In his book Introduction to the Study of the Hindu Doctrines René Guénon lists six main darshanas or ”points of view” applicable within the Hindu doctrine. These are not competing or conflicting philosophical systems, as they are sometimes misunderstood to be, but are rather traditional and orthodox ways ”to see”.
The six darshanas are Nyaya and Vaisheshika, Sankhya and Yoga, Miminsa and Vedanta.
Nyaya means logic or method. Vaisheshika means individual thing and is concerned with the knowledge of individual things . ”While Nyaya treats of things in their relationship with the human understanding, Vaisheshika considers them more directly for what they are in themselves.” (RG). Mimansa means profound thought or the meditative study of the Vedas.
In this Podcast I read the three chapters Guénon wrote concerning the 3 other named darshanas, that is Sankhya, Yoga and Vedanta
Read Online – Nyaya pg 238, Vaisheshika pg 245, Sankhya pg 255, Yoga pg 261, Mimansa pg 267, Vedanta pg 276. https://archive.org/details/in.ernet.dli.2015.280367
Music – from Free Music Archive used under Creative Commons License
Raag by Vinod Prasanna + Okey Szoke +Pompey
Haratanaya Shree by Veena Kinhal
GLOSSARY OF SANSKRIT TERMS in order of appearance in the audio, plus Guénon’s definitions (Note: Other and/ or more extensive definitions of these terms are available)
Sankhya – enumeration of the different degrees of manifested being
Vaisheshika – treatment of the knowledge of individual things
Tattvas – principles and elements in the hierarchical order
Prakriti (Pradhana) – Universal Substance, undifferentiated and unmanifested in itself
Mula – root
Buddhi – Pure Intellect
Mahat – Great Principle
Ahankara – individual consciousness
Tanmatras – elementary incorporeal and non-perceptible determinations
Bhutas – corporeal elements
Manas – internal faculty of knowledge and action
Purusha (Pumas) – Essence
Gunas – constituent qualities, conditions of universal existence to which all manifested beings are subjected
Sattva (Sat) – Conformity to the pure essence of Being
Rajas – the expansive impulse
Tamas – obscurity, ignorance
Nirishvara – does not introduce conception of the Divine Personality
Ishvara – Divine Personality
Nyaya – metaphysics of logic
Darshana – point of view
Yoga – Union of the human being with the Universal
Sutras – thread, verses
Patanjali – Author of Yoga Shastras
Brahma – which is Beyond Being
Ekagrya – concentration
Dhyana – meditation or intellectual contemplation
Yogi – one who has realised perfect Union
Siddhis (Vibhutis) – special and extraordinary powers
Vedanta – the end / goal of the Vedas
Brahma-Sutras – authored by Badarayana / Vyasa
Shankaracharya – Shaivite commentator on the Vedas (from Shiva tendency)
Ramanuja – Vaishnava commentator on the Vedas (from Vishnu tendency)
Advaita- Vada – the doctrine of non-duality
Moksha (Mukti) – Deliverance
Jivan-Mukta – Delivered during life
Videha-Mukta – Delivered when out of bodily form
Nama – name
Rupa – form
Generally just Being. Nothing in particular, no claims to fame. I like gardening and the sea, nature, art in all forms from poetry to films and everything in between, and being in the company of my family.
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