Question

UPSC Prelims 2014 Question:

Which one of the following pairs does not form part of the six systems of Indian Philosophy?

1. Mimamsa and Vedanta
2. Nyaya and Vaisheshika
3. Lokayata and Kapalika
4. Sankhya and Yoga

Answer (Detailed Solution Below)

Option 3: Lokayata and Kapalika

Detailed Solution

Explanation:

- Philosophy has a long tradition in the literature of ancient India. Several philosophers were engaged with the mysteries of life and death and forces beyond them.
- Orthodox School believed that Vedas were the supreme revealed scriptures that hold the secrets to salvation. They did not question the authenticity of the Vedas. They had six subschools that were called the Shada Darshana: Samkhya, Yoga, Nyaya, Veisheshika, Mimamsa and Vedanta.

Charvaka School or Lokayata Philosophy: Brihaspati laid the foundation stone of this school and it was supposed to be one of the earliest schools that developed a philosophical theory. The Charvaka School was the main propounder of the materialistic view to achieving salvation.

Therefore, option (3) is the answer.

Knowledge Box

Samkhya School: It is the oldest school of philosophy and was founded by Kapil Muni who is supposed to have written the Samkhya Sutra.
- Vedanta School: It upholds the philosophies of life as elaborated in the Upanishads. The oldest text that formed the basis of this philosophy was Brahmasutra of Badarayana. The philosophy propounds that Brahm is the reality of life and everything else is unreal or Maya.
- Nyaya School: They believe in the technique of logical thinking to achieve salvation. They consider life, death and salvation to be like mysteries that can be solved through logical and analytical thinking. This school of thought was supposed to be founded by Gautama who is also identified as the author of the Nyaya Sutra.
Yoga School: It literally means the union of two major entities. They argue that human beings can achieve salvation by combining meditation and the physical application of yogic techniques. It is argued that these techniques lead to the release of Purusha from the Prakriti and would eventually lead to salvation. This origin of Yoga and the school have been expounded in the Yogasutra of Patanjali that is attributed tentatively to the 2nd century BC.

The Vaisheshika school: It believes in the physicality of the Universe and is considered to be a realistic and objective philosophy that governs the Universe. Kanada who wrote the basic text governing the Vaisheshika philosophy is often considered the founder of this school.
Mimamsa School: This school believes in the art of reasoning, interpretation, and application. This school focuses on the analysis of the texts of Samhita and Brahmana which are portions of the Vedas. They argue that the Vedas contain the eternal truth and they are the repositories of all knowledge.

Subject: History | Religion and Philosophy

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