evolution of Indian philosophy with time | basic terminologies of Indian philosophy | monism dualism and pluralism | samkhya yoga nyaya vaisheshika mimamsa and vedanta | dvait advait bishisht advait shudh advaita and dvaitadvaita

“Unveiling the Eternal Wisdom: Tracing the Evolution and Timeless Concepts of Indian Philosophy”

Indian philosophy encompasses a profound and ancient heritage that has evolved across six distinct phases. From its origins in the composition of the Vedas to the modern era, the philosophical landscape has been shaped by a diverse range of schools of thought. This article aims to explore the evolution of Indian philosophy and shed light on its fundamental concepts that have stood the test of time

The first phase of Indian philosophy can be traced back to the composition of the Vedas around 1500 BCE. Although the exact origins and authorship of the Vedas remain unclear, this period marks the recognized beginning of Indian philosophical thought. In this period 4 Vedas were written, namely, Rig Veda, Sam Veda, Yajur and Atharv Veda. These Vedas are broadly classified into 4 categories. First is Samhita, where mantras are written. The second part is called Brahmanas, here, the way of sacrificial activities is written. The third part is called Aranyaka, in which the way how persons living in a forest, are compiled and the last part is called Upanishad or sometimes called Vedanta, is the part, where, philosophical questions like metaphysics or the ultimate truth are discussed.

The second phase witnessed the emergence of heterodox philosophies, such as Buddhism, Jainism, and Charvaka, which challenged Vedic theories. Concurrently, orthodox schools of thought defended the principles of the Vedas, giving rise to the third phase of Indian philosophy. This phase saw the development of the six main philosophical schools, known as Sad Darshan or Sanatana Darshan.

Before delving more into the phases of evolution, it is crucial to grasp the basic epistemologies that underpin Indian philosophy. Two approaches to understanding the ultimate reality are prevalent: the "number" approach and the "nature" approach. In 'number', philosophers discuss the numbers of ultimate existence. They believe in pluralism, dualism and monism (non-dualism or advaitvada). Pluralism refers to the belief that there can be infinite numbers of reality, say, water, air or fire etc., they can be matter or conscience or neutral or anything. Dualism refers to the belief that truth is of two forms, that are material and consciousness, and they cannot be interchanged. The monistic theory says that everything ultimately confines into only one singularity, which can either be material or consciousness or neutral. Another approach of defining the ultimate truth was "nature" as discussed earlier. By “nature” philosophers meant matter, consciousness, neutral and dualism. The theory that believed in the matter was called “materialism”, and consequently idealism, neutralism and dualism. By combining these approaches, various philosophical categories emerge, they are:-

Coming back to the third phase of evolution i.e., Sad-darshan. The philosophies here are Samkhya, Yoga, Nyay, Vaisheshika, Mimamsa and Vedanta. Samkhya school of philosophy, developed by Kapila Muni, focuses on two principles- Prakriti and Purusha. Although earlier they were materialistic, the spirit was added later. The Yoga school of philosophy has a similar ideology to that of Samkhya. It was proposed by Maharshi Patanjali. They are of the belief that a person can attain salvation through meditation and physical application. They define the rule of yama, niyama, pranayama, dharna, asana, dhyana, samadhi and pratyahara (8 limbs of Yoga). Nyay school was given by Maharshi Gautam. This school of analysis was developed as a system of logic. Acquisition of Knowledge was attributed as the way to salvation. Vaisheshika school of philosophy was developed by Kanad Muni and this school is given credit to mark the beginning of Physics in India. They said, chiti jal pavak gagan samira, together called panch-mahabhut, to be the main constituent of nature and natural objects. Mimamsa school of philosophy refers to the art of reasoning and interpretation. Jamini is given the credit to develop this school. This philosophy believes Vedas to be the ultimate truth and the performance of Vedic sacrifices is the only way to salvation. Thus, it deepens the root of the varna system in society. The last or the sixth school of philosophy is the Vedanta philosophy. It was compiled by Acharya Badrayan or Ved Vyas as Sutra, so it is also called Brahm-Sutra. Brahma is said here to be the ultimate reality and everything else is Maya.

Now, moving ahead to the fourth phase of Indian Philosophy. It is traced back in the timeline just before the entrance of Islam in India. Those who understood the main Upanishad, Geeta and Brahm Sutra, together called “sthantrayi” were known to understand the whole Indian philosophical ideology. In this period, two definitions of philosophy emerged out, they were Advaita Vedanta and Vaishnav Vedanta. Advaita or nondualism or monism has been described earlier in this text. Shankaracharya is said to be the person behind the philosophy. According to him, the whole world was mithya or maya and this way he made worshiping God very difficult. The Vaishnav Advaita philosophy on the other ∙hand tried to always find the way to worship God and get salvation. Ramanujacharya of the 10th century is said to establish this philosophy. His vishist advait theory (qualified non dualism) is said open the way to worship God and he showed devotion and bhakti to be the only way to reach God. Later on, in this timeline comes Ramananda, the disciple of Ramanuja and then Kabirdas and Tulsidas, who became the disciple of Ramananda. Contemporary to Kabirdas was Gurunanak, who gave birth to Sikhism. The second person of Vaishnav advaita philosophy is Vallabhacharya who believed in sudh-advaita, and denied the fact that the world is an illusion. The third person in this context is Nimbarkacharya, who propounded the dvaita-advaita philosophy. According to him, we are part of God, but being part also, our identity exists. The fourth person can be said as Madhavacharya, who gave dvaita philosophy or dualism and the last person in this context is Chaitanya Prabhu who gave Achintya-advaita philosophy or inconceivable duality and non-duality which means the relation between God and human is beyond human comprehension.

The fifth phase of the evolution of Indian philosophy was roughly around 19th century CE. This is an important phase in the history of India, as it gave birth to nationalism. This period is sometimes also called the period of the Renaissance. On the one hand, Indians were exploited by Britishers and on the other hand Christianity was gaining its pace. Amid this chaos, Hinduism needed a new definition and that was “neo-Hinduism or neo-Vedanta” philosophy. Reformists like R R Mohan Roy, founder of Arya samaj, also known as the father of Indian Renaissance, Debendra Nath Tagore, Keshav Chandra Sen, etc had a great contribution in establishing this neo ideology. They tried to wipe out the evils of Vedanta and gave a new shape to it. Later on, Swami Vivekananda, the disciple of R K Paramhans, gave a new picture of Hinduism to the whole world. M K Gandhi, Aurobindo Ghosh, S Radhakrishnan were some other great leaders who followed this path and tried to inculcate equality and scientific temperament in the society.

The sixth and final phase emerged after India gained independence and witnessed the contributions of prominent thinkers such as Babasaheb Ambedkar, J. Krishnamurti, and Osho Rajneesh. Ambedkar made a significant impact by establishing a new sect in Buddhism called Navayana, distinguishing it from the existing Hinayana and Mahayana traditions. Osho Rajneesh emphasized the importance of individuality and self-freedom.

With this phase, the overall journey of Indian philosophy draws to a close, marking a significant milestone in its evolution.

Another noteworthy aspect to discuss is the common trend observed across various philosophical schools. Firstly, the widely accepted concept of Karma Sidhanta prevails in almost every Indian philosophical school except Charvaka. This philosophy revolves around the notion that we reap what we sow, and it is divided into three components: Sanchit, representing accumulated fruits of past actions; Prarabdh, representing the fruits being experienced in the present; and Sancheeyman, referring to the Karma being performed in the present, which will bear consequences in the future.

Secondly, a widely embraced belief revolves around the existence of the soul or Atma. This concept is central to the teachings of the Bhagavad Gita, while Buddha and Charvaka reject this theory.

The third concept pertains to the idea of rebirth, which is rejected by Charvaka. Philosophers have interpreted this concept differently, with some viewing it as reincarnation, others as resurrection, and still others as metempsychosis.

The fourth concept concerns the notion of suffering. Charvaka denies the prevalence of suffering, whereas Buddhism is rooted in the belief that the world is rife with suffering and cannot be escaped.

The fifth concept revolves around the pursuit of "liberation," with each philosophy outlining its unique path to achieve it. Buddhism seeks Nirvana, Jainism seeks Kaivalya, Hinduism seeks Mukti, all aiming for salvation and liberation from the cycle of birth and death. Charvaka, however, denies this concept.

The sixth concept challenges the reality of the material world. Advaita Vedanta, Madhyamika Mahayana, and Yogvigyanvad Mahayana reject the notion that the material world is fundamentally real.

Lastly, the seventh and final concept is the birth of religion. It is evident that each philosophical school is intrinsically linked to a specific religion. For instance, Sanatana Darshan is associated with Hinduism, Buddhist Darshan is associated with Buddhism, and so on, with Charvaka being an exception as it stands apart from any specific religious association.

The journey of Indian philosophy spans centuries, leaving an indelible mark on human thought. It encompasses essential concepts like karma, soul or atma, rebirth, suffering, liberation, belief in the reality of the material world, and the birth of religions associated with each philosophical school. Indian philosophy stands as the foundation and mother of all philosophical systems worldwide, its enduring wisdom resonating across time.

-SUNNY SHARMA