The Six Darshanas (Shad-Darshanani) are best understood by being seen in relation to each other rather than in opposition, for they form, in their entirety, one great scheme of philosophic truth. They are arranged in pairs:
Nyaya–Vaisheshikam
Sankhya–Yoga
Mimamsa–Vedanta
The Prasthana Bheda of Madhusudana Saraswati after summarizing the Six Darshanas, lays stress on their unity.
“In reality, all the munis who have put forward these theories agree in wishing to prove the existence of the One Supreme Lord without a second…. These munis cannot be in error, considering that they are omniscient: and these different views have only been propounded by them in order to keep off all nihilistic theories, and because they were afraid that human beings, with their inclinations towards the objects of the world, could not be expected at once to know the true goal of man” (Max Muller, Six Systems, pp. 107-108).
As the Shruti says: “Cows are many-colored; but the milk (of all) has but one color. Look on knowledge as the milk, and on the teachers as the cows” (Brahma-bindu Upanishad, 19).
The object of all the Darshanas is the same: to rescue men from suffering. And the way of rescue is the same: the removal of ignorance–which is bandha, bondage–and consequent union with the Supreme.
Thus the Nyaya calls ignorance, mithyajnana, false knowledge. The Sankhya calls it avivekah, non-discrimination between the Real and the unreal. And the Vedanta calls it avidya, nescience.
Each philosophy aims at its removal by jnana, wisdom, whereupon ananda, bliss, is enjoyed. This ananda is the nature of the Self, and therefore cannot accurately be said to be obtained. The Self is Bliss, and it is only necessary to remove the illusion which causes suffering in order that Bliss may be enjoyed.
The Nyaya hence speaks of its object as apavarga, salvation or deliverance, and moksha or mukti, liberation, is the universally accepted goal.
Sankhya
The Sankhya is an account, primarily, of the “how” of creation. There are two primary roots of all we see around us, purusha, spirit, and prakriti, matter. Purusha is many, as appears by the differences in happiness and misery, birth and death, etc., but all are of like essential nature. Purusha thus may be taken to represent a totality, the subjective side of existence, whereas prakriti is the objective side of existence.
Yoga
Yoga, the system of effort, or of union, accepts the Sankhya as its philosophy, and in adding to it a system of effort which should set the purusha free, it makes one of the means of freedom Ishwarapranidhana: offering the life to God. Patanjali then defines Ishwara as a special purusha who has not been touched by pain, action, consequences of action, and desires, unlimited by time.
Yoga is the means of stopping the constant movements of the chitta, the thinking principle, and thus reaching samadhi, the perfectly steady and balanced condition, from which kaivalya, the isolation of the purusha, i.e., the separation from prakriti, can be gained.
The two Mimamsas
The remaining pair of systems is entitled the Mimamsa, for both deal primarily with the leading principles to be adopted in interpreting the text of the Vedas. But the Purva Mimansa generally bears the name, the Uttara Mimansa being usually known as the Vedanta.
The Purva, or Earlier, Mimansa is concerned with the Karmakhanda of the Veda, that is with the sacrifices, offerings and ceremonials generally; while the Uttara, or Later, Mimamsa is concerned with the Brahmajnana of the Veda, the knowledge of Brahman.
The Uttara Mimamsa, or Vedanta, is the Darshana which may be said to dominate Indian thought in the present day, in its three forms. The Vedanta has three great schools: the Advaita: Non-dualism; the Vishishtadvaita (Qualified Non-dualism): Non-duality with a difference; and the Dvaita: duality.
Bhagavad Gita and Upanishads
The student of the Vedanta is expected to study the Bhagavad Gita and the Upanishads. The Bhagavad Gita is the application of the philosophy to life, the explainer and the guide of conduct. The Upanishads contain the philosophy in an intellectual form, and on them the intelligence is exercised.
For this reason no man was admitted to the study of the Vedanta until he possessed the Four Qualifications: vairagya, (freedom from selfish attachment to the things of the world), viveka, (a strong sense of the distinction between the permanent and the transient), shatsampatti (the six mental and moral requirements: peacefulness, self-control, resignation, endurance, faith and collectedness) and mumuksha, (the longing for liberation), and was thus fit for its reception.
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FAQ: The Six Darshanas of Hindu Philosophy
What are the Six Darshanas in Hindu philosophy?
The Six Darshanas (Shad-Darshanani) are six classical schools of Hindu philosophy: Nyaya, Vaisheshika, Sankhya, Yoga, Purva Mimamsa, and Vedanta (Uttara Mimamsa). They are best understood as complementary perspectives that together form one great scheme of philosophic truth, rather than as opposing systems.
How are the Six Darshanas grouped?
The Darshanas are traditionally arranged in three pairs: Nyaya–Vaisheshika, Sankhya–Yoga, and Mimamsa–Vedanta. Each pair is closely related in method and emphasis, and all six ultimately seek to lead the seeker from ignorance to liberation (moksha).
What is the common goal of all Six Darshanas?
All the Darshanas share the same fundamental goal: to rescue human beings from suffering by removing ignorance (bandha, bondage) and restoring union with the Supreme. They describe ignorance in slightly different ways—such as false knowledge (mithyajnana), non-discrimination (aviveka), or nescience (avidya)—but all aim at wisdom (jnana) and the realization of the Self as Bliss (ananda).
What do Sankhya and Yoga teach?
Sankhya primarily explains the “how” of creation through two eternal principles: purusha (spirit) and prakriti (matter). Yoga accepts Sankhya’s philosophy and adds a practical method of inner discipline. Through practices that still the movements of the mind (chitta-vritti-nirodha) and through Ishwarapranidhana (offering the life to God), Yoga leads to samadhi and kaivalya—the isolation or freedom of purusha from prakriti.
What is the difference between Purva Mimamsa and Vedanta?
Purva Mimamsa focuses on the Karmakhanda of the Vedas—the section dealing with ritual, sacrifice, and right action. Vedanta (Uttara Mimamsa) concentrates on the Jnana or Brahmajnana portion—the knowledge of Brahman. Vedanta has three major schools: Advaita (Non-dualism), Vishishtadvaita (Qualified Non-dualism), and Dvaita (Dualism). Students of Vedanta traditionally prepare by cultivating the Four Qualifications: vairagya, viveka, shatsampatti, and mumuksha, and by studying the Upanishads and the Bhagavad Gita.