) views are those which neither regard the Vedas as infallible

68

nor try to establish their own validity on their authority. These are
principally three in number, the Buddhist, Jaina and the Carvaka.
The astika-mata or orthodox schools are six in number, Sa@mkhya,
Yoga, Vedanta, Mima@msa, Nyaya and Vais'e@sika, generally known
as the six systems (_@sa@ddars'ana_ [Footnote ref 1]).

The Sa@mkhya is ascribed to a mythical Kapila, but the
earliest works on the subject are probably now lost. The Yoga
system is attributed to Patanjali and the original sutras are called
the _Patanjala Yoga sutras_. The general metaphysical position
of these two systems with regard to soul, nature, cosmology and
the final goal is almost the same, and the difference lies in this
that the Yoga system acknowledges a god (_Is'vara_) as distinct
from Atman and lays much importance on certain mystical
practices (commonly known as Yoga practices) for the achievement
of liberation, whereas the Sa@mkhya denies the existence of
Is'vara and thinks that sincere philosophic thought and culture
are sufficient to produce the true conviction of the truth and
thereby bring about liberation. It is probable that the system
of Sa@mkhya associated with Kapila and the Yoga system
associated with Patanjali are but two divergent modifications of
an original Sa@mkhya school, of which we now get only references
here and there. These systems therefore though generally counted
as two should more properly be looked upon as two different
schools of the same Sa@mkhya system--one may be called the
Kapila Sa@mkhya and the other Patanjala Sa@mkhya.

The Purva Mima@msa (from the root _man_ to think--rational
conclusions) cannot properly be spoken of as a system of philosophy.
It is a systematized code of principles in accordance with
which the Vedic texts are to be interpreted for purposes of sacrifices.

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[Footnote 1: The word "_dars'ana_" in the sense of true philosophic
knowledge has its earliest use in the _Vais'e@sika sutras_ of Ka@nada
(IX. ii. 13) which I consider as pre-Buddhistic. The Buddhist pi@takas
(400 B.C.) called the heretical opinions "_ditthi_" (Sanskrit--dr@sti
from the same root _d@rs'_ from which dars'ana is formed). Haribhadra
(fifth century A.D.) uses the word Dars'ana in the sense of systems of
philosophy (_sarvadars'anavacyo' rtha@h--@Sa@ddars'anasamuccaya_ I.).
Ratnakirt