Miimaamsaa - Clarification

[Jaldhar H. Vyas]

[Cced in case poster is no longer on the list]

On Fri, 3 Apr 1998, Chandran, Nanda (NBC) wrote:

> I hear that Miimaamsaa means "investigation".

The Sanskrit dhatu man means "to think".  The repetition signifies
"To think back and forth" or to debate.  So Mimamsa is the art of debate.
Debate about what?  The rishis saw the words of the Vedas and passed them
down to their students.  The question was what is the meaning of these
words?  What do we do with them?  They determined that the various
statements dealt with two subjects, Dharma and Brahman.  So the two
branches of Mimamsa enquire into the meaning and nature of these two
subjects.  (Dharma jignasa and Brahma jignasa.)

> So what do Purva and
> Uttara Miimaamsaa mean? And what's the reason for naming the schools so?
>

Because the sections of the Vedas that deal with Dharma come before and
those that deal with Brahman at the end.  That's all.  Maharshi Jaimini
the author of the Mimamsasutras is quoted in the Brahmasutras and
Maharshi Badarayana the author of Brahmasutras is quoted in the
Mimamsasutras.

> Also Vidya mentioned sometime back that both Samkhya and Purva
> Miimaamsaa don't care for a creator God. Can somebody explain?
>

Samkhya believes that creation is part of prakrti which is completely
distinct from purusha (which would correspond to God in their system.)
Therefore God is completely uninvolved in creation.

Purva Mimamsa believes in the eternal nature of the Vedas.  Mimamsakas
cannot accept that any entity--even God created the Vedas.

--
Jaldhar H. Vyas <jaldhar at braincells.com>