ORTHODOX SCHOOLS OF INDIAN PHILOSOPHY- MIMAMSA AND VEDANTA

 

5. Orthodox Schools of Indian philosophy: Purva mimamsa (Mimansa)

The word Mimamsa means to analyze,reason and understand thoroughly.  The main objective of the Purva Mimamsa school is to interpret and establish the authority of the Vedas. It requires unquestionable faith in the Vedas and the regular performance of the Vedic fire-sacrifices to sustain all the activity of the universe. Mimamsa philosophy lays emphasis on the performance of the rituals and yagya as prescribed by the Vedas for attaining salvation. It relies on the Brahmana and Samhita part of the Vedas. Although in general the Mimamsa accept the logical and philosophical teachings of the other schools, they insist that salvation can only be attained by acting in accordance with the prescriptions of the Vedas.

6. Orthodox Schools of Indian philosophy: Uttara Mimamsa (Vedanda)

Vedanta literally means end of the Vedas. It is inspired by the philosophy propounded in the Upanishads (mystic or spiritual contemplations within the Vedas .Vedanta says that the world is unreal or Maya. It focus on meditation, self-discipline and spiritual connectivity, more than traditional ritualism. The school later separated into six sub-schools, each interpreting the texts in its own way and producing its own series of sub-commentaries: Shankaracharya propounded the theory of Advaita (which holds that the soul and Brahma are one and the same and that the Brahma has no attributes). Ramanuan on the other hand believed that Brahma has certain attributes. This school also gave the concept of Karma and rebirth or Punarjanama.