Shad Darshanas (षड्दर्शनानि)

षड्दर्शनानि ॥ Shad Darshanas

कणादेन तु संप्रोक्तं शास्त्रं वैशेषिकं महत् । गौतमेन तथा न्यायं सांख्यं तु कपिलेन वै ॥

kaṇādena tu saṃproktaṃ śāstraṃ vaiśeṣikaṃ mahat । gautamena tathā nyāyaṃ sāṃkhyaṃ tu kapilena vai ॥

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.

Above Shloka from from Padma Purana shows that these darshanas belong to ancient period and are not of later time period as popularly believed.

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

1.  न्यायः || Nyaya
2.  वैशेषिकः || Vaiseshika
3.  साङ्ख्यः || Samkhya
4.  योगः || Yoga
5.  पूर्वमीमांसा || Poorva Mimamsa
6. उत्तरमीमांसा || Uttara Mimamsa or वेदान्त || Vedanta.