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Part of a series on Hindu philosophy
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Schools
Samkhya · Nyaya
Vaisheshika · Yoga
Purva Mimamsa · Vedanta
Schools of Vedanta
Advaita · Vishishtadvaita
Dvaita
Important figures
Kapila · Gotama
Kanada · Patañjali
Jaimini · Vyasa
Medieval
Adi Shankara · Ramanuja
Madhva · Madhusudana
Vedanta Desika · Jayatirtha
Modern
Ramakrishna · Ramana
Vivekananda · Narayana Guru
Nitya Chaitanya Yati
Aurobindo ·Sivananda
Satyananda · Nisargadatta
Lakshmanjoo · Chinmayananda
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Mimamsa, a Sanskrit word meaning "investigation", is also the name of a school of Indian Philosophy whose primary enquiry is into the nature of dharma. Mimamsa is better known as Purva Mimamsa since it investigates the Purva or "earlier" portions of the Vedas. The foundational text for the Mimamsa school is the Purva Mimamsa Sutras of Jaimini. An important proponent of this school is Kumarila Bhatta. Dharma as understood by Mimamsa can be loosely translated into English as Virtue, Morality or Duty. The Mimamsa school traces the source of the knowledge of dharma neither to sense-experience nor inference, but to verbal cognition (i.e. knowledge of words and meanings). Mimamsa philosophical works gives copious arguments for apaurusheyatva ("unauthored-ness") of the Vedas. Mimamsa believes that all words and meanings exist eternally (see Platonism), and the human mind only perceives them temporarily. Thus the Rishis or seers saw (not with the physical, but the metaphysical eye) the eternal words and meanings of the Vedas that constitute dharma and gave them to mankind as a revelation. The Mimamsa school held dharma to be equivalent to following the commandments of the Vedas and related scriptures such as the Smritis, which involved the performance of Vedic rituals. Seen in this light, Mimamsa is essentially Vedic Ethics, and places great weight on the performance of Karma or action as enjoined by the Vedas. This school's most valuable contribution to Hinduism was its formulation of well-accepted rules of Vedic interpretation.

The beliefs of the Mimamsa school include rejection of a creator God as well as scriptures on dharma outside of the Vedic tradition, and acceptance of the existence of svarga or heaven awaiting the person who has acted righteously in his or her life.

Mimamsa does not pay as much attention to Moksha or salvation as does Vedanta (also known as Uttara Mimamsa - investigation into the Uttara or "later" portions of the Vedas). At a later stage, however, the Mimamsa school changed its views in this regard and began to teach the doctrines of God and Moksha (liberation). While Mimamsa does not receive much scholarly attention these days, its influence can be felt in the life of the practising Hindu. All Hindu ritual, ceremony and religious law is influenced by it.

[edit] External links

• Purva Mimamsa Home Page

• Purva Mimamsa Sutras of Jaimini

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