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Darshan Shastras

Darshan (दर्शन) means vision (of reality). In Indian vedic system, the reality of life have been perceived from six different dimensions and that has taken the form of distinct doctrines or six different schools of philosophy called Darshan Shastras. These school strives for liberation of soul by using different means.

There are six Darshan Shastras called the six schools of philosophy. They are:
(1) Poorv Mimansa (पूर्व मीमांसा) by Sage Jaimini,
(2) Vaisheshik (वैशेषिक दर्शन) by Sage Kanad,
(3) Nyay (न्याय दर्शन) by Sage Gautam,
(4) Sankhya (सांख्य दर्शन) by Bhagwan Kapil,
(5) Yog (योग सूत्र) by Sage Patanjali, and
(6) Uttar Mimansa or Brahm Sutra (उत्तर मीमांसा या ब्रह्म सूत्र) by Bhagwan Ved Vyas.
All the six Darshan Shastras are in sutra form।

Significance of the Darshan shaastras

1. Poorv Mimansa: (Poorv means prior and mimansa means striving thoughts) The Vedic literature is so extensive that it is hard even for a Vedic genius to comprehend and remember the theme of all of them. So Sage Jaimini, who was the pupil of Ved Vyas, wrote the Poorv Mimansa Sutras to facilitate the correct understanding of the Vedas. Its also called karma mimansa as it focuses on right action.


2. Vaisheshik Darshan: Sage Kanad discribes the root purpose of life is to receive happiness in this life (by renouncing worldly desires) and finally to receive the ultimate liberation (through the attachment of the true knowledge of the Divine).


3. Nyay Darshan: Nayay Darshan has emphasis on logic. Knowledge comes from perception, inference, comparison, and testimony. It describe the logical steps of how to determine the rights and the wrongs in terms of finding the absolute good for a person।

4. Sankhya Darshan: It explains the extent of mayic creation and the Divinity beyond that. It tells about the 24 aspects of maya and God, the Divine. Souls are parts of the Divine but they are eternally affiliated with maya. It tells that the entire mayic creation is worth discarding and only the Divinity is to be attained because that is the only source of Bliss.


5. Yog Sutras: These were given by Sage Patanjali and these sutras explain the practical process of heart purification which may qualify a person to experience the absolute Divine. It has four chapters and accepts three kinds of evidences for determining the aim of life (perceptual, inferential and scriptural). It also tells about five kinds of pain inflicting modes of the mind: ignorance, ego, attachment, hatred, and fear of death, with which a soul is always affected.


6. Brahm Sutra (Uttar Mimansa): It reveals this secret that God is absolute Divinity and absolute Bliss, and He is Gracious. So, yearn fully remember Him (स्मरंचित च 4/1/10) and with His Grace (विशेषानुग्रहस्च 3/4/38) experience His absolute Blissfulness forever. The Brahm Sutra represents the theme of the Upnishads which are the essence of the entire literature of the Vedic realm.

This is the general outline of all the six Darshan Shastras
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