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The Six Darsanas (Shad Darshanas, Sanskrit षड्दर्शनानि) are the intellectual section of the Hindu writings. They are schools of philosophy based on the Vedas. <ref name=":0">Swami Sivananda, All About Hinduism, Page 47-51</ref><blockquote>कणादेन तु संप्रोक्तं शास्त्रं वैशेषिकं महत् । गौतमेन तथा न्यायं सांख्यं तु कपिलेन वै ॥<ref>Padma Purana</ref> </blockquote><blockquote>kaṇādena tu saṃproktaṃ śāstraṃ vaiśeṣikaṃ mahat । gautamena tathā nyāyaṃ sāṃkhyaṃ tu kapilena vai ॥ </blockquote>Meaning : The great Vaisheshika shastra has been given by Kanada, while the Nyaya shastra was elucidated by Gautama Rishi, and Sankhya shastra was by Kapila Rishi.

The Six Darsanas or Shad Darshanas (Samskrit : षड्दर्शनानि) are the intellectual and philosophical discussions of Bharatiya samskruti. They are schools of philosophy based on the Vedas hence called as Astika. <ref name=":0">Swami Sivananda, All About Hinduism, Page 47-51</ref><blockquote>कणादेन तु संप्रोक्तं शास्त्रं वैशेषिकं महत् । गौतमेन तथा न्यायं सांख्यं तु कपिलेन वै ॥<ref>Padma Purana</ref> </blockquote><blockquote>kaṇādena tu saṃproktaṃ śāstraṃ vaiśeṣikaṃ mahat । gautamena tathā nyāyaṃ sāṃkhyaṃ tu kapilena vai ॥ </blockquote>Meaning : The great Vaisheshika shastra has been given by Kanada, while the Nyaya shastra was elucidated by Gautama Rishi, and Sankhya shastra was by Kapila Rishi.

These are the six systems of Hindu philosophy which are known as Shad Darsanas. They are:

The term Astika (Samskrit) according to Vachaspatyam means अस्ति परलोक इति मतिर्यस्य । one who believes in the existence of paraloka (other worlds).These are the six systems of Hindu philosophy which are known as Shad Darsanas. They are:

#  न्यायः || Nyaya (Rishi Gautama)

#  न्यायः || Nyaya (Rishi Gautama)

#  वैशेषिकः || Vaiseshika (Rishi Kanada)

#  वैशेषिकः || Vaiseshika (Rishi Kanada)

# The School of Idealism or Yogacharas (Buddhistic)

# The School of Idealism or Yogacharas (Buddhistic)

# The School of Nihilism or the Madhyamikas (Buddhistic).

# The School of Nihilism or the Madhyamikas (Buddhistic).

When the term Shad Darsanas is employed, it means the six Astika Darsanas. In this article these six orthodox (Astika) systems will be discussed.   

When the term Shad Darsanas is employed, it means the six Astika Darsanas. In this article these six Astika systems of Indian Philosophy will be discussed.   

== Detailed Discussion  ==

== Detailed Discussion  ==

Indian Philosophy has six Aastika schools called the Shad-darsana--the six ways of seeing things, the six different schools of thought. The six schools of philosophy are six demonstrations of Truth. Each school has developed, systematised and correlated the various parts of the Veda in its own way. Each system has its Sutrakara, i.e. the one great Rishi, who systematised the doctrines of the school and put them in short aphorisms or Sutras.<ref name=":0" /> The Sutras are terse and laconic. The Rishis have condensed their thoughts in the aphorisms. It is very difficult to understand them without the help of commentaries by great sages or Rishis. Hence, there arose many commentators or Bhashyakaras. These [[Bhashya|Bhashyas]]  are glosses, notes and commentaries on the original commentaries.

Indian Philosophy has six Aastika schools called the Shad-darsana--the six ways of seeing things, the six different schools of thought. The six schools of philosophy are six demonstrations of Truth. Each school has developed, systematised and correlated the various parts of the Veda in its own way. Each system has its Sutrakara, i.e. the one great Rishi, who systematised the doctrines of the school and put them in short aphorisms or Sutras.<ref name=":0" /> The Sutras are terse and laconic. The Rishis have condensed their thoughts in the aphorisms. It is very difficult to understand them without the help of commentaries by great sages or Rishis. Hence, there arose many commentators or Bhashyakaras. These [[Bhashya|Bhashyas]]  are glosses, notes and commentaries on the original commentaries.