Many people in India have big ideas.
They think about life and the world. Some follow old books. Others have new ways to think. These ideas help people find peace.
What do you wonder about?
Many people in India have big ideas.
They think about life and the world. Some thinkers use the word darśana. This means "to see."
Some groups follow old books called the Vedas. These groups are called āstika. Other groups do not follow those books. They are called nāstika. These ideas help people find peace. Many people want to find a way to be free from suffering.
People in India have many ways of thinking about the world. These ways are often called darśana. This word means "to see."
Some thinkers use the term ānvīkṣikī. This means "critical inquiry." It is a way of asking deep questions.
Many groups are split into two main types. The āstika groups follow the Vedas. The Vedas are very old holy books. The nāstika groups do not follow the Vedas.
There are six major āstika schools. These include Yoga and Vedanta.
There are also five major nāstika schools. These include Buddhism and Jainism.
Many of these ideas share the same goals. People want to find a way to be free. They want to be free from suffering. This goal is often called moksha or nirvana. Some schools focus on logic. Others focus on the soul. They may disagree on how to find peace. This makes Indian philosophy very big and diverse.
Indian philosophy is a vast collection of ways to understand life. People often call these traditions darśana, which means "to see."
Other thinkers use the term ānvīkṣikī, meaning "critical inquiry." This is a way of investigating deep truths. These ideas help people think about how the world works. They also explore how humans should live. Many of these schools were formally recognized between 500 BCE and the late Common Era.
Philosophers often group these ideas into two main categories. The āstika schools are considered orthodox because they accept the Vedas as a valid source of knowledge.
The nāstika schools are called heterodox because they do not follow the Vedas. Some people also use these terms to talk about belief in gods. For example, some see "orthodox" as meaning theism. Others see "heterodox" as meaning atheism. There are many different ways to classify these groups.
There are six major āstika schools that follow the Vedic tradition. These are Nyaya, Vaisheshika, Samkhya, Yoga, Mimamsa, and Vedanta.
Samkhya looks at the universe as two realities: consciousness and matter. Yoga focuses on spiritual practice and often accepts a personal god. Nyaya is a school that focuses on logic and how we know things. Vedānta is a major school that interprets the Upanishads. These schools often work in pairs, like Samkhya and Yoga.
The nāstika or Śramaṇic traditions include five major schools. These are Jain, Buddhist, Ajivika, Ajñana, and Charvaka.
Jainism is one of the oldest traditions. It believes the soul is separate from the body. Some Jain followers believe Rishabhadeva was the founder millions of years ago. Another important figure was Parshvanatha, who lived around the 8th or 7th century BCE. Buddhism also grew during the end of the Vedic period.
Even though these schools disagree, they share many common themes. Most of them focus on the goal of liberation. This means being free from suffering, which is called dukkha. They also seek freedom from the cycle of rebirth, called samsara. This freedom is known as moksha or nirvana. Many traditions use meditation or renunciation to reach this goal. They all wonder about the nature of existence and the soul.
Indian philosophy is a vast collection of traditions from the Indian subcontinent. These thinkers often use the term darśana, which means "to see" or "looking at."
Other classical thinkers used the term ānvīkṣikī. This refers to "critical inquiry" or "investigation." These traditions explore deep questions about existence. They study how we gain knowledge and how we should live. Most of these schools were formally recognized between 500 BCE and the late Common Era.
Philosophers often classify these traditions into two main groups. The āstika schools are considered orthodox because they accept the Vedas as a valid source of knowledge. The nāstika schools are called heterodox or Śramaṇic because they do not follow the Vedas.
Some scholars use these terms differently. Some see "orthodox" as a synonym for theism, or belief in gods. Others see "heterodox" as a synonym for atheism. There are many different ways to organize these complex systems of thought.
There are six major āstika schools of Vedic philosophy. These are Nyāya, Vaiśeṣika, Sāṃkhya, Yoga, Mīmāṃsā, and Vedānta. Nyāya is the "logic" school that focuses on epistemology, or the study of knowledge. It accepts four types of valid knowledge called Pramā: perception, inference, comparison, and testimony. Vaiśeṣika is closely related and focuses on the metaphysics of substance and atoms.
These two schools are often studied together as a pair.
Other āstika schools offer different views on reality. Sāṃkhya is the school of "enumeration." It views the universe as two independent realities: puruṣa, which is perceiving consciousness, and prakṛti, which is perceived reality or matter. Yoga is similar to Sāṃkhya but focuses on yogic practice and often accepts a personal god. Mīmāṃsā focuses on interpreting Vedic rituals and philology. Finally, Vedānta interprets the philosophy of the Upanishads. It explores the relationship between Atman and Brahman.
The nāstika traditions include five major schools. These are Jain, Buddhist, Ajivika, Ajñana, and Charvaka.
These traditions developed their own ideas about the soul, ethics, and materialism. Some of these schools, like Ajñana and Charvaka, did not survive into the modern era. However, Jainism and Buddhism remain very influential. They have shaped much of the philosophical history of the region.
Jainism is one of the oldest traditions in this group. It is unique because it separates the soul from the body completely. Followers believe every soul has infinite knowledge and bliss. However, ignorance causes the soul to identify with the physical body. This leads to karma and the cycle of rebirth.
The tradition identifies Rishabhadeva as a founder from a very distant past. Another important figure was Parshvanatha, the 23rd Tirthankara, who lived around the 8th or 7th century BCE.
Despite their many disagreements, these schools share common themes. Most focus on the ultimate goal of liberation. This means being free from dukkha, which is suffering. They also seek freedom from samsara, the cycle of birth and rebirth. This liberation is called moksha or nirvana.
To reach this goal, many use spiritual practices like meditation or renunciation. They all seek to understand the true nature of existence.
Where will your curiosity go next?
🖼️ Images & Media (6)
More to explore
✨ What else?
Related topics you might enjoy
🔬 Go deeper
More advanced topics to explore
What is Nepedia?
A free, ad-free encyclopedia for children. Every article is written at five reading levels, so the same page works for a five-year-old and a fifteen-year-old — use the level switcher above to see this one change. No account needed to read.