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The Six Darsanas  or Shad Darshanas (Samskrit : षड्दर्शनानि) are the intellectual and philosophical discussions of Bharatiya shastras. Indian Philosophy has been intensely spiritual and has always emphasized the need of practical realization of truth as against the Western Philosophy which is essentially an intellectual quest for truth.     
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The Six Darsanas  or Shad Darshanas (Samskrit : षड्दर्शनानि) are the intellectual and philosophical discussions of Bharatiya shastras. Indian Philosophy has been intensely spiritual and has always emphasized on practical realization of truth as against the Western Philosophy which is essentially an intellectual quest for truth.     
    
== Etymology ==
 
== Etymology ==
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The word '''darshana''<nowiki/>' means 'vision' and also the 'instrument of vision'. It stands for the direct, intermediate and intuitive vision of Reality, the actual perception of Truth, and also includes the means which lead to this Realization.<ref name=":2">Sharma, Chandradhar. (1962). ''The Indian Philosophy : A Critical Survey.'' USA: Barnes & Noble, Inc.</ref>  
 
The word '''darshana''<nowiki/>' means 'vision' and also the 'instrument of vision'. It stands for the direct, intermediate and intuitive vision of Reality, the actual perception of Truth, and also includes the means which lead to this Realization.<ref name=":2">Sharma, Chandradhar. (1962). ''The Indian Philosophy : A Critical Survey.'' USA: Barnes & Noble, Inc.</ref>  
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Brhdaranyaka Upanishad describes the fundamental concept of Atma (आत्मा ) thus during [[Yajnavalkya Maitreyi samvada (याज्ञवल्क्यमैत्रेय्योः संवादः)|Yajnavalkya Maitreyi Samvada]] <blockquote>साक्षात् मोक्षसाधनानि इमानि आत्मा वा अरे द्रष्टव्यः श्रोतव्यो मन्तव्यो निदिध्यासितव्यः । - बृहदारण्यकोपनिषत् २-४-५  </blockquote>आत्मा वा अरे द्रष्टव्यः । See the Self is the keynote of all schools of Bharatiya Darshana Shastras.  And this is also the reason why most of these schools are also religious sects.<ref name=":2" />
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Brhdaranyaka Upanishad describes the fundamental concept of Atma (आत्मा ) during [[Yajnavalkya Maitreyi samvada (याज्ञवल्क्यमैत्रेय्योः संवादः)|Yajnavalkya Maitreyi Samvada]] as follows <blockquote>साक्षात् मोक्षसाधनानि इमानि आत्मा वा अरे द्रष्टव्यः श्रोतव्यो मन्तव्यो निदिध्यासितव्यः । - बृहदारण्यकोपनिषत् २-४-५  </blockquote>आत्मा वा अरे द्रष्टव्यः । See the Self is the keynote of all schools of Bharatiya Darshana Shastras.  And this is also the reason why most of these schools are also religious sects.<ref name=":2" />
    
== Origin of Darshanas ==
 
== Origin of Darshanas ==
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# To defend and uphold the school to which they belonged by putting forth references, explanations and interpretations in the form of commentaries.   
 
# To defend and uphold the school to which they belonged by putting forth references, explanations and interpretations in the form of commentaries.   
 
Such was the high esteem and respect in which these writers of the Sutras were held by later day writers that whenever they had any new speculations to offer, these were reconciled with the doctrines of one or other of the existing systems, and put down as faithful interpretations of the system in the form of '''Commentaries'''.<ref name=":1" /> Thus, the literature of each school of Philosophy consists of its own Sutra with commentaries and super-commentaries upon it, as also of certain independent treatises (prakarana) which expound the doctrine as a whole with a view to aid beginners, or discuss one or more aspects of it from the standpoint of the advanced student. The chief sign of systematization is seen in the analysis of the nature and function of knowledge or to the problems of what and how we know. A common feature of all the systems is that they involve, if they do not actually start with, an investigation of '''Pramanas'''.   
 
Such was the high esteem and respect in which these writers of the Sutras were held by later day writers that whenever they had any new speculations to offer, these were reconciled with the doctrines of one or other of the existing systems, and put down as faithful interpretations of the system in the form of '''Commentaries'''.<ref name=":1" /> Thus, the literature of each school of Philosophy consists of its own Sutra with commentaries and super-commentaries upon it, as also of certain independent treatises (prakarana) which expound the doctrine as a whole with a view to aid beginners, or discuss one or more aspects of it from the standpoint of the advanced student. The chief sign of systematization is seen in the analysis of the nature and function of knowledge or to the problems of what and how we know. A common feature of all the systems is that they involve, if they do not actually start with, an investigation of '''Pramanas'''.   
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Pramana is defined as the proximate means to valid knowledge or ''prama''. They are usually regarded as a help not only in acquiring new knowledge, but also in verifying what is already known, so that logic as conceived in Bharatavarsha, is a science both of proof and of discovery. A Pramana, like perception, may reveal the existence and nature of things not hitherto known. It may also be the means of verification, as when an object apprehended by the organ of sight is tested by means of touch or whena doubt arising in respect of something inferred is cleared by actual observation. There is much divergence of opinion among Indian thinkers concerning the number of pramanas accepted among the schools. The number of pramanas they accept range from one to six in general categorized under [[ShadPramanas (षड्प्रमाणाः)|Shad Pramanas (षड्प्रमाणाः)]]. 
    
Such was the hold of these systems upon scholars that all the orthodox teachers belonged to one or the other of these schools since the foundation of the systems of philosophy. Their pupils were thus naturally brought up in accordance with the views of their teachers. All the independence of their thinking was limited and enchained by the faith of the school to which they were attached. Instead of seeing growth of free lance thinking and new theories, India brought forth schools of pupils who carried the traditional views of a particular school from generation to generation, who explained and defended them against the attacks of other rival schools, which they constantly attacked in order to establish the superiority of the system to which they adhere.<ref name=":1" /> For example, sutras of the Nyaya system of philosophy are attributed to Gautama, also called as Akshapada. The series of commentaries written by many adherents of this system, on these sutras, while conforming to the tradition yet showing novelty in thinking may be summarized as follows:   
 
Such was the hold of these systems upon scholars that all the orthodox teachers belonged to one or the other of these schools since the foundation of the systems of philosophy. Their pupils were thus naturally brought up in accordance with the views of their teachers. All the independence of their thinking was limited and enchained by the faith of the school to which they were attached. Instead of seeing growth of free lance thinking and new theories, India brought forth schools of pupils who carried the traditional views of a particular school from generation to generation, who explained and defended them against the attacks of other rival schools, which they constantly attacked in order to establish the superiority of the system to which they adhere.<ref name=":1" /> For example, sutras of the Nyaya system of philosophy are attributed to Gautama, also called as Akshapada. The series of commentaries written by many adherents of this system, on these sutras, while conforming to the tradition yet showing novelty in thinking may be summarized as follows:   
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#  पूर्वमीमांसा || Poorva [[Mimamsa Darsana|Mimamsa]] (Jaimini)
 
#  पूर्वमीमांसा || Poorva [[Mimamsa Darsana|Mimamsa]] (Jaimini)
 
# उत्तरमीमांसा || Uttara Mimamsa or वेदान्त || [[Vedanta]] (Badarayana or Vyasa) 
 
# उत्तरमीमांसा || Uttara Mimamsa or वेदान्त || [[Vedanta]] (Badarayana or Vyasa) 
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These are often grouped by twos, taken in order, since the are allied to each other. They last pair, (Poorva and Uttara Mimamsa, however, are not so closely akin in their theoretical aspects, according to a few scholars. They are the two schools which are directly based on the Veda. The remaining four schools, in their present form, declare allegiance to the Veda, but it is doubtful whether they were Vedic from the beginning of their history.<ref name=":3">Hiriyanna. M. (1949) ''The Essentials of Indian Philosophy.'' London : George Allen and Unwin Ltd.</ref>
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We find that Padma purana introduces these shastras in the following slokas<blockquote>कणादेन तु संप्रोक्तं शास्त्रं वैशेषिकं महत् । गौतमेन तथा न्यायं सांख्यं तु कपिलेन वै ॥ (Padm. Pura.6.236.4-5) <ref>Padma Purana ([https://sa.wikisource.org/wiki/पद्मपुराणम्/खण्डः_६_(उत्तरखण्डः)/अध्यायः_२३६ Kanda 6 Adhyaya 236])</ref> </blockquote><blockquote>kaṇādena tu saṃproktaṃ śāstraṃ vaiśeṣikaṃ mahat । gautamena tathā nyāyaṃ sāṃkhyaṃ tu kapilena vai ॥ </blockquote>Meaning : The Vaisheshika shastra has been elucidated by Kanada, while the Nyaya shastra was given by Gautama Rishi, and Samkhya shastra was by Kapila Rishi.
 
We find that Padma purana introduces these shastras in the following slokas<blockquote>कणादेन तु संप्रोक्तं शास्त्रं वैशेषिकं महत् । गौतमेन तथा न्यायं सांख्यं तु कपिलेन वै ॥ (Padm. Pura.6.236.4-5) <ref>Padma Purana ([https://sa.wikisource.org/wiki/पद्मपुराणम्/खण्डः_६_(उत्तरखण्डः)/अध्यायः_२३६ Kanda 6 Adhyaya 236])</ref> </blockquote><blockquote>kaṇādena tu saṃproktaṃ śāstraṃ vaiśeṣikaṃ mahat । gautamena tathā nyāyaṃ sāṃkhyaṃ tu kapilena vai ॥ </blockquote>Meaning : The Vaisheshika shastra has been elucidated by Kanada, while the Nyaya shastra was given by Gautama Rishi, and Samkhya shastra was by Kapila Rishi.
 
== नास्तिकदर्शनानि ॥ Nastika Darshanas ==
 
== नास्तिकदर्शनानि ॥ Nastika Darshanas ==
The three fundamental heterodox systems of philosophy are <ref name=":1" /><ref>Swami Sivananda, All About Hinduism, Page 186</ref>:
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The three fundamental heterodox systems of philosophy are <ref name=":1" /><ref name=":3" /><ref>Swami Sivananda, All About Hinduism, Page 186</ref>:
 
# The Materialistic School of Charvaka
 
# The Materialistic School of Charvaka
 
# The System of the Jainas
 
# The System of the Jainas
# The Buddhistic System which can be classified further as follows:
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# The Buddhistic System which can be classified further as follows:<ref name=":0" />
 
#* The School of Presentationists or Vaibhashikas (Buddhistic)
 
#* The School of Presentationists or Vaibhashikas (Buddhistic)
 
#* The School of Representationists or Sautrantikas (Buddhistic)
 
#* The School of Representationists or Sautrantikas (Buddhistic)

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