The Two Dimensions of Mīmāṃsā Philosophy
Dr. A.S. Aravamudan
Professor in Mimamsa
Sri Lal Bahadur Shastry National Sanskrit University,
New Delhi.
Mīmāṃsā is a major tradition of Indian philosophy concerned with interpreting the Vedas. Over time, it developed into two complementary streams: Purva Mīmāṃsā (the earlier inquiry) and Uttara Mīmāṃsā (the later inquiry, also called Vedānta).
Purva Mīmāṃsā, systematized by Jaimini, focuses on the earlier portions of the Vedas that deal with rituals and duties. Its central concern is dharma, understood as the set of actions one ought to perform. According to this school, the Vedas are eternal and authoritative, and by performing prescribed rituals correctly, one generates unseen results that sustain both individual well-being and cosmic order. The emphasis here is practical right action matters more than metaphysical speculation.
Uttara Mīmāṃsā, based on the teachings of the Upanishads and organized in the Brahma Sutras by Badarayana. it explores the nature of ultimate reality (Brahman) and the self (Ātman). Later thinkers like Adi Shankaracharya, Sri Ramanujacharya and Sri Madhvacharya developed this into rich philosophical systems. Here, the goal is moksha liberation from the cycle of birth and death achieved through knowledge.
Purva Mimamsa
The word मीमांसा is derived from the root मान विचारे ‘to ‘enquire’ or to ‘investigate’. The ‘Mugdhabodha’ Vyakarana text of Śri Vopadeva corroborates this understanding (मान विचारे । मीमांसते).
Further, based on the Pānini Sutra 3-1-6 मान्बधदान्शान्भ्यो दीर्घश्चाभ्यासस्य it becomes known that for roots ‘mān’ (to investigate) and etc., a सन् ‘san’ pratayaya (affix) is to be added optionally when the usage is to be in the sense of a desiderative verb. A ‘desiderative’ verb means a verb expressing a ‘want’ or a ‘wish’. Additionally, by the same rule, the इकारः becomes elongated to the ‘dīrgha’ or the long ई substitute. So, from a series of derivations, the root मान takes the form मीमांसा ‘mīmāṃsā’ when it is to denote ‘a desire to enquire’ or a ‘desire to investigate’.
The Vārtikam also states मानेर्जिज्ञासायाम् meaning- ‘san’ pratayaya (affix) is to be added to the root ‘māna’ in the sense of ‘to inquire/investigate’.
The ‘mīmāṃsā’ Shastra is therefore defined as विचारपूर्वकतत्त्वनिर्णय i.e., a conclusion (nirṇaya) regarding the truths (tattva), preceed by detailed enquiry (vicārapūrvaka).
Having derived the meaning of the word ‘mīmāṃsā’ as ‘desire to investigate’, the next natural question that arises in one’s mind is as follows- It is a desire to enquire into what? Or a desire to investigate what?
Indeed the ‘mīmāṃsā’ Shastra is one of the six systems (shadarshanās) that is entirely based on the Sruti Pramāna or the Veda. So it follows, in simple terms, that ‘mīmāṃsā’ is a ‘desire to investigate into the subject matter of the Veda’.
The Veda itself is however broadly divided into two subsections, based on the ‘tattva’ or the ‘truth’ that is revealed.
1) यज्ञादिनिरूपिक कर्मकाण्ड – the portion of the Vedic texts that deal with ‘yajña’ (Vedic rituals) and etc., which is called the ‘Karma’ portion.
2) ब्रह्मनिरूपिक ब्रह्मकाण्ड (ज्ञानकाण्ड) – the portion of the Vedic texts that deal with the quintesstial knowledge regarding the nature of the Supreme Brahman, which is therefore called as the ‘Brahma’ portion or the ‘jñāna’ portion. This portion of the Veda is also called as the ‘Vedānta’ or the ‘Upanishad’.
The same classification of the Veda can also be arrived at by considering the ‘phalam’ or fruit that is obtained by the study of the respective section. A study of the ‘karmakāṇḍa’ portion of the Veda is necessary for one who is desirous of obtaining the three purushārthas (goals of mankind) called – Dharma, Artha and Kāma. However, for one who is desirous of the ultimate fruit called Moksha, a study into the ‘brahmakāṇḍa’ portion becomes necessary. This does not mean that the person desirous of Moksha is not required to engage in the studies of the ‘karmakāṇḍa’ portion – this matter will be dealt with in more detail subsequently.
The key here is that the result of attainment of ‘apavarga’ or moksha depends necessarily on the understanding of the ‘jñānakāṇḍa’ portion of the Veda (i.e., the Upanishad section or the Vedānta section).
Therefore, an enquiry into the meaning of the ‘Karma’ portion of the Veda becomes called ‘Karma Mīmāṃsā’ and correspondingly an enquiry into the import of the ‘Brahma’ portion becomes called ‘Brahma Mīmāṃsā’. Because an enquiry into the ‘Karma’ portion of the Veda preceeds an enquiry into the ‘Brahma’ portion, the former is also called as ‘Púrva Mīmāṃsā’ and the latter is called ‘Uttara Mīmāṃsā’. Sometimes, the term ‘Mīmāṃsā’ is conventionally taken to denote the ‘Karma Mīmāṃsā’ only.
Indeed, Bhagavān Maharishi Krishna Dvaipāyana Vyāsa was the one who took the host of the Vedic texts and divided into four portions. The word ‘Vyāsa’ literally means ‘seperation’ or ‘to severe’ and it is therefore the appropriate title given to the Maharishi for carrying out the enourmous task of re-classifying the Vedas for the benefit of all. Thus the Maharishi is also called as ‘Veda Vyāsa’. From the Vishnu Purana, it becomes clear that there have been many sages who performed the task of arranging the Vedas, in different ages (i.e., in the Dvapara age of different Manvantarās). In the most recent twenty eighth Dvapara Yuga of the seventh manvantarā, this task was undertaken by Maharishi Krishna Dvaipāyana Vyāsa, the son of Sage Parāshara. So states Bhagavān Parāshara himself (Vishnu Purāna, 3-4-2) –
ततोऽत्र मत्सुतो व्यासो ह्यष्टाविंशतिमेऽन्तरे ।
वेदमेकं चतुष्पादं चतुर्धा व्यभजत् प्रभुः॥२॥
“In the twenty eighth (Dvapara yuga) my son Vyāsa
divided the one Veda of four Pādas into four parts.”
Indeed, this Maharishi Krishna Dvaipāyana Vyāsa was considered as a Shakti Avesha Avatāra (or Amṣa Avatāra) of Bhagavan Nārāyaṇa Himself. Thus, states Sage Parāshara (Vishnu Purāna, 3-4-5)-
कृष्णद्वैपायनं व्यासं विद्धि नारायणं प्रभुम् ।
कोऽन्यो हि भुवि मैत्रेय! महाभारतकृद् भवेत् ॥५
“Do know, O Maitreya, This Vyāsa who is named Kṛṣṇadvaipāyana to be
none other than that Lord Nārāyaṇa! Indeed, who else but Him could
have composed the Mahābhārata on this earth?” (None else could have)
Further Sage Parāshara speaks about the illustrious five disciples of Maharishi Vyāsa as follows (Vishnu Purāna, 3-4-7 to 10) –
ब्रह्मणा चोदितो व्यासो वेदान् व्यस्तुं प्रचक्रमे।
अथ शिष्यान् स जग्राह चतुरो वेदपारगान् ॥ ७॥
ऋग्वेदश्रावकं पैलं जग्राह स महामुनिः ।
वैशम्पायननामानं यजुर्वेदस्य चाग्रहीत् ॥ ८ ॥
जैमिनि सामवेदस्य तथैवाथर्ववेदवित् ।
सुमन्तुस्तस्य शिष्योऽभूद् वेदव्यासस्य धीमतः॥९॥
रोमहर्षणनामानं महाबुद्धिं महामुनिः।
सूतं जग्राह शिष्यं स इतिहासपुराणयोः ॥ १० ॥
“Being commanded by Brahma, Vyāsa undertook the task of dividing the Vedas. Thereafter, he accepted four disciples, who were experts in the Vedas.
Among them, that great sage, appointed Paila as the preceptor of the
Rig Veda, Vaiśampāyana as the preceptor of the Yajur Veda, Jaimini
as the preceptor of the Sāma Veda, and Sumantu who was a disciple
of the intelligent Vyāsa and an expert in the Athrava Veda, as its preceptor.
He also accepted the one of great intellect, the great sage Sūta- also called Lomaharṣaṇana, as a disciple (the fifth one) for the Itihāsa and Purāṇas.
And further, regarding the division of the Vedas (Vishnu Purāna, 3-4- 11 to 13) –
ततः स ऋचमुद्धृत्य ऋग्वेदं कृतवान् मुनिः ।
यजूंषि च यजुर्वेदं सामवेदञ्च सामभिः ॥ १३॥
राज्ञस्त्वथर्ववेदेन सर्वकर्माणि च प्रभुः ।
कारयामास मैत्रेय ! ब्रह्मत्वञ्च यथास्थिति ॥ १४ ॥
“Then, O Maitreya! having collected the mantras called ‘Riks’,
he compiled the Rig Veda, the mantras of the sacrifice to compile
the Yajur Veda, the hymns of the Sāma to compile the Sāmavēda,
and with the Atharva hymns he composed all the rules regarding
the ceremonies of the Kings and the conduct of the Brahmanas!”
Bhagavān Jaimini, the disciple of Vyāsa, who was the preceptor for the Sāmavēda was also the one who presided over a detailed enquiry into the ‘karmakāṇḍa’ section of the Vedas. As a result of that study, he composed a set of aphorisms or ‘Sútras’ on this topic. These aphorisms comprise a body of text containing twelve chapters (adhyaya), which are divided into sixty sections (padas), and further into sub-sections (adhikaranās) that total up to about one-thousand in number. This voluminous work comprises of about two thousand odd Sútras and concerns itself with the appropriate interpretation of the Vedic sentences in the ‘karmakāṇḍa’ portion of the Vedas. These Sútras are therefore called as the ‘Karma Mīmāṃsā Sútras’ or ‘Púrva Mīmāṃsā Sútras’ and constitute the foundation text for anyone who is desirous of enquiry into the ‘karmakāṇḍa’ portion of the Vedas. The term ‘Mīmāṃsā’ is sometimes simply used to denote the ‘Púrva Mīmāṃsā Sútras’ of Jaimini. ‘Mīmāṃsā Shāstra’ is the study of the ‘Púrva Mīmāṃsā Sútras’ of Jaimini, undertaken to correctly comprehend the import of the Vedic sentences in the ‘karmakāṇḍa’ portion of the Vedas.
Along the same lines, Bhagavān Vyāsa himself presided over a detailed enquiry into the ‘brahmakāṇḍa’ (or jñānakāṇḍa) portion of the Vedic texts that deal with the quintesstial knowledge regarding the nature of the Supreme Brahman. As a result of this detailed study, Bhagavān Vyāsa composed a set of aphorisms or ‘Sútras’ on this topic. These aphorisms are set in four chapters (adhyaya), which are divided into sixteen sections (padas), and further into sub-sections (adhikaranās) that total up to one hundred fifty six in number; and in total contains about 545 Sútras (per Sri Rāmānuja). These Sútras of Vyāsa are called ‘Brahma Sútras’ or ‘Uttara Mīmāṃsā Sútras’, or simply as ‘Vedānta Sútras’. This body of text constitutes the foundation text for anyone who is desirous of understanding the true import of Vedānta, of the nature of the Supreme Brahman.
Indeed, the composition of the ‘Uttara Mīmāṃsā Sútras’ by sage Vyāsa was undertaken after presiding over a meeting of a large number of sages, who came together to ponder upon and debate upon the meaning of the most esoteric portions of the Vedānta. The goal was to arrive at a consenus on these matters, in order to appropriately comprehend the import of the Sruti texts. The deciding authority was of course sage Vyāsa, and he is therefore the author of the text. Yet the Maharishi took notes of other differing opinions on certain matters and records these in the Sútras as well. From this, it is known that the Sútras were composed after much deliberation with other eminent sages. Bhagavan Sri Krishna Himself speaks of the authority of the Brahma Sútras as follows (Gita 13-5) ब्रह्मसूत्रपदैश्चैव हेतुमद्भिर्विनिश्चतैः ।
It is to be mentioned here that the scriptural texts in many places denote the author of the ‘Uttara Mīmāṃsā Sútras’ to be Sage Bādarāyana. It is contended that this Sage Bādarāyana is someone other than Krishna Dvaipāyana Vyāsa, because there is no direct reference to sage Vyāsa by his given name. However, tradition has accepted that Sage Bādarāyana is none other than sage Vyāsa.
Infact, no further anxiety needs to be exerted in this direction because the blessed Bhagavad Bhashyakara, Sri Ramanuja himself puts to rest this debate by indicating that the author of the Vedānta Sútras is none other than Maharishi Krishna Dvaipāyana Vyāsa, the son of Sage Parāshara. The second ‘Mangala Sloka’ of the Shri Bhashya runs thus-
पाराशर्यवचःसुधामुपनिषद्दुग्धाब्धिमध्योद्धृतां
संसाराग्निविदीपनव्यपगतप्राणात्मसंजीवनीम् ।
पूर्वाचार्यसुरक्षितां बहुमतिव्याघातदूरस्थिता-
मानीतां तु निजाक्षरैः सुमनसो भौमाः पिबन्त्वन्वहम् ॥
“The nectar of the teaching of the son of Parâsara’s (Vyâsa), which was
churned up from the middle of the milk-ocean of the Upanishads;
(the nectar) which enlivens the souls whose vital breath had departed
owing to the heat of Saṃsāra (the fire of transmigratory existence);
(the nectar) which was well protected by the Pūrvācāryas, which
however became obscured because of the mutual conflict of
manifold doctrines; may the wise men enjoy daily the very
same (nectar), as it is now presented to them in my words.”
This reference to the son of Sage Parāshara as the author of the Vedānta Sútras puts an end to any persisting doubts regarding this matter.
There are others who however put forth the view that the identification of Sage Bādarāyana with Maharishi Krishna Dvaipāyana Vyāsa is the purely the view of ‘Vaishnavas’. This is far from the truth because the identification of Sage Bādarāyana with Maharishi Krishna Dvaipāyana Vyāsa has ancient precedent.
First, in the Jaimini Sútras itself (1-1-5), the sage refers to the opinon of his Acharya (the author of the Vedānta Sútras) as follows-
औत्पत्तिकस्तु शब्दस्यार्थेन सम्बन्धस्तस्य ज्ञानमुपदेशोऽव्यतिरेकश्चार्थेऽनुपलब्धे तत्प्रमाणं बादरायणस्यानपेक्षत्वात् ( जै० सू० १.१.५ )
The question arises, who is sage Jaimini referring to by the phrase तत्प्रमाणं बादरायणस्यानपेक्षत्वात् ‘tatpramāṇaṃ bādarāyaṇasyānapēkṣatvāt’ – ‘the authority of sage Bādarāyaṇa; by reason of its non dependence on anything else’?
The ancient Vārtikakāra, Kumarila Bhatta, who comments on this sutra states as follows-
प्रसिद्धौ हि तथा चाह पाराशर्योऽत्र वस्तुनि ॥ २ ॥ “The son of Parāśara spoke the famed words as follows”.
Further, the Vārtikakāra, Kumarila Bhatta goes on to quote the famous words of Maharishi Krishna Dvaipāyana Vyāsa (regarding the nature of dharma and adharma) in the following manner:
“इदं पुण्यमिदं पापमित्येतस्मिन् पदद्वये ।
आचण्डालं मनुष्याणासल्पं शास्त्र प्रयोजनम्” ॥ ३ ॥
From this it becomes clear that even the ancient Mimāmsa tradition considers Sage Bādarāyaṇa to be none other than Vyāsa, the son of Sage Parāśara.
It has been further argued by some that, based on a passage from the ‘Samavidhāna Brāhmana (3-9-8), Sage Bādarāyaṇa is to be taken as being four generations after Vyāsa, the son of Parāśara. This matter has however been taken up by the venerated author Sri Sudarshana Súri in his Srutaprakashika, where he expresses the opinion of the most eminent Shri Bhāshya Simhāsana – Nadādur Ammāl.
According to Sudarshana Súri, the sage ‘Bādarāyaṇa’ mentioned as being four generations after Vyāsa is a reference to a different ‘Bādarāyaṇa’. There is no contradiction therefore to accepting the author of the of the Vedānta Sútras- Sage Bādarāyaṇa as none other than Krishna Dvaipāyana Vyāsa, the son of Parāśara. The relevant text is quoted here –
पाराशर्यशब्देन जन्मोत्कर्ष: ‘स होवाच व्यास: पाराशर्य:’ इति श्रुतिप्रसिद्ध:, तस्यैव बादरायणसंज्ञत्वं च विवक्षितम् । यथोक्तम् महर्षिणैव, ‘द्वीपे बदरिकामिश्रे बादरायणमच्युतम् । पराशरात्सत्यवती पुत्रं लेभे परन्तपम्’ ।। यद्यपि ऋष्यन्तेरऽपि बादरायणशब्दप्रयोग:, तथापि सूत्रकृद्विषयो बादरायणशब्द: पाराशर्यगोचर एव ।
“The term ‘pārāśarya’ (son of Parāśara) indicates the highness of his birth, even as declared in the Veda itself (Taittiriya Aranyaka 1-6-2) ‘thus spoke Vyāsa, the son of Parāśara’. The same person (son of Parāśara) is here identified as Sage Bādarāyaṇa. As the sage himself states ‘In an island of badarika trees, sage Parāśara and Satyavati begot a son by the name Bādarāyaṇa, the infallible one’. Even though there may be other Rishis with the same appellation Bādarāyaṇa, yet in the matter of the authorship of the Sūtras, the term Bādarāyaṇa refers to the son of Parāśara alone.”
It is noteworthy to analyze the important verse quoted by Sudarshana Súri.
‘द्वीपे बदरिकामिश्रे बादरायणमच्युतम् ।
पराशरात्सत्यवती पुत्रं लेभे परन्तपम्’
This sloka indicates both बादरायणत्वं bādarāyaṇatvaṃ (him being identified as ‘bādarāyaṇa’ due to association with the Badari trees), and द्वैपायनत्वं dvaipāyanatvaṃ (him being identified as ‘dvaipāyana’ due to association with the island) are referring to the same person who is none other than the son of Parāśara and Satyavatī. Thus, the individual identified by the appellations Bādarāyaṇa, Dvaipāyana, Vyāsa etc. is none other than Veda Vyāsa, the son of Sage Parāśara.
Further, Sudarshana Súri goes on to provide the authority for coming to such a conclusion. This is quoted below.
तथा च स्कान्दे व्यक्तमुक्तम् –
As it is made very clear in the Skānda Purana –
नारायणाद्विनिष्पन्नं ज्ञानं कृतयुगे स्थितम् ।
किञ्चित्तदन्यथाजातं त्रेतायां द्वापरेऽखिलम् ॥
गौतमस्य ऋषेश्शापात् ज्ञाने त्वज्ञातां गते ।
सङ्कीर्णबुद्धयो देवा: ब्रह्मरुद्रपुरस्सरा: ॥
शरण्यं शरणं जग्मुर्नारायणमनामयम् ।
तैर्विज्ञापितकार्यस्तु भगवान् पुरुषोत्तम: ॥
अवतीर्णो महायोगी सत्यवत्त्यां पराशरात् ।
उत्सन्नान् भगवान् वेदानुज्जहार हरिस्स्वयम् ॥
चतुर्धा व्यभजत्तांश्च चतुर्विंशतिधा पुन: ।
शतधा चैकधा चैव तथैव च सहस्रधा ॥
कृष्णो द्वादशधा चैव पुनस्तस्यार्थवित्तये ।
चकार ब्रह्मसूत्राणि येषां सूत्रत्वमञ्जसा ॥
अल्पाक्षरमसन्दिग्धं सारवद्विश्वतो मुखम् ।
अस्तोभमनवद्यं च सूत्रं सूत्रविदो विदु: ॥
निर्विशेषितसूत्रत्वं ब्रह्मसूत्रस्य चाप्यत: ।
सविशेषाणि सूत्राणि ह्यपराणि विदो विदु: ॥
मुख्यस्य निर्विशेषेण शब्दोऽन्येषां विशेषत: ।
इति वेदविद: प्राहु: शब्दतत्त्वार्थवेदिन: ॥
एवंविधानि सूत्राणि कृत्वा व्यासो महायशा: ।
ब्रह्मरुद्रादिदेवेषु मनुष्यपितृपक्षिषु ॥
ज्ञानं संस्थाप्य भगवान् क्रीडते परमेश्वर: ॥ इत्यादिना ॥
Thus, enough has been said about this matter. We will end this section with the following famous verses praising the glory of Maharishi Vyāsa.
व्यासं वसिष्ठनप्तारं शक्तेः पौत्रमकल्मषम् ।
पराशरात्मजं वन्दे शुकतातं तपोनिधिम् ॥
“We bow to Vyāsa- the treasury of penance, the great grandson of Vasiṣṭha, the
grandson of Shakti Muni, the son of Parāśara and also the father of Shuka Muni!”
व्यासाय विष्णुरूपाय व्यासरूपाय विष्णवे ।
नमो वै ब्रह्मनिधये वासिष्ठाय नमो नमः ॥
“Vyāsa is the form of Vishnu, Vishnu is the form of Vyāsa; we pay obeisance
to Vyāsa, the one who was born in the lineage of Vasiṣṭha!”