BharatNotes What is Six Schools of Indian Philosophy?
The Six Schools of Indian Philosophy, known in Sanskrit as the Shad Darshana ("six viewpoints"), are the classical astika or orthodox systems of Hindu thought. Their defining feature is acceptance of the Vedas as an authoritative source of knowledge (pramana). They are conventionally distinguished from the nastika (heterodox) systems—Charvaka, Buddhism and Jainism—which do not accept Vedic authority. Each darshana grew around a foundational sutra text attributed to a sage and was elaborated through later commentaries.
The Six Schools, Founders and Texts
The six are traditionally grouped into three allied pairs, each pair sharing methods or metaphysics.
| School | Traditional founder | Foundational text | Core idea |
|---|---|---|---|
| Nyaya | Gautama (Akshapada) | Nyaya Sutras | Logic, epistemology and the means of valid knowledge |
| Vaisheshika | Kanada (Uluka) | Vaisheshika Sutras | Atomism; reality classified into categories (padarthas) |
| Samkhya | Kapila | Samkhya Sutras | Dualism of Purusha (consciousness) and Prakriti (matter); non-theistic |
| Yoga | Patanjali | Yoga Sutras | Eight-limbed (Ashtanga) discipline for liberation; theistic |
| Mimamsa (Purva) | Jaimini | Mimamsa Sutras | Vedic ritual, dharma and exegesis |
| Vedanta (Uttara Mimamsa) | Badarayana (Vyasa) | Brahma Sutras (Vedanta Sutras) | Nature of Brahman and the self, drawn from the Upanishads |
Significance and Key Distinctions
The schools form complementary pairs rather than rival camps. Nyaya–Vaisheshika together supply logic and a theory of physical reality. Samkhya–Yoga pair an analytical account of consciousness versus matter with a practical path of discipline. Mimamsa–Vedanta address, respectively, the ritual (karma-kanda) and knowledge (jnana-kanda) portions of the Vedas. Vedanta later branched into influential sub-schools, including Advaita (non-dualism) associated with Adi Shankara, alongside Vishishtadvaita and Dvaita.
A point UPSC frequently probes is theism: Samkhya is classically non-theistic (it explains the cosmos through Prakriti without a creator God), whereas Yoga incorporates Ishvara. Despite differences, all six accept the Vedas and the existence of an eternal self, marking them as orthodox.
Current Relevance and UPSC Angle
The Shad Darshana remains a living part of India's intellectual heritage—Yoga in particular has global reach, with the United Nations recognising the International Day of Yoga on 21 June (first observed in 2015, following India's 2014 proposal). For the exam, the highest-value facts are the school–founder–text triad and the astika/nastika boundary.
UPSC relevance: Foundation concept for GS1 Art and Culture—no single direct PYQ is cited here, but it underpins recurring Prelims matching questions on Indian philosophy and Mains themes on ancient Indian intellectual traditions. Common trap: confusing the founders and the theistic status of Samkhya versus Yoga.
Sources: Wikipedia (Hindu philosophy; Astika and nastika); Encyclopaedia Britannica (Indian philosophy; Astika).
