Samkhya Nyaya Vaisheshika Yoga Purva Mimamsa Advaita Vedanta Vishishtadvaita Dvaita Carvaka Jain Buddhist Logic Hindu philosophy (one of the main divisions of Indian philosophy) is traditionally seen through the prism of six different systems (called darshanas in Sanskrit) that are listed here and make up the main belief systems of Hinduism. Th ...

Including:

• Hindu philosophy - Hindu Philosophy: The Six Main Schools of Thought
• Hindu philosophy - Samkhya
• Hindu philosophy - Nyaya
• Hindu philosophy - Vaisheshika
• Hindu philosophy - Yoga
• Hindu philosophy - Purva Mimamsa
• Hindu philosophy - Uttara Mimamsa: The Three Schools of Vedanta

Read more here: » Hindu philosophy: Encyclopedia - Hindu philosophy

See also:

Hindu philosophy, Hindu philosophy - Hindu Philosophy: The Six Main Schools of Thought, Hindu philosophy - Samkhya, Hindu philosophy - Nyaya, Hindu philosophy - Vaisheshika, Hindu philosophy - Yoga, Hindu philosophy - Purva Mimamsa, Hindu philosophy - Uttara Mimamsa: The Three Schools of Vedanta

Read more here: » Hindu philosophy: Encyclopedia II - Hindu philosophy - Hindu Philosophy: The Six Main Schools of Thought

All the six systems of Hindu philosophy believe in Ishvara, ie., God. The philosophy of Sāmkhya was originally explicitly atheistic, denying any need for the concept of God beyond Purusha, i.e., person and Prakriti, i.e., nature. Its offshoot, the Yoga philosophy strongly advocates faith in God. Since the way of salvation or mokşha could not be explicated by Samkhya, later, their followers accepted the Yoga way of salvation and also their concept of Ishvara. The Yoga philosophy also logically proves that there can be one and only one Ishvara, and is possibly the first philoso ...

See also:

Ishvara, Ishvara - Ishvara in Hindu Philosophy, Ishvara - Ishvara and Saguna Brahma

Read more here: » Ishvara: Encyclopedia II - Ishvara - Ishvara in Hindu Philosophy

A clear understanding of mans relation to God is a matter of momentous importance to students of philosophy and to all aspirants. Philosophers, prophets, saints, sages, thinkers, Acharyas and great religious leaders of the world have tried to explain the relation of man to God and the universe. Various schools of philosophy and different kinds of religious beliefs have come into existence, on account of various explanations given by different philosophers.

Excerpt from All About Hinduism by Sri Swami Sivananda

Read more here: » Hindu Philosophy: Hindu Philosophy and its Various Schools and Systems

Uttara Mimamsa or the Vedanta philosophy of Vyasa or Badarayana is placed as the last of the six orthodox systems, but, really, it ought to stand first.

The Uttara Mimamsa conforms closely to the doctrines propounded in the Upanishads. The term Vedanta means literally the end or essence of the Veda. It contains the doctrines set forth in the closing chapters of the Vedas. The closing chapters of the Vedas are the Upanishads. The Upanishads really form the essence of the Vedas.

Excerpt from All About Hinduism by Sri Swami Sivananda

Read more here: » Vedanta Philosophy: Hindu Philosophy - Vedanta Philosophy

The Nyaya or Hindu logic was founded by Gautama Rishi, who is also known by the names Akshapada and Dirghatapas. The Nyaya and the Vaiseshika are analytic types of philosophy. The word Nyaya signifies going into a subject, i.e., investigating it analytically. In this sense of analysis, the word Nyaya is exactly opposed to Sankhya, synthesis. The Nyaya is sometimes called Tarka-Vidya or the Science of Debate, Vada-Vidya or the Science of Discussion. Tarka is the special feature of the Nyaya.

Excerpt from All About Hinduism by Sri Swami Sivananda

Read more here: » Nyaya: Hindu Philosophy - The Nyaya

The Vaiseshika system takes its name from Visesha or particularity which is the characteristic differentia of things. The aphorisms of Kanada contain the essence of the Vaiseshika philosophy. The principal subject treated therein is Visesha, one of the six Padarthas or categories enumerated by the founder.

Excerpt from All About Hinduism by Sri Swami Sivananda

Read more here: » Vaiseshika: Hindu Philosophy - The Vaiseshika

The word - Sankhya - means - number -. The system gives an enumeration of the principles of the universe, twenty-five in number. Hence the name is quite appropriate. The term - Sankhya - is used in the sense of - Vichara - or - philosophical reflection - also.

In the Sankhya system, there is no analytical enquiry into the universe as actually existing, arranged under topics and categories. There is a synthetical system, starting from an original primordial Tattva or Principle, called Prakriti, that which evolves or produces or brings forth (Prakaroti) everything else.

Excerpt from All About Hinduism by Sri Swami Sivananda

Read more here: » Sankhya: Hindu Philosophy . The Sankhya

The word Yoga comes from the root Yuj which means to join. Yoga is restraint of the activities of the mind, and is the union of the individual soul with the Supreme Soul.

Hiranyagarbha is the founder of the Yoga system. The Yoga founded by Patanjali Maharshi is a branch or supplement of the Sankhya. It has its own charm for students of a mystic temperament and of a contemplative type. It claims greater orthodoxy than the Sankhya proper by directly acknowledging the existence of a Supreme Being (Isvara).

Excerpt from All About Hinduism by Sri Swami Sivananda

Read more here: » Yoga: Hindu Philosophy - The Yoga

Everybody speaks: - This is right, that is wrong; you are right, he is wrong; - but he cannot tell you exactly what he means by right and wrong.

What is the criterion by which we judge an action to be right or wrong, and good or bad? - Right and wrong - and - good and bad - are relative terms. Right and wrong refer to the moral standard, as law. Good and bad refer to it, as end. You will have to adjust your conduct according to this moral standard. That which is in accordance with a rule is right. That which is worthy of achievement is good.

Excerpt from All About Hinduism by Sri Swami Sivananda

Read more here: » Hindu Ethics: Philosophy Of Right And Wrong

There is no reference to worship of idols in the Vedas. The Puranas and the Agamas give descriptions of idol-worship both in the houses and in the temples. Idol-worship is not peculiar to Hinduism. Christians worship the Cross. They have the image of the Cross in their mind. The Mohammedans keep the image of the Kaba stone when they kneel and do prayers. The people of the whole world, save a few Yogis and Vedantins, are all worshippers of idols. They keep some image or the other in the mind.

The mental image also is a form of idol. The difference is not one of kind, but only one of degree. All worshippers, however intellectual they may be, generate a form in the mind and make the mind dwell on that image.

Excerpt from All About Hinduism by Sri Swami Sivananda

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Purva Mimamsa or Karma-Mimamsa is an enquiry into the earlier portion of the Vedas, an enquiry into the ritual of the Vedas or that portion of the Vedas which is concerned with the Mantras and the Brahmanas only. The Purva Mimamsa is so called, because it is earlier (Purva) than the Uttara Mimamsa, not so much in the chronological as in the logical sense.

Excerpt from All About Hinduism by Sri Swami Sivananda

Read more here: » Purva Mimamsa: Hindu Philosophy - The Purva Mimamsa

The term Hinduism is most elastic. It includes a number of sects and cults, allied, but different in many important points. Hinduism has, within its fold, various schools of Vedanta; Vaishnavism, Saivism, Saktism, etc. It has various cults and creeds. It is more a League of Religions than a single religion with a definite creed.

A map over the different sects and cults in Hinduism.

Excerpt from All About Hinduism by Sri Swami Sivananda

Read more here: » Hindu Sects: Hinduism - A Fellowship Of Faiths And A Federation Of Philosophies - about Hindu Sects and Cults

Persian Heritage In Hindu Traditions

Many would be surprised to learn that no ancient Hindu temple was dedicated to Rama - neither in Ayodhya nor anywhere else.

There had been many old temples and shrines devoted to Vishnu and Shiva and a few to Brahma, Ganesh, Kartikeya, Hanuman, Kubera, Nagas, Kali and Durga as well as a huge number honouring numerous local tribal deities. Only 180 years ago Raja Ram Mohan Roy coined the word 'Hindu' to describe the huge variety of faiths and sects with similar but not identical philosophies, myths and rituals.

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The Mahabharata is the history of the Pandavas and the Pandavas. It gives a description of the great war, the Battle of Kurukshetra, which broke out between the Kauravas and the Pandavas who were cousins and descendants of the lunar race. The Mahabharata is an encyclopaedia of Hindu Dharma. It is rightly called the fifth Veda. There is really no theme in religion, philosophy, mysticism and polity which this great epic does not touch and expound.

Excerpt from All About Hinduism by Sri Swami Sivananda

Read more here: » Mahabharata: The Mahabharata in the Hindu Scriptures

The Six Darsanas are the intellectual section of the Hindu writings, while the first four are intuitional, and the fifth inspirational and emotional. Darsanas are schools of philosophy based on the Vedas. The Agamas are theological. The Darsana literature is philosophical. The Darsanas are meant for the erudite scholars who are endowed with acute acumen, good understanding, power of reasoning and subtle intellect. The Itihasas, Puranas and Agamas are meant for the masses. The Darsanas appeal to the intellect, while the Itihasas, Puranas, etc., appeal to the heart.

Excerpt from All About Hinduism by Sri Swami Sivananda

Read more here: » Six Darsanas : The Six Darsanas in the Hindu Scriptures

Karma Yoga - The Yoga of Action

Karma yoga joins both the physical and mental aspects of Hindu philosophy to produce a single concept. It believes that the present relies on the past and that in turn, with your actions, you can alter the future. Selflessness is a primary requirement for karma practice. Steering your actions towards the good � saying good, thinking good, doing good will all facilitate selflessness. Acting this way eliminates egoistic and negative behaviour and enables you to influence your destiny.

Read more here: » Yoga Branches: Karma Yoga

Samkhya Nyaya Vaisheshika Yoga Purva Mimamsa Advaita Vedanta Vishishtadvaita Dvaita Carvaka Jain Buddhist Logic Vaisheshika, also Vaisesika, (Sanskrit: वैशॆषिक)is one of the six Hindu schools of philosophy (orthodox Vedic systems) of India. Historically, it has been closely ...

Including:

• Vaisheshika - Overview
• Vaisheshika - The logic of Vaisheshika

Read more here: » Vaisheshika: Encyclopedia - Vaisheshika

Samkhya Nyaya Vaisheshika Yoga Purva Mimamsa Advaita Vedanta Vishishtadvaita Dvaita Carvaka Jain Buddhist Logic Samkhya, also Sankhya, (Sanskrit: सांख्य) is a school of Indian philosophy, and is one of the six astika or Hindu philosophical schools of India. It is regarded as the oldest of the orthodox ...

Including:

• Samkhya - Epistemology
• Samkhya - The metaphysics of Samkhya

Read more here: » Samkhya: Encyclopedia - Samkhya

Ishvara (ईश्वर in devanagari script, pronunciation /ī:sh vərə/), also variously transliterated (romanized) as Īshvara, Īshwara, Īshwar, Īśvara, etc. (Sanskrit: "the Supreme Lord, and hence the Cosmic Controller") is a Hindu philosophical concept of God meaning that entity or the Supreme Being which is the lord and the ruler of everything. Hinduism uses the term Ishvara exclusively to refer to the One and the Supreme God in a kind of monotheistic sense. The Atharva Veda explicitly sa ...

Including:

• Ishvara - Ishvara in Hindu Philosophy
• Ishvara - Ishvara and Saguna Brahma

Read more here: » Ishvara: Encyclopedia - Ishvara