Jaimini Dictionary

Jaimini (Sanskrit). A great sage, a disciple of Vyasa the transmitter and teacher of the Sama Veda which as claimed he received from his Guru. He is also the famous founder and writer of the Purva Mimansa philosophy.

(See also: Jaimini , Theosophy, Spirituality, Body mind and Soul, Spiritual Dictionary,)

Jaimini (Sanskrit) Celebrated sage and philosopher of antiquity, pupil of Vyasa, to whom the Sama-Veda was transmitted by his teacher (Bh-P 1.4.21). The founder of the Purva-Mia-nsa or Karma-Mima-nsa system -- one of the six Darsanas or schools of Hindu philosophy.

(See also: Jaimini , Mysticism, Mysticism Dictionary, Occultism, Occultism Dictionary)

Jaimini:

Jaimini. Author of Purva Mimamsa, or the portion relating to ritual action.

(See also: Jaimini , Hinduism, Hinduism Dictionary, Sanskrit Dictionary, Body Mind and Soul)

Purva-mimamsa - the philosophy established by Maharsi Jaimini, also known as jaimini-darsana. To thoroughly examine a topic and arrive at a conclusion is known as mimamsa. Mimamsa comes from the verbal root man, to think, reflect, or consider. Because in his book, Maharsi Jaimini has established the correct interpretation of the Vedic statements and how they may be decided through logical analysis, this book is known as mimamsa-grantha. The Vedas have two divisions: purva-kansa (the first part) , dealing with Vedic karma; and uttara-kansa (the latter part) , dealing with the Upanisads or Vedanta. Since Jaimini’s book deals with an analysis of the first part of the Vedas, it is called purva-mimamsa. As Jaimini’s philosophy deals exclusively with an analysis of Vedic karma, it is also known as karma-mimamsa.

Jaimini has minutely examined how Vedic ritualistic karma is to be performed and what its results are. He has accepted the Vedas as apauruseya (not created by any man) , beginningless, and eternal. His philosophy is established on the basis of the Vedas. However, he has given prominence only to Vedic karma. He states that the jivas are meant to performVedic karma only. By proper performance of Vedic karma, one can obtain parama-purusartha, the supreme goal, which in his opinion refers to the attainment of the celestial planets.

In Jaimini’s view, the visible world is anadi, without beginning, and it does not undergo destruction. Consequently, there is no need for an omniscient and omnipotent Isvara to carry out the creation, maintenance, and destruction of the world. Jaimini accepts the existence of pious and sinful karma. According to his doctrine, karma automatically yields the results of its own actions. Therefore, there is no need for an Isvara to award the results of karma.

(See also: Purva-mimamsa , Bhakti, Bhakti Yoga, Bhakti Dictionary, Body Mind and Soul)

shad darshana: (Sanskrit) "Six views or insights; six philosophies."

Among the hundreds of Hindu darshanas known through history are six classical philosophical systems: Nyaya, Vaisheshika, Sankhya, Yoga, Mimamsa and Vedanta.

Each was tersely formulated in sutra form by its "founder," and elaborated in extensive commentaries by other writers. They are understood as varied attempts at describing Truth and the path to it. Elements of each form part of the Hindu fabric today.

-       Nyaya: "System, rule; logic." A system of logical realism, founded sometime around 300 bce by Gautama, known for its systems of logic and epistemology and concerned with the means of acquiring right knowledge. Its tools of enquiry and rules for argumentation were adopted by all schools of Hinduism.

-       Vaisheshika: "Distinctionism." From "vishesha," differences. Philosophy founded by Kanada (ca 300 bce) teaching that liberation is to be attained through understanding the nature of existence, which is classified in nine basic realities (dravyas): earth, water, light, air, ether, time, space, soul and mind. Nyaya and Vaisheshika are viewed as a complementary pair, with Nyaya emphasizing logic, and Vaisheshika analyzing the nature of the world.

-       Sankhya: "Enumeration, reckoning." A philosophy founded by the sage Kapila (ca 500 bce), author of the Sankhya Sutras. Sankhya is primarily concerned with "categories of existence," tattvas, which it understands as 25 in number. The first two are the unmanifest purusha and the manifest primal nature, prakriti - the male-female polarity, viewed as the foundation of all existence. Prakriti, out of which all things evolve, is the unity of the three gunas: sattva, rajas and tamas. Sankhya and Yoga are considered an inseparable pair whose principles permeate all of Hinduism.

-       See: prakriti, purusha.

-       Yoga: "Yoking; joining." Ancient tradition of philosophy and practice codified by Patanjali (ca 200 bce) in the Yoga Sutras. It is also known as raja yoga, "king of yogas," or ashtanga yoga, "eight-limbed yoga." Its object is to achieve, at will, the cessation of all fluctuations of consciousness, and the attainment of Self Realization. Yoga is wholly dedicated to putting the high philosophy of Hinduism into practice, to achieve personal transformation through transcendental experience, samadhi.

-       See: yoga.

-       Mimamsa: "Inquiry" (or Purva, "early," Mimamsa). Founded by Jaimini (ca 200 bce), author of the Mimamsa Sutras, who taught the correct performance of Vedic rites as the means to salvation.

-       Vedanta (or Uttara "later" Mimamsa): "End (or culmination) of the Vedas." For Vedanta, the main basis is the Upanishads and Aranyakas (the "end," anta, of the Vedas), rather than the hymns and ritual portions of the Vedas. The teaching of Vedanta is that there is one Absolute Reality, Brahman. Man is one with Brahman, and the object of life is to realize that truth through right knowledge, intuition and personal experience. The Vedanta Sutras (or Brahma Sutras) were composed by Rishi Badarayana (ca 400 bce).

See: Brahma Sutra, padartha, tattva, Vedanta, yoga.

(See also: Shad darshana , Hinduism, Body Mind and Soul)

Jaimini

A prominent sage, a disciple of Dvaipayana Vyasa. Jaimini wrote the Mimamsa-sutras, which established the philosophical school of Vedic textual interpretation.

(See also: Jaimini , Bhakti, Bhakti Yoga, Bhakti Dictionary, Body Mind and Soul)

Mimamsa

“Systematic study” of the meaning of the Vedas. The earlier Mimamsa (Purva-mimamsa), which explains the ritual meaning of the Vedas, was taught by Vyasadeva’s disciple Jaimini. The second Mimamsa (Uttara-mimamsa), which explains the Absolute Truth, was taught in the Vedanta-sutra by Vyasa Himself.

(See also: Mimamsa , Bhakti, Bhakti Yoga, Bhakti Dictionary, Body Mind and Soul)

Mimamsaka - a philosopher. One who adheres to the mimamsa philosophical doctrine of which there are two divisions. This usually refers to those who follow the karma-mimamsa of Jaimini.

(See also: Mimamsaka , Bhakti, Bhakti Yoga, Bhakti Dictionary, Body Mind and Soul)

Purva Mimsamsa:

Purva Mimsamsa (Puurva Meemaamsa). A text by Jaimini on the early school of Mimamsa philosophy.

(See also: Purva Mimsamsa , Hinduism, Hinduism Dictionary, Sanskrit Dictionary, Body Mind and Soul)

Mimamsa - a philosophical doctrine which has two divisions:

(1) purva or karma-mimamsa founded by Jaimini, which advocates that by carrying out the ritualistic karma of the Vedas, one can attain the celestial planets, and

(2) uttara-mimamsa founded by Badarayana Vyasadeva, which deals with the nature of brahma. (See purvamimamsa and uttara-mimamsa).

(See also: Mimamsa , Bhakti, Bhakti Yoga, Bhakti Dictionary, Body Mind and Soul)

Karma-vadins (Sanskrit) Karma-preachers; applied to the followers of the Karma-Mima-nsa-Darsana, one name of the Purva-Mima-nsa school founded by Jaimini, which taught a merely critical interpretation of the text of the Veda.

(See also: Karma-vadins , Mysticism, Mysticism Dictionary, Occultism, Occultism Dictionary)

Purva-mimansa (Sanskrit) [from purva prior + mimansa profound or striving thought or meditation from the verbal root man to think]

Inquiry into the first portion of the Veda -- the matra portion; the fifth of the six Darsanas or schools of Hindu philosophy. The school of philosophy in our days considered to be chiefly concerned with the correct interpretation of the Vedic texts; hence sometimes called the First Vedantic School.

Jaimini is reputed to be its founder, as well as the author of the Mimansa-darsana, the sutras or aphorisms which constitute its chief doctrinal authority. This school is also sometimes termed Karma-mimansa because of the doctrine advocated that by its teaching one can be more or less freed from the making of new karma.

The more advanced portion of the Mimansa is called the Vedanta, which is the present-day theosophy of Hindustan. The Vedanta, also called the Uttara-mimansa, is attributed to Vyasa, the arranger of the Vedas, as its founder.

(See also: Purva-mimansa , Mysticism, Mysticism Dictionary, Occultism, Occultism Dictionary)

Mimansa (Sanskrit) [from the verbal root man to think]

Profound thought, profound consideration; one of the six Darsanas or Hindu schools of philosophy. There are two Mimansas, the older or Purva-mimansa, founded by Jaimini, and the younger or Uttara-mimansa founded by Vyasa. The older is commonly known as the Mimansa, and the younger as the Vedanta.

While the Uttara-mimansa is usually considered by European Orientalists to be the later in time, it contains the philosophic key to the entire system and in other senses may be called the theosophy of the Vedas. The word vedanta itself means "end of the Veda," in the sense of being its philosophical explication or completion.

(See also: Mimansa , Mysticism, Mysticism Dictionary)

Jaimini: (Sanskrit) Founder of the Mimamsa Darshana.

See: shad darshana.

(See also: Jaimini , Hinduism, Body Mind and Soul)

Maharishi Jaimini

A sage who wrote an elucidation of sections of Maharishi Parashara's work. This became the basis for another system of Astrology in India

(See also: Maharishi Jaimini , New Age Spirituality, Body Mind and Soul)

Maharishi Jaimini

A sage who wrote an elucidation of sections of Maharishi Parashara's work. This became the basis for another system of Astrology in India

(See also: Maharishi Jaimini , New Age Spirituality, Body Mind and Soul)

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

Introduction to Hinduism

Statistically, there are over 700 million Hindus, mainly in Bharat (India), and Nepal. Hinduism is referred to as Sanatana Dharma, the eternal faith. Hinduism is not strictly a religion. It is based on the practice of Dharma, the code of life. Since Hinduism has no founder, anyone who practices Dharma can call himself a Hindu. He can question the authority of any scripture, or even the existence of the Divine.

Read more here: » Hinduism: Introduction to Hinduism

Atheism is a Truly Divine Science

In 'The Song Divine', Krishna classifies nature as material nature and supernature. He says that supernature is incomprehensible to people who are not in tune with the subtlety of infinity. We think we choose to live, but the fact is we have no independent will to be born. Beyond food, sex and territory, animals are not aware of any other reality; they also do not have any aspirations towards immortality. Since there is no fear or idea of death in their lives, they have no concept of God or codified system of philosophy. They live by instinct and die without seeking to prolong their lives.

Read more here: » Atheism: Atheism is a Truly Divine Science

What is Dharma? Dharma is so called, because it holds; Dharma alone holds the people, etc. The word Dharma is derived from the root Dhr - to hold - and its etymological meaning is - that which holds - this world, or the people of the world, or the whole creation from the microcosm to the macrocosm.

Dharma is generally defined as - righteousness - or - duty. - Dharma is the principle of righteousness. It is the principle of holiness. It is also the principle of unity.

Excerpt from All About Hinduism by Sri Swami Sivananda

Read more here: » Dharma: Dharma in Hinduism - The Hindu Dharma