledge. As per the list above, this should be
ruled by Jupiter. Jupiter also rules the 'Akash Tatwa'. It is for this reason
that Harihara advises that Jupiter should be placed in Lagna at the muhurta
when a person begins the study of Jyotish. Thus, if a person is seeking a
muhurta to start studying sankhya shastra, then the Moon should be strong, or
preferably in Lagna. A person should have Mars strong in Lagna at the time of
commencing studies in Law or at the time of going to war, else the effort shall
fail.
Indian Systems of Knowledge Indian Systems of Knowledge Compilation of
notes, from various sources. The picture above: a Tamil temple.
Shad darshana - Six systems of Vedic philosophy Philosophy is a worldview,
as represented by the Sanskrit darshana, derived from the verbal root drish, "to
see". The s.ad-darshana (six philosophical views) are nyaya (logic), vaisesika (atomic
theory), sankhya (analysis of matter and spirit), yoga (the discipline of self-
realization), karma- mimamsa (science of fruitive work) and vedanta (science of God
realization). Nyaya - Logic The Nyaya Viewpoint takes for granted that we possess
knowledge of the world about us. It has in general a common sense view of
knowledge, accepting that in general the information we obtain through sense
experience is reliable. Nyaya is not news from nowhere.

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Nyaya theory takes for granted that the world is more or less as we perceive
it. While accepting that defects in the sense organs, merely partial perception of
something and the influence of fear, anticipation and other mental conditions can
lead to misapprehension as to what is actually being perceived, Nyaya regards
perception as in general a sound means of cognition, which discloses things to us as
they really are. Vaisesika - Unique Aspects of Reality The founder of vaisesika
philosophy is the sage Kanaada, who was also known as Uluka.

So this system is sometimes called aulukya. Kanada wrote the first


systematic work of this philosophy, Vaisesika-sutra. This work is divided into ten
cantos, each canto containing two sections. Prasastapada wrote a commentary on
this sutra entitled Svartha Dharma Samgraha that is so famous that it is called
bhashya, which means simply "commentary." In Indian philosophical discourse,
whenever the word bhasya is used by itself without further specification, it is
understood to refer to this commentary. Two well-known explications of
Prasastapada's work are Udayana's Kirana-vali and Sridhara's Nyayakandali. The
significant feature of this system is the introduction of a special category of reality
called uniqueness (visesa). Thus, this system is known as vaisesika. Saamkhya -
enumeration The Sanskrit word "saamkhya" has a variety of meanings related to the
concepts of enumeration, calculation and discrimination.

The name of the viewpoint could be derived from its emphasis on the need
to discriminate between the spirit, purushha and matter (literally "nature" prakrti), or
from the extensive use by saamkhya philosophers of lists which enumerate the
stages of cosmic evolution and their products. It would be equally appropriate to
designate the saamkhya the Evolutionist Viewpoint, since the concept of evolution
plays a crucial role in saamkhya thought. The traditional founder of the saamkhya
viewpoint was Kapila, who is believed to have lived well before the rise of Buddhism.
Non-theistic dualism Sankhya philosophy, considered by some to be the oldest of all
the philosophical schools, was systematized by an ancient thinker named Kapila
(different from the Devahuti-putra Kapila of the Srimad-Bhagavatam whose sankhya
system does not exclude God). Yoga - Uniting The word yoga is derived from the
Sanskrit root yuj, which means "to unite." The yoga system provides a methodology
for linking up individual consciousness with the Supreme Consciousness. There are
various schools of yoga, among which bhakti-yoga, jnana-yoga, karma-yoga, and

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kundalini-yoga are especially well known. The yoga system that is counted as one of
the six systems of Vedic philosophy is the patanjala-yoga Karma mimamsa - Analysis
The word karma refers to any action that results in a reaction, whether it be good or
bad. The word Mimamsa means to analyze and understand thoroughly. The
philosophical systems of karma- mimamsa and vedanta are closely related to each
other and are in some ways complimentary.

Karma-mimamsa may be understood as a stepping stone to vedanta. It


examines the teachings of the Veda in the light of karma-kanda rituals, whereas
vedanta examines the same teachings in the light of transcendental knowledge. The
karma-mimamsa system is called purva-mimamsa, which means the earlier study of
the Veda, and vedanta is called uttara-mimamsa, which means the later study of the
Veda. Karma-mimamsa is to be taken up by householders, and vedanta is reserved
for wise men who have graduated from household life and taken up the renounced
order (sannyasa). Vedanta - Conclusion The word vedanta is normally read as a
combination of two words: veda and anta, end.

The upanishads are sometimes called vedanta since they are seen as the end
and the fulfilment of the Veda. The Vedanta Viewpoint is a family of philosophical
schools which take up the issues discussed in the upanishads; the nature of the self,
the relation of the Ultimate Self to Ultimate Reality, Atman to Brahman,the status of
the world given inexperience, the relation of the world we experience to Brahman..
The conclusion of the Vedic revelation Karma-mimamsa philosophy arose from the
earlier study of the ritualistic portions of the Vedas, and so it is also known as purva-
mimamsa, "the prior deliberation." Vedanta is called uttara- mimamsa, "the higher
deliberation", and also as brahma-mimamsa, "deliberation on Brahman, the Absolute
Truth." Sanatana Dharma ("Eternal Religion"), a.k.a Hinduism, is without any contest
the "world champion" of Scriptures, both in its breath (covering 18 fields of
knowledge, it has far more scriptures than all the other world religions put together)
and its depth. As the great Indologist Max Muller said, "If I were asked under what
sky the human mind has most fully developed the choicest gifts, has most deeply
pondered on the greatest problems of life, and has found solution of some of them
which well deserve the attention even of those who have studied Plato and Kant-I
should point to India. And if I were to ask myself from what literature we here in
Europe, we who have been nurtured almost exclusively on the thought of Greeks

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and Romans, and of one Semitic race, the Jewish, may draw that corrective which is
most wanted in order to make our inner life more perfect, more comprehensive,
more universal, in fact more truly human, a life not for this life only, but a
transfigured and eternal life-again I should point to India." The sheer number of
scriptures should not be so surprising, in light of the fact that Indians have always
considered all arts, sciences, and occupations as sacred, i.e. offering the opportunity
to perfect one's love for God by carrying out our activities guided by the scriptures
and the sages.

Hence there are scriptures for meditation, administration, love-making,


dancing, grammar, architecture, temple worship, and so on and so forth. The
Fourteen Fields of Knowledge Indian scriptures span fourteen fields of knowledge
(vidya) and four complements to the Vedas (upavedas). The fourteen fields are the
four Vedas (Rik, Yajur, Sama, Atharva), the six vedangas (meter, etymology,
phonetics, grammar, astrology-astronomy, rituals), and the four upangas (logic,
enquiry, sacred history, code of social conduct). The four complements to the Vedas
are medicine, politics-economics, warfare, and fine arts. (The Mahabharata,
Ramayana, as well as Sankhya, Patañjala, Pashupata and Vaishnava, form part of
Dharma Shastras.) The Six Categories Another method is to classify all scriptures in
six categories: 1) scriptures which have been divinely revealed, 2) scriptures which
have been composed, 3) sacred epics, 4) sacred legends and history, 5) manuals of
divine worship, and 6) the six philosophical systems. This is the classification that we
will examine presently.

Shrutis Shruti means "heard", i.e. divinely revealed scriptures. The shrutis are
also known as prabhu- samhitas ("Commanding Treatises"). They refer to the four
Vedas only. All religions trace their scriptures to the revelation given by God to a
single chosen messenger... except in Hinduism. The Vedas were not revealed to a
single prophet. They existed in a subtle form before creation began, and were
gradually revealed to a number of sages or rishis (over 800 of them, according to
some calculations) in the depth of their meditation. Each Vedic mantra is dedicated
to a particular deity (devata), and set in one of 19 possible meters (chhandas). The
word veda itself come from the Sanskrit root vid, "to know." The four Vedas number
all together over 20,500 mantras. 1. Rig Veda - It was revealed to Paila Rishi and
dedicated to Agni, the fire god. It is presided by the planet Guru (Jupiter).

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It is divided in ten books (mandalas), made of 1028 hymns (suktas), which


comprise 10,552 mantras in total. The Rig Veda originally had twenty-one recensions
(shakhas), only five of which are still extant. It contains hymns on gods, soul, social
life. It contains the Aitareya and Kaushitaki Upanishads. 2. Yajur Veda It was
revealed to Vaishampayana Rishi and dedicated to Vayu, the wind god. It is presided
by the planet Shukra (Venus). It is divided in 40 parts (skandas), which comprise
1975 mantras in total. It is divided in: 1) the Krishna ("Black") Yajur Veda book (the
oldest), and 2) the Shukla ("White") Yajur Veda book (a later revelation to Sage
Yajñavalkya, nephew of Sage Vaishampayana). The Yajur Veda originally had 102
recensions (85 for the Black, 17 for the White) only four of the Black and two of the
White are still extant today. It is a manual on rituals and sacrifices. The Black
contains the Taittiriya and Katha Upanishads, while the White contains the Isha and
Brihadaranyaka Upanishads. 3. Sama Veda It was revealed to Jaimini Rishi and
dedicated to Aditya, the sun god. It is presided by the planet Mangal (Mars). It is
divided in: 1) Purvarcika, made of four parts (skandas), containing 585 mantras. 2)
Uttararcika, made of 21 parts (skandas), containing 964 mantras. Of the total of
1549 mantras, all but 75 of them come from the Rig Veda. The Sama Veda originally
had 1000 recensions, only three of which are still extant today. It contains
devotional hymns, music, prayers for peace. It contains the Chhandogya and Kena
Upanishads. Note: in the matter of Vedic sacrifices, the prayoga (operative) mantras
are taken from the Rig Veda, adhwaryu (priestly) from the Yajurveda and the
audgatra (singing) from the Samaveda. 4. Atharva Veda It was revealed to
Sumanthu Rishi and dedicated to Aditya, the sun god. It is presided by the planet
Budha (Mercury). It comprises: 1) Purvadha ("first half"), made of various
discourses. 2) Uttarardha ("second half"), comprising the critical appreciation of
rituals, etc. The Atharva Veda is divided in four books (prapathakas), totaling twenty
chapters (skandas) and includes 6,077 mantras. It originally had 9 recensions, of
which only two are still extant today. It contains hymns to deities, creation stories,
mantras to ward off evil and enemies, magic and tantra. An astounding total of 93
Upanishads are found in the Atharva Veda, among which the famous Prashna,
Mundaka, and Mandukya Upanishads.

Division of the Vedas Each Veda comprises four parts: a) The mantra-
samhitas: hymns of praise to deities to attain material prosperity in this world and

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happiness in the next. b) The brahmanas: manual for the performance of sacrificial
rites. c) The aranyakas: philosophical interpretations of the rituals. d) The
Upanishads, a.k.a. vedanta ("end of the Vedas"): the essence or mystical portion of
the Vedas. These four divisions of the Vedas are often described in terms of a divine
harvest, where the samhita represents the tree, the brahmana the flower, the
aranyaka the unripe fruit, and the upanishad the ripe, sweet fruit. II. Smritis Smriti
means "remembered"). These are the secondary scriptures, of human composition.
A. The Four Upavedas ("Subsidiary Vedas") 1) Ayurveda ("Science of life and
health"), associated with the Rig Veda: Charaka Samhita by Charaka. Susruta
Samhita, by Susruta, on the science of rejuvenation. Vagbhata Samhita by
Vagbhata. Kama Sutras by Vatsyayana, on the science of healthy sex. 2)
Dhanurveda ("Military science"), associated with the Yajur Veda: Dhanur Shastra by
Sage Vishwamitra, in four chapters dealing with both offensive and defensive
warfare, mystic missiles, spells, etc. 3) Gandharva Veda ("Science of music and art"),
associated with the Sama Veda: Gandharva Shastra by Sage Bharata on the science
of vocal and instrumental music and dance as a means to concentrate the mind on
God. 4) Arthashastra ("Science of politics and economics"). Note: Other (minor)
sources consider this fourth upaveda to be sthapatya shastra ("Science of mechanics
and construction"), associated with the Atharva Veda. Arthasastra dealing with the
acquisition of material things like wealth by righteous means. Under this head,
nitisastra, shilpasastra, the sixty-four kalas and also other physical and metaphysical
subjects are included. The kalas According to the Vamakeshvara Tantra, there are
64 books called kalas. There are various lists of these 64 "arts". One such list is as
follows: 1. Vocal music 2. Instrumental music 3. Dance 4. Acting 5. Painting 6.
Making emblems 7. Making garlands and other creations with flowers 8. Artwork for
mattresses 9. Artwork for bedspreads 10. Body esthetics 11. House decoration 12.
Making musical instruments operated by water (such as the jalataranga, for
instance) 13. Making sound effects in water 14. Costume and fashion design 15.
Making pearl necklaces Hair styling 17. Art of dressing 18. Making ear ornaments 19.
Flower decoration 20. Food styling 21. Magic 22. Landscaping 23. Manicure 24.
Pastry making 25. Making drinks 26. Sewing 27. Making nets 28. Solving and
creating riddles 29. Reciting poems 30. Discoursing on epics and poetical works 31.
Reading 32. Attending theatrical plays 33. Completing verses left unfinished
(samasya) by others as a challenge 34. Making cane furniture 35. Woodworking 36.
Debate 37. Architecture 38. Assessing gold and gems 39. Metallurgy 40. Cutting and

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polishing diamonds 41. Searching for ore 42. Special knowledge of trees and plants
43. Cock fighting 44. Interpreting the songs of birds 45. Massage 46. Hair care 47.
Sign language 48. Learning foreign languages 49. Scholarship in local languages 50.
Predicting the future 51. Mechanical engineering 52. Strengthening memory power
53. Learning by ear 54. Instantaneous verse-making 55. Decisiveness in action 56.
Pretense 57. Prosody 58. Preserving clothes 59. Gambling 60. Playing dice 61.
Playing with children 62. Rules of respectful behavior 63. Art of storytelling and
entertaining, (like bards and minstrels) 64. Grasping the essence of subjects.
Kautilya Artha Shastra by Sage Kautilya (a.k.a. Chanakya) (302 B.C.E.): a treatise on
government by the prime minister of India's first great emperor, Chandragupta
Maurya. Chanakya Neeti by Chanakya (302 B.C.E.) Note: the Mahabharata can also
be classified as part of the artha shastra.

The Six Vedangas ("Organs of the Vedas") According to tradition, these are to
be mastered before the study of the Vedas. The Vedangas (limbs of the Vedas) are
six: siksha, kalpa, vyakarana, nirukta, chhandas and jyotisha. By using the name
Vedanga the human origin of these subjects is indicated, although they are in close
association with the Vedas. 1. Siksha ("Phonetics"): Siksha of Maharshi Panini 2.
Vyakarana ("Grammar"): Vyakarana of Maharshi Panini. Mahabhashya by Sage
Patañjali. A commentary on Sage Panini's Sanskrit grammar. 3. Chhandas ("Prosody
meter"): Chhandas of Pingalacharya 4. Nirukta ("Etymology"): Nirukta of Yaska 5.
Jyotisha ("Astronomy and astrology"): Jyotisha of Garga. Other classic texts on
jyotisha: Shani Mahatmya ("Greatness of Saturn"). 6. Kalpa ("Methods of Rituals"): i.
Srauta kalpa, methods for the performance of sacrifices. ii. Sulba kalpa, methods of
measurements for the sacrifice area. iii. Dharma kalpa, methods for ethics. Out of
eighteen texts of dharma shastra, the three most important are: Manu Smriti ("The
Laws of Manu") (150 B.C.E.), meant for the satya yuga. Yajñavalkya Smriti ("The
Laws of Yajñavalkya"), meant for the treta yuga. Parashara Smriti ("The Laws of
Parashara"), meant for the kali yuga. The other fifteen are: Sankha-Likhita Dharma
Sutra ("Institutes of Sankha"), meant for the dvapara yuga. Gautama Dharma Sutra
("Gautama's Institutes of the Sacred Law") Apastamba Dharma Sutra ("Apastamba's
Aphorisms on the Sacred Law") Vasishtha Dharma Sutra ("Vasishtha's Aphorisms on
the Sacred Law") Saunaka Dharma Sutra ("Saunaka's Aphorisms on the Sacred
Law") Vishnu Dharma Sutra ("Institutes of Vishnu") Daksha Dharma Sutra
("Institutes of Daksha") Samvarta Dharma Sutra ("Institutes of Samvarta") Vyasa

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Dharma Sutra ("Institutes of Vyasa") Harita Dharma Sutra ("Institutes of Harita")


Satatapa Dharma Sutra ("Institutes of Satatapa") Yama Dharma Sutra ("Institutes of
Yama") Devala Dharma Sutra ("Institutes of Devala") Usana Dharma Sutra
("Institutes of Usana") Atri Dharma Sutra ("Institutes of Atri") iv. The grihya kalpa,
methods for domestic life. III. Itihasas ("Sacred Epics") The Itihasas are also known
as suhrit-samhitas ("Friendly Treatises"). There are four epics: 1. Ramayana, by
Sage Valmiki (500 B.C.E.). The epic of the avatar Rama and his consort Sita faced
with the demon Ravana. 2. Mahabharata, by Sage Vyasa (1316 B.C.E.). The epic of
the avatar Krishna, including the complete story of the Pandavas and Kauravas. Its
importance is such that it is referred as the "Fifth Veda." According to its author, "It
unveils the secrets of the Vedas, contains the essence of the Upanishads. It
elaborates on the Itihasas and Puranas, astrology, morality and ethics, life science,
medicine, charity and generosity, it is also a description of holy places of pilgrimage,
rivers, forests, oceans and mountains. It is the greatest epic of mankind, rich with
knowledge and applied knowledge.

It is a book on theology, political philosophy; a scripture of devotion and


action and is the synopsis of the Aryan scriptures". The Bhagavad Gita is a small part
of this epic. 3. Harivamsa 4. Yoga Vasishtha by Sage Valmiki (500 B.C.E.) IV.
Puranas ("Sacred Legends and History") Often described as the "magnifying glass of
the Vedas", tradition ascribes them to Sage Vyasa. By definition, the Puranas must
deal with the following five topics (pancha-lakshana): 1) History; 2) Cosmology; 3)
Secondary creation; 4) Genealogy of kings; and 5) World-cycles. There are eighteen
main Puranas and eighteen subsidiary ones (upa puranas). A. The 18 Main Puranas
They are divided into three groups of six Puranas each: 1) Sattvic Puranas, glorifying
Lord Vishnu; 2) Rajasic Puranas, glorifying Lord Brahma; 3) Tamasic Puranas,
glorifying Lord Shiva. These main Puranas are: 1. Bhagavat Purana by Sage Vyasa
(1300 B.C.E.). The life and legends of Shri Krishna. (18,000 verses) 2. Vishnu Purana
(23,000 verses) 3. Naradiya Purana (25,000 verses) 4. Garuda (Suparna) Purana
(19,000 verses) 5. Padma Purana (55,000 verses) 6. Varaha Purana (10,000 verses)
7. Brahma Purana (24,000 verses) 8. Brahmanda Purana (12,000 verses) 9. Brahma
Vaivarta Purana (18,000 verses) 10. Markandeya Purana (9,000 verses) 11.
Bhavishya Purana (14,500 verses) 12. Vamana Purana (10,000 verses) 13. Matsya
Purana (14,000 verses) 14. Kurma Purana (17,000 verses) 15. Linga Purana (11,000
verses) 16. Siva Purana (24,000 verses) 17. Skanda Purana (81,100 verses) 18. Agni

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Purana (15,400 verses) B. The 18 Upa-Puranas The eighteen subsidiary Puranas are:
1. Sanat Kumara 2. Narasimha 3. Brihannaradiya 4. Sivarahasya 5. Durvasa 6. Kapila
7. Vamana 8. Bhargava 9. Varuna 10. Kalika 11. Samba 12. Nandi 13. Surya 14.
Parashara 15. Vasishtha 16. Devi-Bhagavata 17. Ganesha 18. Hamsa C. The Tamil
Puranas These are all Puranas glorifying Lord Shiva, as he incarnated Himself in the
form of Dakshinamurti to teach the four Kumaras (sons of Brahma). These Tamil
Puranas are: 1. Siva Purana 2. Periya Purana 3. Siva Parakramam 4. Tiruvilayadal
Purana V. Agamas ("Manuals of Divine Worship") The Agamas do not derive their
authority from the Vedas, but are not antagonistic to them. They follow a four-fold
method of worship: 1) jñana ("knowledge"); 2) yoga ("concentration"); 3) kriya
("esoteric ritual"); 4) charya ("exoteric worship"). The most important books on the
Agamas are: Ishvara-Samhita Ahirbudhnya-Samhita Sanatkumara-Samhita Narada-
Pancharatra Spanda-Pradipika The Agamas are divided into three categories: 1) The
Vaishnava Agamas or Pancharatra Agamas (worship of Vishnu); 2) The Shaiva
Agamas (worship of Shiva); 3) The Shakta Agamas or Tantras (worship of the Divine
Mother or Shakti). A. The Vaishnava Agamas There are 215 Vaishnava Agamas, the
most important ones being: 1. Isvara Samhita 2. Ahirbudhnya Samhita 3. Paushkara
Samhita 4. Parama Samhita 5. Sattvata Samhita 6. Brihad-Brahma Samhita 7.
Jñanamritasara Samhita The Vaishnava Agamas are divided into four classes: a/
Pancharatra, considered as the most authoritative. They consist of seven groups: 1.
Brahma 2. Shaiva 3. Kaumara 4. Vasishtha 5. Kapila 6. Gautamiya 7. Naradiya b/
Vaikhanasa c/ Pratishthasara d/ Vijñana-lalita B. The Shaiva Agamas There are 28
Shaiva Agamas, of which the chief is the Kamika Agama.

The darshanas are grouped into three pairs of aphoristic compositions which
explain the philosophy of the Vedas in a rationalistic method of approach. These
pairs are: nyaya and vaiseshika, sankhya and yoga and mimamsa and Vedanta. The
shad-darshana (the six schools of philosophy) or the shat-shastras are: 1. Nyaya:
Nyaya represents the logical approach to spirituality, founded by Gautama Rishi.
Nyaya Sutras by Gautama Rishi (350 B.C.E.): 537 sutras divided in five chapters,
dealing with the analytical process of cognition. 2. Vaiseshika: Vaiseshika deals with
the material aspect of creation and the path of discrimination, founded by Kanada
Rishi. Vaiseshika Shastra by Kanada Rishi: 373 sutras divided in twelve chapters,
written as a supplemental science to nyaya, and acknowledging the authority of
scripture. 3. Sankhya: Sankhya presents a dualistic conception of purusha (soul) and

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Examine The Different Philosophical Teachings found In Shaddarshana 2010

prakriti (nature), founded by Kapila Muni). Sankhya Shastra by Kapila Muni: six
chapters describing the world as real, and the purpose of life is freedom by
understanding the difference between purusha and prakriti. Additional texts on
sankhya: Sankhya Karika by Ishvara Krishna 4. Purva (or karma) mimamsa: Purva
mimamsa deals with outer practices, i.e. rituals, and was founded by Sage Jaimini.
Mimamsa Sutras by Jaimini (200 B.C.E.) in twelve chapters.

Yoga: Yoga concerns itself with inner practice, and was founded by Patañjali
Maharshi. Yoga Sutras by Patañjali Maharshi (150 B.C.E.): 194 sutras divided in four
parts, expounding on the eightfold limbs process of God-realization. It is also known
as raja yoga. Additional texts on yoga: Hatha Yoga Pradipika. The first systematic
exposition on the much misunderstood science of Hatha Yoga. Gheranda Samhita.
The classic tantric text on yoga in the form of a dialogue between the sage
Gheranda and an inquirer. Shiva Samhita. A detailed Sanskrit classic on the practice
of yoga. 6. Uttara (or sharirika) mimamsa, a.k.a. Vedanta: Vedanta concerns itself
with the realization of the Truth, and was founded by Sage Vyasa. Vedanta Sutras
by Sage Bhadrayana (350 B.C.E. Brahma-Sutras by Sage Vyasa (1450 B.C.E.): 555
aphorisms presenting the entire philosophy of the Vedas. A good knowledge of the
Upanishads is required before studying this work. Additional texts on Vedanta: the
Upanishads. The word upanishad is derived from upa, "near;" ni, ";" and shada, "to
sit by the side [of the guru]". It also means, "that which brings one to God's side."
Composed from 1450 B.C.E. onward, there are 108 authoritative Upanishads, out of
which the main ones are: 1. Isha Upanishad 2. Katha Upanishad 3. Kena Upanishad
4. Mundaka Upanishad 5. Shvetashvatara Upanishad 6. Prashna Upanishad 7.
Mandukya Upanishad 8. Aitareya Upanishad 9. Brihadaranyaka Upanishad 10.
Taittiriya Upanishad 11. Chhandogya Upanishad 12. Kaushitaki Upanishad 13.
Maitrayani Upanishad 14. Mahanarayana Upanishad The Bhagavad Gita, although
part of the Mahabharata (Book Bhishma Parva, sections 13-42), is considered as an
Upanishad. In this respect, it is said that "Just as the Upanishads are the cream of
the Vedas, the Bhagavad Gita is the cream of the Upanishads. The Upanishads are
the cows, Lord Krishna is the cowherd, Arjuna is the calf, and the Bhagavad Gita is
the milk. The wise drink the milk of the Gita." VII. Other Scriptures A. The Various
Gitas 1. Anu Gita (from the Mahabharata, Book Ashvamedha, Canto 16): the
conversation between Arjuna and Krishna after the war and coronation of
Yudhishthira. 2. Ashtavakra Gita a.k.a. Ashtavakra Samhita: a short treatise on

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Examine The Different Philosophical Teachings found In Shaddarshana 2010

nondualistic Vedanta in the form of a dialogue between the saintly king Janaka and
his guru Sage Ashtavakra. 3. Avadhuta Gita by Sage Dattatreya. This sublime "Song
of the Free" expounds the ultimate truths of nondualistic Vedanta. 4. Bhagavad Gita
(from the Mahabharata, Book Bhishma Parva, chapters 25-42) 5. Bhikshu Gita (from
the Shrimad Bhagavata Purana, Book 11, chapter 23) 6. Brahma Gita (from the
Skanda Purana, chapter 4 of the book Suta Samhita, and chapters 1-12 of the book
Yajñavaibhava Khanda). Another version with the same name is found in Yoga
Vasishtha, in the section on Nirvana, stanzas 173-181. 7. Brahmana Gita: this forms
a part of the Anu Gita described above. 8. Bodhya Gita (from the Mahabharata, Book
Moksha Parva, as a part of the book Shanti Parva).
Devi Gita (from the Devi Bhagavata, Book 7, chapters 31-40) 10. Ganesha
Gita (from the Ganesha Purana, Book Krida Khanda, chapters 138-148): it is quite
close to the Bhagavad Gita in format and contents. 11. Hamsa Gita (from the
Shrimad Bhagavata Purana, Book 11, chapter 13) 12. Hari Gita: this is the name
given to the Bhagavad Gita by Sage Narada, in the Mahabharata, Book Shanti Parva,
chapter 346, verse 10. 13. Harita Gita (from the Mahabharata, Book Moksha Parva,
as a part of the book Shanti Parva) 14. Ishvara Gita, a.k.a. Uttara Gita (from the
Kurma Purana, first eleven chapters of Uttara Vibhaga)

In summary, the above mentioned are in brief of the Examine the


different philosophical teachings found in shaddarshana. Although it is handful
of, I think that you will be able to satisfy with above mentioned.

Reference

by Neria Harish Hebbar, MD

http://www.slideshare.net/ayurvedanuts/shad-darshana-and-more

http://www.experiencefestival.com/shad_darshana/

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