PŪRVA –MĪMĀMSĀ - A SHORT INTRODUCTION
Contents
Introduction
Illustration
Content
Special Features
Major texts with classification
Introduction
Pūrva –Mīṁāṁsā occupies an important position amongst the six orthodox systems of Indian Philosophy. It is completely based on the Veda. The name itself suggests the scope of this philosophical system. The word ‘pūrva’ means the early or the first part, and the word ‘mimaṁsa’ derived from the root ‘mān’ (to think) means to think, to discuss, to interpret. Thus the name Pūrva –Mīṁāṁsā indicates the system that deals with interpretation of the first part of the Veda. Around 90% of the Veda deals with prescription and description of Vedic rituals. The sentences that are connected with these Vedic rituals are the object of interpretation of this system.
The first systematized work of this system has been prepared by Jaimini in the form of aphorisms. These aphorisms numbered roughly four thousand, have been commented upon by śabara svāmin which is referred to as śābara bhāṣya. The first aphorism explains the aim of this philosophical system. It states ‘athāto dharmajijñāsā’. The word ‘atha’ means after. In the sutra it refers to after the study of the Veda. The word ‘ataḥ’ is causative. It means because the whole of the Veda is purposeful, hence the word ‘dharma-jijñāsā’ means enquiry into dharma. Thus the whole aim of this system is to enquire into dharma i.e. to know what exactly is dharma. This enquiry is necessary because the performance of proper dharma bestows higher fruits while the performance of improper dharma produces evil.
Now the question arises as to what exactly is dharma? And how does this system help one to know it? Dharma is that which is enjoined by the Veda for a definite purpose (J.S.1.1.2). These are generally yāga(sacrifice), homa, dāna etc., which are enjoined or prescribed for various purposes such as svarga(heaven), wealth, son, animals etc. The sentences enjoining these dharma are of the forms svargakamo yajeta, agnihotram juhoti, udbhidā yajeta pashukāma, somena yajeta etc. These sentences enjoining the chief rite are followed by sentences that enjoin various subsidiary rites that are involved in accomplishing the chief rite. In short there are sentences enjoining the prime rite and sentences that enjoin the process of performance of the same. Sometimes few of these sentences are not very clear in the sense as to what is to be actually performed is not clearly known by them. In order to perform the rite flawlessly such that the expected result follows these sentences are required to be interpreted correctly. This is what this philosophical system does. Proper discussion leading to definite conclusion is what summarizes the chief aim of this philosophical system. This aim is accomplished in a systematized manner in which one type of sentence is taken into consideration at a time, it is discussed and conclusion is arrived at. This complete process is called an adhikaraṇa in this system. It is important to look into components of an adhikaraṇa in order to understand this system properly. Adhikaraṇa comprises of five major parts. Firstly, there is a sentence which is the object (viṣaya) to be discussed. Then there is the doubt (viśaya) with respect to that sentence. Then there is view of the opponent (purva-pakshin) or the prima facie view. Then there is the view of the siddhāntin along with proper justification(saṇgati) of his view.
Illustration
This can be illustrated with the help of a simple example. Let us consider the sentence ‘aktāḥ śarkarāḥ upadadhāti’ meaning one keeps (upadadhāti) small pebbles (śarkarāḥ) which are anointed(aktāḥ). The object of discussion here is this sentences itself which seems to be relatively clear. But the problem here is that the stones that are to be placed must be anointed. However the material with which these are to be anointed is not mentioned in the sentences or in some other sentence. Now the prima facie view on this is that any liquid material can be used for anointing these pebbles. The logic behind this is that for the purpose of anointing, a liquid material is required. In the sentence enjoining anointment no material is mentioned. Hence any liquid material can be used for anointment. But this is not accepted. The siddhantin asserts that clarified butter should be used for anointment of these pebbles. The reason behind this conclusion is that, at the vicinity of this sentence, there is another sentence of the form ‘tejo vai gṛtam’(clarified butter is indeed teja(light),which praises clarified butter. Although clarified butter is praised in the sentences but it is not enjoined as the substance of anointment hence the conclusion arrived at by the sidhantin must be justified. The logic behind such a conclusion is that things are not praised for the sake of praising, Only those things are praised which has some kind of utility in the rite. Since clarified butter has been praised it must be having some kind of utility. And we have already seen that in the vicinity the action of anointment has been enjoined which is in need of some substance fit for the same. Hence we can conclude that clarified butter is to be used for the purpose of anointing otherwise there would be no sense in praising the same in that particular context. Thus with the help of a simple example we have seen the constituents of an adhikaraṇa. There is something more to an adhikaraṇa. When a particular conclusion is arrived at regarding a sentence, we also arrive at a particular logic which has been resorted to for arriving at that conclusion. This logic is called the maxim or nyāya. Through each adhikaraṇa we derive a maxim which can be applied to all other similar sentences. The maxim that we derive from the above adhikaraṇa is ‘saṇdigdhe tu vākyaśeṣāt’ which means when there is a doubt(saṇdigdhe) we must decide on the basis of the nearby explanatory passage (vākyaśeṣāt).This maxim is now free to be applied to all the similar kind of sentences.
Content
Pūrva –Mīṁāṁsā comprises of nearly 1000 of such adhikaraṇa that arrive at distinct maxims arising from interpretation of different kind of sentences with different doubts. These thousand adhikaraṇa are divided into twelve chapters, each chapter discussing a particular feature. The first chapter deals with authority(pramāṇa). It chiefly discusses and establishes the authority of the whole of Veda in dharma along with the smritis and the customs which are based on the Veda. The second chapter deals with establishing difference in the karman(karma-bheda) chiefly establishing whether the karman that is enjoined is a different karman or the same karman.The third chapter deals with discussing the subsidiary acts(aṇga) leading to conclusion as to which karman is subsidiary and which one is prime.The fourth chapter deals with procedure(prayukti) meaning what is instigator of a karman. The fifth chapter deals with order of different rites(krama). The sixth chapter deals with qualification for performance of different rites(adhikāra). The seventh and eighth chapter deals with extension of certain rites in general and special cases(atideśa). The ninth chapter deals with modification(ūha). The tenth chapter deals with contradiction(bādha). The eleventh chapter deals with the rite which is performed for many(tantra). The twelveth chapter deals with the rite performed for one but helping many(prasaṇga). These are the chief contents of each chapter however there are many other topics and problems that are discussed while discussing these chief topics.
Special Features
There are certain features unique to the Pūrva –Mīṁāṁsā philosophy. As we have seen the basic aim of this philosophy is to discuss dharma and the sole source of dharma is the Veda and the literatures based upon it. This is because the very nature of dharma is such that it cannot be known by any of the sense perception. Other means of knowledge too doesn’t apply since they are based upon sense-perception by one way or the other. Now the question arises as to how does the Veda come into being? In the pūrva –mīṁāṁsā philosophy Veda is not considered as been composed by someone or even God. In its opinion Veda is apaurusheya i.e. devoid of connection with any person, human or God. Veda is eternal in this philosophy, hence at no time in history, Veda has ever been created. It is simply passed down from generation to generation by the tradition of teacher and disciple. For this it is also believed that the world is also eternal. It has never been the case that the world has been completely destroyed. They believe the world to be real.
Pūrva –Mīṁāṁsā philosophy discuses about Vedic rites and their fruits in the form of heaven etc. For giving these fruits an agent is not required in this philosophy. Although the rites get finished in a limited period, the rites or the actions are capable of giving fruits themselves. For this it is accepted that after the rites get completed they produce apurva(lit. that which was not before) or adrista(that which cannot be seen) and whenever the time is ripe it delivers the fruit. In this philosophy the validity of knowledge is self evident(svatah-prāmanyavād). The knowledge does not require any other proof to prove its validity. Whenever we know something we are inclined towards it. This is possible only when we believe our knowledge to be valid at first. Falsity of the knowledge is ascertained by contradictory knowledge produced later. Hence all knowledge is valid until another contradictory knowledge is produced. The validity of the Veda is also established in the same manner as there is no contradictory knowledge.
Pūrva –Mīṁāṁsā philosophy accepts six means of valid knowledge namely perception(pratyaksha), inference(anumāna), analogy(upamāna), word(sabda), postulation(arthāpatti) and non-perception(anupalabdhi).
Some Major Texts
As stated earlier the aphorism of this system has been composed by Jaimini. On these there is bhasya of Sabara.On Sabara there are commentaries by two persons Kumarila bhatta and Prabhakar, which are the two major schools of this philosophy namely Bhatta school and Prabhakar school. The commentary of Bhatta is in three parts namely Slokavarttika, Tantravarttika and Tuptika. And the commentary by Prabhakar is Brihati with another shorter version named Lagvi. There are various commentaries and sub-commentaries on these. There are many other texts that deal with all the adhikanans. Out of them the major is Shastradipika by Parthashastri Mishra. There is another named Jaiminiyanyayamala(-vistara) by Madhava that deals with all the adhikaranas in short. Similarly there are other texts such as Mimamsanukramanika of Mandanamishra etc. The major texts of neo-mimamsakas is the three text by Khandadeva namely Bhattadipika, Bhattakautubha and Bhattarahasya. There are many other individual texts that deals with particular topics like Vidhiviveka, Bhavanaviveka of Mandanamishra, Angatvanirukti of Murarimishra, Vidhirasayan of Appayadikshita etc. There are certain basic introductory text for this system namely Mimamsanyayaprakasha by Apadeva, Arthasamgraha by Laugakshibhaskara, Mimamsaparibhasha or Krishnayajvan etc. The system is rich with a long list of commentary literature like all other Indian philosophical systems.