The six schools
- Nyaya (Gautama) — logic and the means of valid knowledge (pramanas)
- Vaisheshika (Kanada) — the categories of reality and an early atomic theory
- Samkhya (Kapila) — purusha (consciousness) and prakriti (matter), and the three gunas
- Yoga (Patanjali) — the eight-limbed path to stilling the mind
- Mimamsa (Jaimini) — interpretation of Vedic ritual and dharma
- Vedanta (Badarayana, the Brahma Sutras) — the nature of Brahman, based on the Upanishads
Schools of Vedanta
- Advaita (non-dualism) — Adi Shankaracharya: Atman and Brahman are one
- Vishishtadvaita (qualified non-dualism) — Ramanujacharya: souls and world are the body of God
- Dvaita (dualism) — Madhvacharya: God and souls are eternally distinct
- Dvaitadvaita (Nimbarka), Shuddhadvaita (Vallabhacharya) and Achintya Bhedabheda (Chaitanya)
The three foundations of Vedanta
Every school of Vedanta grounds itself in three texts, the Prasthanatrayi: the Upanishads, the Brahma Sutras and the Bhagavad Gita. The great acharyas each wrote commentaries on all three.
Frequently asked questions
What are the six darshanas?
Nyaya, Vaisheshika, Samkhya, Yoga, Mimamsa and Vedanta.
Which darshana is most influential today?
Vedanta, in its many schools — Advaita, Vishishtadvaita, Dvaita and the Vaishnava schools.
What does "darshana" mean?
"Seeing" or "view" — a way of seeing reality.