MIMANSA, a school of philosophy which in vestigates the doctrine andpractices of the Vedas. The Hindus have six different schools or systems of metaphysical philosophy. They are called the Purva Mimansa, Uttara Mimansa or Vedanta, the Sankhya, the Patanjala, the Nyayika, and the Vaisheshika. These, although some of them offer irreconcilable contradictions to essential doctrines of their religious belief, are recognised by the Brahmans as orthodox, and attributed to authors of saintly reputation ; while the Charvaka, Buddhist, and Jain schools, although in some respects not more at variance with received opinions than the preceding, are stigmatized with the reproach of infidelity and atheism. The cause of this distinction is that the orthodox schools of philosophy do not disparage the author ity of the Vedas, and they do not dissuade the celebration of the acts of formal devotion which the Vedas or Puranas enjoin, although they argue their utter inefficacy as means of final and perma nent felicity. They recommend their perform ance, however, as conducive to that frame of mind in which abstract contemplation may be safely substituted for devotional rites, and even admit of external observances after the mind is in pursuit of true knowledge, so long as such ceremonies are practised from no interested motive, so long as they are observed because they are enjoined, and not because any benefit is either to be expected or desired from their prac tice. Again, the writings of the orthodox philo sophers do not meddle with existing institutions, and least of all do they urge or insinuate any consideration to detract from the veneration, or trespass upon the privileges, of the Brahmans. So long as these precautions were observed, the Brahmans did not, nor would they now, object to any form of doctrine having in view the establish ment of merely abstract propositions. The case was very different with the heterodox schools. They went from abstractions to things. The Charvaka condemned all ceremonial rites, ridiculed even the Srad'ha, and called the authors of the Vedas fools, knaves, and buffoons. The Buddh ists and Jains denied the inspiration of the Vedas and the sanctity of the Brahmanical character, abrogated the distinction of caste, in vented a set of deities for themselves, whom they placed above those of the Hindu pantheon, and organized a regular hierarchy, a priesthood, and a pontiff,—an institution still subsisting in the trans-Indian countries, of which the Grand Lama of Tibet is the head ; and Burma and Siam have their respective pontiffs, presiding over the Buddhist hierarchy. It is a remarkable historical fact that this organization was found too feeble to oppose, in India, the apparently loose and in coherent, the undisciplined, the anarchical author ity of the Brahmans. It bad, however, the effect of exciting their apprehensions and their hatred to such an extent that it became pro verbial with them to say, If your only alternative be to encounter a heretic or a tiger, throw your self before the latter ; better be devoured by the animal than contaminated by the man.' There
may be a few of the Charvaka sect in India, but their opinions are unavowed. The Jains have numbers and influence in the west of India, but Buddhists are little heard of in India, though numerous in Ceylon, Tibet, Burma, Siam, Cam bodia, Cochin-China, China, and Japan.
Besides the above acknowledged schools or systems of philosophy, there is the Pauranik. It is not considered one of the number of regular schools, and does not claim the character of a system, but it presents a peculiar scheme of doctrine on metaphysical subjects, and exercises more influence over popular opinion than any of the rest. It may also be termed the Eclectic school, as it has evidently derived its principles from different systems, and formed them into a miscellaneous combination of its own contrivance. It is not put forward as a new scheme, but is subsidiary to the popularization of particular objects of worship for which the Puranas seem to have been composed. The Vedas are authority for the existence of a Divine Being, supreme over the universe, and existing before all worlds. 'In the beginning,' it is said, this all (this universe) was in darkness, He (the supreme) was alone without a second. He reflected, I am one, I will become many.' Will was conceived in divine mind, and creation ensued. This being the doctrine of the Vedas, is also that of the Vedanta; the purport of which school is declared to be the same as that of the Vedas, their end (anta) or aim. The Vedanta is called also the tatara Mimansa,—subsequent or supplementary investi gation. There is also, however, a Purva Mimansa, or prior school of investigation, the object of which is to teach the art of reasoning, with the express purpose of aiding the interpretation of the Vedas not only in the speculative but the practical portion. As far as concerns the former, it of course adopts the same monotheistic prin ciples. The Patanjala school teaches also the being of a God, the Nyayika and Vaisheshika teach the existence of one Supreme Soul,—the seat of knowledge, and the maker of all things, and the Pauranik or Eclectic school maintain the same doctrine. The Sankhya denies the existence of a Supreme Being, although it recognises a two fold distribution of the universe as matter and spirit. Of these six ancient schools of philosophy recognised among the Hindus, some are avowedly inconsistent with the religious doctrines of the Brahmans, and others, though deemed perfectly orthodox, advance opinions not stated in the Vedas. The six schools were enumerated in the following order by Mr. Colebrooke : The prior Mimansa, founded by Jaimani.
The latter Mimansa or Vedanta, attributed to Vyasa. The Nyaya, or logical school of Gautama.
The Atomic school of Kaneda.
The Atheistical school of Kapila. .
The Theistical school of Patanjali.
The two last schools agree in many points, and are included in the common name of Sankhya. Mimansa-darsana and Mimansa-vartikka are works on the Mimansa philosophy, the latter by Kumarila Bhatta.— Wilson's Opinions of the Hindus, p. 44; Elphinstone.