What Are the Six Astika Darshanas?; Six Schools of Vedic Philosophy

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✍Vedamurthi Manjulagiri Venkataramana Bhatta

What Are the Six Astika Darshanas? The Six Schools of Indian Philosophy

Indian philosophical tradition has developed several systems of thought that explore knowledge, reality, the self and the purpose of life. Among them, six classical schools are traditionally known as the Astika Darshanas or Shad Darshanas. Word Shad means six, while Darshana means a philosophical system or way of understanding reality. These six schools are traditionally associated with the Vedic tradition.

What Are the Six Astika Darshanas?

The six are:

1. Nyaya Darshana — associated with Gautama
2. Vaisheshika Darshana — associated with Kanada
3. Sankhya Darshana — associated with Kapila
4. Yoga Darshana — associated with Patanjali
5. Purva Mimamsa Darshana — associated with Jaimini
6. Vedanta Darshana — associated with Vyasa

Six Schools at a Glance

Darshana	Traditionally Associated Sage
Nyaya	Gautama
Vaisheshika	Kanada
Sankhya	Kapila
Yoga	Patanjali
Purva Mimamsa	Jaimini
Vedanta	Vyasa

Why Are They Called Shad Darshanas?

These six philosophical systems developed different approaches to understanding important questions about life, knowledge, reality and spiritual liberation. Although each school has its own ideas and methods, they are traditionally grouped together as the six Astika or Vedic Darshanas.

A Traditional Note

Six Darshanas are traditionally attributed to Gautama, Kanada, Kapila, Patanjali, Jaimini and Vyasa, respectively. These names refer to the foundational teachers traditionally associated with each philosophical school.

Here is the Kannada Version

ಆಸ್ತಿಕ ದರ್ಶನಗಳೆಂದು ಪ್ರಸಿದ್ಧವಾದ ಷಡ್ದರ್ಶನಗಳು ಯಾವುವು? 

1. ನ್ಯಾಯದರ್ಶನ 2. ವೈಶೇಷಿಕ ದರ್ಶನ 3. ಸಾಂಖ್ಯ ದರ್ಶನ 4. ಯೋಗ ದರ್ಶನ 5. ಪೂರ್ವ ಮೀಮಾಂಸಾ ದರ್ಶನ 6. ವೇದಾಂತ ದರ್ಶನ 

ವಿ.ಸೂ:- ಈ ಆರು ವೈದಿಕ ದರ್ಶನಗಳು ಕ್ರಮವಾಗಿ ಗೌತಮ, ಕಣಾದ , ಕಪಿಲ, ಪತಂಜಲಿ, ಜೈಮಿನಿ ಹಾಗೂ ವ್ಯಾಸ ಪ್ರಣೀತವಾದವುಗಳು.

| ವೇದಮೂರ್ತಿ ಮಂಜುಳಗಿರಿ ವೆಂಕಟರಮಣ ಭಟ್ಟ

Note: This article presents the traditional religious and philosophical interpretation as explained by Vedamurthi Manjulagiri Venkataramana Bhatta. It is shared for educational and cultural understanding of the traditional teaching.

Keywords

Astika Darshanas, Shad Darshanas, six schools of Indian philosophy, Vedic philosophy, Nyaya Vaisheshika Sankhya Yoga, Vedanta Mimamsa, Citizen News Puttur