Everything about Mimamsa totally explained
, a
Sanskrit word meaning "investigation" (compare Greek ), is the name of an
astika ("orthodox") school of
Hindu philosophy whose primary enquiry is into the nature of
dharma based on close
hermeneutics of the
Vedas. Its core tenets are
ritualism (
orthopraxy), anti-asceticism and anti-mysticism. The central aim of the school is elucidation of the nature of
dharma, understood as a set ritual obligations and prerogatives to be performed properly. The nature of dharma isn't accessible to reason or observation, and must be inferred from the authority of the
revelation contained in the Vedas, which are considered eternal, authorless (
apaurusheyatva), and
infallible.
Overview
Mimamsa is more accurately known as ("prior" inquiry, also ), while ("posterior" inquiry, also ) is the opposing school of
Vedanta. This division is based on the notion of a
dichotomy of the Vedic texts into a, the department of the Veda treating of sacrificial rites (
Samhitas and
Brahmanas), and the dealing with the knowledge of
Brahman (the
Upanishads).
The foundational text for the Mimamsa school is the
Purva Mimamsa Sutras of
Jaimini (ca. 3rd to 1st century BCE). A major commentary was composed by
Śābara in ca. the 5th or 6th century CE. The school reaches its height with [[KumārilaBhaṭṭa|]] and (fl. ca. 700 CE). Both Kumarila Bhatta and Prabhākara (along with, whose work is no more extant) have written extensive commentaries on
Śābara's Mimamsasutrabhāshyam. The school for some time in the Early Middle Ages exerted near-dominant influence on learned Hindu thought, and is credited as a major force contributing to the
decline of Buddhism in India, but it has fallen into decline in the High Middle Ages and today is all but eclipsed by Vedanta. Mimamsa is still the only one of the six orthodox darshanas besides Vedanta to survive into contemporary
Hinduism. There are two surviving traditions, the
Bhattas and the
Prabhakaras, following Kumarila Bhatta and Prabhakara, respectively.
Kumārila Bhatta, Mandana Misra, Parthasarathi Misra, Sucharita Misra, Ramakrishna Bhatta, Madhava Subhodini, Sankara Bhatta, Krsnayajvan, Anantadeva, Gaga Bhatta, Ragavendra Tirtha, VijayIndhra Tirtha, Appayya Dikshitar, Paruthiyur Krishna Sastri, Sengalipuram Vaidhyanatha Dikshitar were some of the Mimamsa Scholars.
Literature of Mimamsa
The of Jaimini (c. 3rd century BCE) has summed up the general rules of for Vedic interpretation. The text has 12 chapters, of which the first chapter is of philosophical value. The commentaries on the by,, Hari and are no more extant. (c. 1st century BCE) is the first commentator of the, whose work is available to us. His is the basis of all later works of . (7th century CE), the founder of the first school of the commented on both the and its . His treatise consists of 3 parts, the, the and the . (8th century CE) was a follower of, who wrote
Vidhiviveka and . There are several commentaries on the works of . wrote a (commentary) on the . wrote, also known as, a commentary on the . wrote (1300 CE), another commentary on the . He also wrote, an independent work on the and
Tantraratna. ’s is a commentary on the . (8th century CE), the originator of the second school of the wrote his commentary on the . ’s (9th century CE) is a commentary on the . His is an independent work of this school and the is a brief explanation of the . ’s deals with the views of this school in details. The founder of the third school of the was, whose works have not reached us. (17th century CE) wrote an elementary work on the, known as or . of is based on the . ’s was an attempt to combine the views of the and the schools.
Dharma and atheism
Dharma as understood by Mimamsa can be loosely translated into English as "virtue", "morality" or "duty". The Mimamsa school traces the source of the knowledge of dharma neither to sense-experience nor inference, but to verbal
cognition (for example knowledge of words and meanings). In this respect it's related to the
Nyaya school.
The Mimamsa school held dharma to be equivalent to following the prescriptions of the
Samhitas and their
Brahmana commentaries relating the correct performance of
Vedic rituals. Seen in this light, Mimamsa is essentially ritualist (
orthopraxy), placing great weight on the performance of
Karma or action as enjoined by the Vedas. In this sense, it's a counter-movement to the mysticism of
Vedanta, rejecting or de-emphasizing
moksha or salvation. To a certain extent, Mimamsa is
atheist, placing all importance in proper practice as opposed to belief, rejecting a creator God as well as any scriptures on dharma outside of the Vedic tradition, yet accepting
svarga or
heaven awaiting the person who has acted righteously in his or her life. In its rejection of belief in a God, it's related to the
nastika Cārvāka school.
Further Information
Get more info on 'Mimamsa'.
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