MIMANSA (from the Sanskrit win, to investigate; hence, literally investigation) is the collective name of two of the six divisions of orthodox Hindu philosophy. See SANSKRIT LITERATURE. is distinguished as Piirva- and Uttara-mimdned, the latter being more commonly called Veckinta (q.v.), while the former is briefly styled Mimcipsd. Though the Mirnansa is ranked, by all native writers, with the five other philosophical systems, the term philosophy—as undeistood in a European sense—can scarcely be a.pplied to it; for the Mimansa is neither concerned with the nature of the absolute or of the human mind, nor with the various categories of existence in general—topics dealt with more or less by the other five philosophies; its object is merely to lay down a correct interpretation of such Vedic passages as refer to the Brahmanic ritual, to solve doubts wherever they may exist on matters concerning sacrificial acts, and to reconcile discrepancies—according. to the Mimansa, always apparent only--of Vedic texts. The foundation of this system is therefore preceded by a codification of the three principal Vedas—the Rik, Black-Yajus, and SOman—and by the existence of schools and theories which, by their different inter pretations of the N, edic rites, had begun to endanger, or, in reality, had endangered a correct, or at least authoritative understanding of the Vedic texts. It is the method, however, adopted by the Mimans& which imparted to it a higher character than that of s mere commentary, and allowed it to be looked upon as a philosophy; for, in the first place, the topics explained by this system do not follow the order in which they occur in the Vedic writings, especially in the Brfihmana portion of the Vedas (q.v.); they are
arranged according to certain categories, such as authoritativeness, indirect precept, con current efficacy, co-ordinate effect, etc.; and secondly, each topic• or case is discussed according to a regular scheme, which comprises the proposition of the subject-matter, the doubt or question arising upon it, the prinzdfacie or wrong argument applied to it, the correct argument in refutation of the latter, and the conclusion devolving from it. Some subjects treated of in the Mimansft, incidentally as it were, and merely for the sake of arguinent, belong likewise more to the sphere of philosophic thought num to that of commentatorial criticism, such, for instance, as the association of articulate sound with sense, the similarity of words in different languages, the inspiration or eternity of the Veda, the imisible or spiritual operation of pious acts, etc. The reputed founder of this system is Jaimini--of unknown date--who taught it in twelve books, each sub divided into four chapters, except the third, sixth, and tenth books, which contain eight chapters each; the chapters, again, are divided into sections, generally comprising several Settras or aphorisms, but sometimes only one. The extant commentary on this obscure -work is the Blashya of Sabaraswamin, which was critically annotated by the great authority, Kumftrila-swamin. Out of these works, which, in their turn, quote several others, apparently lost, has arisen a great number of other writings, explaining and elucidating their predecessors. The best compendium amongst these modern works is the Jaiminiya-nyciya-maki-vistura, by the celebrated Madhavacharya (q. v.).